Morton Grove Community Church's
New Barmen Declaration
Because religion is practiced by humankind, it will always be co-opted by human powers. There are some on the “Christian right” that have money and influence, and that publicly dictate what is moral and immoral from a religious perspective in our society. They focus not on the gospel message of Jesus Christ, but on the flashy worship of materialism. They use Scripture out of context to argue for their point of view. They espouse the Ten Commandments in public with no concern for how they are implemented in the world. The Christian right backs our president as “king” which draws people away from the gospel. They misuse Christianity as a justification to oppress people, to restrict women, to shun our neighbors, and hoard our wealth. Shame on us; our country no longer has moral authority on the world stage.
Our nation was founded on the separation of church and state in order to ensure religious freedom for all. Although we do believe in the authority of Jesus over our own lives, we do not believe in the superiority of one denomination of Christianity over another, or of Christianity over other religions. Jesus is our example for how to approach others. We should be respectful and non-judgmental of other beliefs. We should deeply listen to and actively engage with other traditions. We believe that all religions have the same core message of respect for our neighbor, and we acknowledge all means of uplifting life and love. We do not believe that Christianity should force others to believe as we do, but it invites us to act as Christ in our communities.
Our country is severely divided, and our political leaders play into this division. They use their power over others to benefit themselves and their associates. They extract from the poor and give to the rich. They maximize their freedom while not fulfilling their responsibility to the common good of the community. They only care about those who promote their own self-interests or party interests. We acknowledge that there are some politicians who fulfill their role as a public servant, but there are far too many who take advantage of the system. In God’s Kingdom, there is no hierarchy. All are alike in dignity. Leaders do not oppress others but serve them. They are the first to take responsibility for others’ well-being. They are the first to drink of the cup of sacrifice so that all may be saved. Jesus showed us that leadership does not mean power but vulnerability to suffering.
Despite this division, our faith shows us that we can continue to move forward. We are completely in charge of how we interact with others. We can be respectful in disagreement. We can try to find the common ground in every conversation. We can keep an open mind, listen, and continue to speak out about our beliefs. We can be involved in activities that affirm our common humanity. We can remember that more people are honest than corrupt. We can continue to host community events that welcome all. We can expand our worldview by leaving our comfort zone behind us, and keep trying new things as a congregation. We can keep protesting and giving aid both locally and internationally. We aren’t stuck in division; the Spirit shows us how to move forward.
We acknowledge that it is difficult to respond to these distasteful politics and keep our Christian spirit. We don’t want to trade evil for evil, but to continue to practice the compassion modeled by Christ. We try to recognize our common humanity without giving way to hatred, which prevents us from reaching common ground. We can fight back with our words, take a stand, and respectfully disagree. We can stay true to our values. We can be persistent. We can pray for those who live in opposition from our values, and we can rest when it becomes too hard. We can take a break from the news. We can deal with our own emotions like anger and rage in healthy ways, so that they do not negatively impact the community. As we craft our own statement, we acknowledge our own triumphs and our own complicity in the state of the world. We should always be open to revising this statement when we know better.
Our congregation wishes to remind our political leaders that there is a separation of church and state. They are meant to serve the public, and there is no nobler call. It is the path that Christ followed. We realize that as humans, we are imperfect and fallible, but hate and oppression have no place in our society. The people of this country are not pawns, but we are the body of Christ. We do not wish to be led by power and greed, but kindness, compassion, and understanding. Christ stands for the betterment of all people, not just an arbitrary few. We actively denounce any who would use our faith to sow hatred, fear, and division, or to deny aid to any who need it. We don’t want a king or dictator, but a knowledgeable, compassionate, honest leader! We want our politicians to make decisions that steward life. Christ’s example teaches us unity, hope, peace, and love, and real Christian discipleship will always reflect these values.
Our nation was founded on the separation of church and state in order to ensure religious freedom for all. Although we do believe in the authority of Jesus over our own lives, we do not believe in the superiority of one denomination of Christianity over another, or of Christianity over other religions. Jesus is our example for how to approach others. We should be respectful and non-judgmental of other beliefs. We should deeply listen to and actively engage with other traditions. We believe that all religions have the same core message of respect for our neighbor, and we acknowledge all means of uplifting life and love. We do not believe that Christianity should force others to believe as we do, but it invites us to act as Christ in our communities.​
​Our congregation wishes to remind our political leaders that there is a separation of church and state. They are meant to serve the public, and there is no nobler call. It is the path that Christ followed. We realize that as humans, we are imperfect and fallible, but hate and oppression have no place in our society. The people of this country are not pawns, but we are the body of Christ. We do not wish to be led by power and greed, but kindness, compassion, and understanding. Christ stands for the betterment of all people, not just an arbitrary few. We actively denounce any who would use our faith to sow hatred, fear, and division, or to deny aid to any who need it. We don’t want a king or dictator, but a knowledgeable, compassionate, honest leader! We want our politicians to make decisions that steward life. Christ’s example teaches us unity, hope, peace, and love, and real Christian discipleship will always reflect these values.
MGCC, Lent 2026
Our country is severely divided, and our political leaders play into this division. They use their power over others to benefit themselves and their associates. They extract from the poor and give to the rich. They maximize their freedom while not fulfilling their responsibility to the common good of the community. They only care about those who promote their own self- interests or party interests. We acknowledge that there are some politicians who fulfill their role as a public servant, but there are far too many who take advantage of the system. In God’s Kingdom, there is no hierarchy. All are alike in dignity. Leaders do not oppress others but serve them. They are the first to take responsibility for others’ well-being. They are the first to drink of the cup of sacrifice so that all may be saved. Jesus showed us that leadership does not mean power but vulnerability to suffering.
​​We acknowledge that it is difficult to respond to these distasteful politics and keep our Christian spirit. We don’t want to trade evil for evil, but to continue to practice the compassion modeled by Christ. We try to recognize our common humanity without giving way to hatred, which prevents us from reaching common ground. We can fight back with our words, take a stand, and respectfully disagree. We can stay true to our values. We can be persistent. We can pray for those who live in opposition from our values, and we can rest when it becomes too hard. We can take a break from the news. We can deal with our own emotions like anger and rage in healthy ways, so that they do not negatively impact the community. As we craft our own statement, we acknowledge our own triumphs and our own complicity in the state of the world. We should always be open to revising this statement when we know better.​
Despite this division, our faith shows us that we can continue to move forward. We are completely in charge of how we interact with others. We can be respectful in disagreement. We can try to find the common ground in every conversation. We can keep an open mind, listen, and continue to speak out about our beliefs. We can be involved in activities that affirm our common humanity. We can remember that more people are honest than corrupt. We can continue to host community events that welcome all. We can expand our worldview by leaving our comfort zone behind us, and keep trying new things as a congregation. We can keep protesting and giving aid both locally and internationally. We aren’t stuck in division; the Spirit shows us how to move forward.​