Whose Dignity? The Episcopal Church, Immigration, and the Abuse of the Pulpit

Just a few days ago, a “letter” was published by FoxNews.com from 154 liberal Episcopalian bishops — including Washington, D.C.’s Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde — posing a question framed as moral: Whose dignity matters?

Their outrage over the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws paint a picture of moral clarity, compassion, and Christian concern . . . or so they want us to believe. In reality, their outrage is less about morality and more about politics — a political agenda being preached from pulpits that belong not to them, but to the faithful of Jesus Christ.

These bishops seek to weaponize the Church against the law of the land, cloaking political activism in religious language. They claim moral authority, yet ignore both history and the law in favor of cherry-picking tragedies to justify a narrative that fits their ideological agenda. These 154 bishops seem to have forgotten — or decided to deliberately ignore — that law enforcement is not a moral failing. It is a constitutional responsibility, a civic duty, and, in fact, a bipartisan tradition that spans decades of Democrat and Republican administrations alike.

It is critical to understand the context these select bishops deliberately omit. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, the foundation of modern United States immigration law, was written and introduced by Democrat senators. In fact, it was passed by a Democrat-controlled Senate and House, sent to a Democrat president (President Truman) for signature, and the same Democrat-controlled Senate and House overrode his veto. Since June of 1952, this law has been enforced by every president — Democrat and Republican alike — since its passage. That includes notable Democrats like Presidents John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama (who deported more individuals than President Donald J. Trump during his tenure). These presidents enforced the law without dissembling the “morality” we now see from these liberal activists bishops.

Even Democrats like Hillary Clinton ran for national office on enforcing immigration law, stating in Iowa during her 2008 presidential campaign:

Her viewpoint wasn’t controversial at the time. It did not prompt national outrage. It was recognized as the responsibility of the federal government to enforce laws passed by Congress. Yet now, nearly two decades later, liberal activist bishops act as if enforcing the law is a moral crime, as if the rule of law itself is inherently unjust.

This is not merely a political critique — it is a direct assault on the principle of equal application of the law, a principle foundational to both justice and order. To cast enforcement as cruelty or fear-based policy is to rewrite history, erase context, and fundamentally misrepresent the legal and moral precedent that has guided our nation for generations.

The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde and her 153 co-signers claim moral authority while dressing their political grievances in the language of religion and the vestments of liturgy. But their hypocrisy is clear when you understand how the Episcopal Church is structured and what ordination (and consecration) actually entails.

• Authority is Presiding, Not Personal — The Episcopal Church in the United States elects a Presiding Bishop, currently The Most Rev. Sean Rowe. The Presiding Bishop serves as the chief pastor, primate, and CEO of the Episcopal Church. With that authority comes the responsibility to speak on behalf of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Members of the House of Bishops or the House of Delegates (the two governing bodies of the Episcopal Church, much like Congress), the clergy, or the laity may disagree with the Presiding Bishop’s positions or statements, but the Presiding Bishop has the duly elected and appointed authority to represent the Church . . . no other person. Individual bishops, priests, and lay leaders cannot speak for the Church as a whole and should refrain from utilizing their titles, offices, or positions when commenting on politically sensitive matters. These 154 liberal activists bishops have no more authority to speak for the Church at large than any parish priest; they are not a moral tribunal of the nation. Their letters are self-appointed, their outrage is self-directed, and their moral gravitas is self-proclaimed. 
• Their Office and the Pulpit are Not Political Platforms — If a bishop or a member of the clergy believes immigration laws are unjust, they have the same tools available to any private citizen: voting, lobbying, writing op-eds, and running for public office in their personal capacity. They do not, however, have the right to use their office or the pulpit to coerce congregants into adopting their political views. The pulpit is not theirs. It is not a broadcast station for ideology. As the Rt. Rev. Elizabeth Gardner, Bishop of Nevada, said: “…ordination does not mean I inflict my personal political beliefs on congregations (and now a diocese). Just like Pastor Andy Stanley, the only people who want me to be political are those who want me to agree with their political positions.”
• The Episcopal Pulpit Belongs to the Faithful, Not Ideology — Liberal activists may believe their political agenda is morally superior, but that does not give them the right to impose it under the guise of spiritual authority.

This is not the first time the Episcopal Church has been politicized. Membership has declined from over 3 million in 1979 to less than 1 million today, reflecting a broader cultural trend, but also highlighting the cost of politicizing the pulpit. Conservative Episcopalians, moderates, and even disaffected liberals have witnessed, year after year, sermons and statements that prioritize ideology over faith.

The Church’s mission is timeless:

• Preach the Good Word, faithfully and without partisanship.
• Provide sacramental fulfillment and spiritual guidance.
• Build and sustain community rooted in Christ, not in partisan agendas.

Yet, the liberal activists bishops have continued to turn the pulpit into political theater and they believe it is their role to lecture, scold, leverage fear and moral intimidation as tools to broadcast their political worldview rather than preaching the Word of God. And they do so with the implicit threat that disagreement is un-Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is worth examining the names and geographies of the bishops who signed this so-called “letter.” The Episcopal Church of the United States has 107 official dioceses that are led by a bishop. Of the 154 signatories, only 68 actively oversee a diocese, meaning 67 are retired bishops with no current congregational responsibilities. It also means that 39 active bishops refused to add their name to this letter.

Those 68 diocesan signers represent parts or all of 38 states, and of those, 20 states (53%) voted for President Donald J. Trump in the 2024 election, including his policies on immigration enforcement. This highlights the even among the active bishops, a significant portion comes from states that supported the very policies the “letter” criticizes.

Beyond the moral and spiritual concerns, there are very real legal and financial risks that these 68 active liberal bishops are disregarding. The Episcopal Church, like all non-profit religious organizations in the United States, benefits from a strict tax-exempt status that limits partisan political activity. Yet, through repeated op-eds, public letters, and repeated political messaging from their pulpits, these bishops are straying from their stated mission and venturing into territory that could jeopardize the tax-exempt status of their dioceses. Many dioceses do not have the financial resources to absorb potential fines or liabilities that might arise from increased scrutiny by the IRS. What begins as political advocacy could easily escalate into a long-term structural and financial threat, putting the very institutions they claim to serve at risk while undermining the Church’s ability to fund its spiritual and community missions . . . all so they could proudly call themselves liberal activists against the Trump Administration.

If you are an Episcopalian concerned with the faith rather than the ideology, this is your moment.

Show up. Engage. Demand change.

The activists left does not own the pulpit; the Church belongs to its members, to its congregants, and ultimately to Christ. Your political engagement as a citizen is one thing. Your spiritual guidance by a cleric is another. These liberal bishops have blurred that line deliberately. Conservative Episcopalians — indeed, all Episcopalians — must insist on clarity: the pulpit is a sacred space, not a podium for ideology.

It is time to reclaim the Church from partisanship, not for politics, not for self-aggrandizement, and certainly not for the ideology of the activists left. It is time to restore the Church’s mission: teaching the Word, offering the sacraments, and serving as a moral anchor for society — not as a bully pulpit for political narratives.

Being politically active is permissible . . . on your own time.

Being morally responsible is expected.

But the Bible and the Baptismal Covenant — not the Democrat Party Platform — provides the framework:

• Seek and Serve Christ. Always.
• Respect the dignity of every human being. Even those with whom you disagree.
• Strive for justice. But through lawful means, not through coercive moral theater.
• Proclaim by word and example with integrity, not ideology.

Liberal activist bishops fail on every count. They confuse the moral with the political. They confuse the congregation with a campaign audience. They confuse faith with fear. And in doing so, they weaken the Church, divide its members, and erode its influence in the very communities they claim to serve. If being an activist and politically-outspoken is what they truly are passionate about now, they should resign their office, renounce their Orders, and seek a political career. Otherwise, it is imperative they return to their duty and their role in the profession they claim to have been called to.

Conservative Episcopalians, and all who value a Church that preaches the gospel rather than preaches politics, have a responsibility: show up, engage, and demand accountability. Let the Church know that the pulpit is a sacred trust, not a political weapon.

These 154 bishops asked whose dignity matters. But dignity is not conferred by title, ordination, or political alignment. It is conferred by faithful service, adherence to law, and moral consistency. By these measures, the individuals who leveraged their pastoral office for political purpose fall woefully short. They lecture the nation on law and morality while ignoring history, precedent, and the Constitution. They weaponized the Church to advance ideology rather than faith.

The answer to their question is clear: dignity belongs to those who live by faith, law, and conscience — not those who claim moral authority to advance political agendas. Conservative Episcopalians must take back the pulpit, reaffirm the Church’s mission, and demonstrate that the Episcopal Church is a place for worship, for teaching, and for the living of Christian values — not a vehicle for liberal activism disguised as morality.

Faith, law, and moral clarity demand no less. The Church and the nation will be stronger for it.