“Thou shall not kill.” -Exodus 20:13
We are called as United Methodist Bishops to respond to the devastation and disruption due to gun violence. Communities around the world are traumatized, we are facing a global and national health crisis, and children, families, and communities are left with emotional scars that beg for angels of mercy and the healing balm of Gilead.
The Bible declares in Exodus 20:13 “Thou shall not kill”—yet gun violence continues to escalate. In 2021 and 2022, 43 million more guns were sold in the United States, in addition to the 400 million guns already owned. As of June 2022, the United States has experienced over 300 mass shootings in this year alone.
Gun violence is more than a U.S. problem. Across the globe, 44% of all homicides involve guns. According to Amnesty International, 2,000 people are injured every day by gun shots and more than 500 of them die.
The Church is called to be an instrument of God’s grace. As people of prayer, we followers of Jesus are called to be “counter-cultural change makers.” To that end, we must reject the idolatry of guns and the distorted attachment to our right to own guns without safeguards for the communities of the world.
This is a call to prayer, beginning this September, for all who follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace. This is a call to action for all to weep with those who weep and demand, insist on, and push for positive change from our elected officials.
As United Methodists we have made our claim for a more excellent way to live and bring change.
“As followers of Jesus, called to live into the reality of God’s dream of shalom as described by Micah, we must address the epidemic of gun violence so ‘that he may teach us his ways and the way we may walk in God’s paths.’ Therefore, we call upon United Methodists to prayerfully address gun violence in their local context.” (Book of Resolution #3428 2016)
This call to prayer is not a shallow request but one that firmly believes that the collective prayers of God’s people will keep this issue in the forefront of our consciousness and guide our intentional discernment of the action needed to bring about change.
The United Methodist Council of Bishops commits to leading as peacemakers and prophetic witnesses to make our communities safer by reducing the tragedy and trauma of daily homicides and suicides. We call people to prayer and to work with ecumenical and interfaith partners in our public witness. We call for congregations to use United Methodist Church resources for Bible study and advocacy in their efforts to reduce gun violence. We support the ban on assault weapons and urge Church and government support for communities affected by the trauma of gun violence. We are committed to sharing Christ centered compassion as we walk alongside those who have been victims of gun violence. We call on all United Methodist to advocate for safer communities, safer schools and building bridges to beloved community.
Bishops of The United Methodist Church
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, President
New York Episcopal Area
Bishop Christian Alsted
Nordic/Baltic Area
Bishop Sandra L. Steiner Ball
West Virginia Area and Harrisburg Area
Bishop David Alan Bard
Michigan Area and Minnesota Area
Bishop George W. Bashore
Retired
Bishop Frank J. Beard
Illinois Area
Bishop Bruce P. Blake
Retired
Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe
Retired
Bishop Heinrich Bolleter
Retired
Bishop Benjamin Boni
Côte D’ivoire Area
Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr.
Sierra Leone Area
Bishop Lawson Bryan
Retired
Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño
San Francisco Area
Bishop Ken Carder
Retired
Bishop Kenneth H. Carter
Florida Area and Charlotte Area
Bishop Ray W. Chamberlain
Retired
Bishop Young Jin Cho
Retired
Bishop Sharon A. Brown Christopher
Retired
Bishop Charles N. Crutchfield
Retired
Bishop G. Lindsey Davis
Retired
Bishop Emílio J.M. De Carvalho
Retired
Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar
Boston Area
Bishop Gaspar Joao Domingos
Angola West Area
Bishop Sally Dyck
Retired
Bishop LaTrelle Easterling
Washington Area and Philadelphia Area
Bishop Leonard E. Fairley
Louisville Area and Raleigh Area
Bishop Robert E. Fannin
Retired
Bishop Robert Farr
Missouri Area
Bishop Violet L. Fisher
Retired
Bishop Ciriaco Francisco
Manila Episcopal Area
Bishop Lizzette Gabriel
Puerto Rico Area
Bishop Elias Galvan
Retired
Bishop Jose C. Gamboa, Jr
Retired
Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster
Retired
Bishop David Graves
Alabama-West Florida Area and South Georgia Area
Bishop William Boyd Grove
Retired
Bishop Alfred W. Gwinn, Jr
Retired
Bishop Grant Hagiya
Los Angeles Area and Phoenix Area
Bishop Laurie Haller
Iowa Area and Dakotas-Minnesota Area
Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey
Louisiana Area
Bishop Susan W. Hassinger
Retired
Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson
North Georgia Area
Bishop Robert E. Hayes, Jr.
Retired
Bishop L. Jonathan Holston
Columbia Area
Bishop John L. Hopkins
Chicago Area
Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata
Retired
Bishop H. Hasbrouck Hughes, Jr.
Retired
Bishop Janice R. Huie
Retired
Bishop Joseph C. Humper
Retired
Bishop William Hutchinson
Retired
Bishop John G. Innis
Retired
Bishop Neil L. Irons
Retired
Bishop S. Clifton Ives
Retired
Bishop Alfred Johnson
Retired
Bishop Peggy A. Johnson
Retired
Bishop Scott Jones
Houston Area
Bishop Charles Wesley Jordan
Retired
Bishop Rodolfo Juan
Davao Episcopal Area
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung
Wisconsin Area
Bishop Benjamin A. Justo
Retired
Bishop Charlene P. Kammerer
Retired
Bishop Owan Kasap
Southern Congo Area
Bishop Kainda Katembo
Retired
Bishop Jonathan Keaton
Retired
Bishop Eduard Khegay
Eurasia Area
Bishop Deborah Kiesey
Dakotas Area
Bishop James R. King
Retired
Bishop Walter Klaiber
Retired
Bishop Arthur F. Kulah
Retired
Bishop Clay F. Lee
Retired
Bishop Linda Lee
Retired
Bishop Paul L. Leeland
Retired
Bishop Sharma D. Lewis
Virginia Area
Bishop William B. Lewis
Retired
Bishop Richard C. Looney
Retired
Bishop Daniel O. Lunge
Central Congo Area
Bishop Ernest Lyght
Retired
Bishop Joao Somane Machado
Retired
Bishop Tracy S. Malone
Ohio East Area
Bishop Joel N. Martinez
Retired
Bishop Marcus Matthews
Retired
Bishop William T. McAlilly
Nashville Area
Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey
Retired
Bishop Calvin D McConnell
Retired
Bishop Michael McKee
Dallas Area
Bishop Marshall L. Meadors, Jr.
Retired
Bishop Jane Allen Middleton
Retired
Bishop C.P. Minnick, Jr.
Retired
Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi
Pittsburgh Area and Harrisburg Area
Bishop Susan Morrison
Retired
Bishop Gary Mueller
Arkansas Area
Bishop Albert F. Mutti
Retired
Bishop Mande Muyombo
North Katanga Area
Bishop Emerito Nacpil
Retired
Bishop Joaquina F. Nhanala
Mozambique Area
Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa
Zimbabwe Area
Bishop Alfred L. Norris
Retired
Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo
Retired
Bishop James Gregg Nunn
Oklahoma Area and Northwest Texas Area
Bishop Karen P. Oliveto
Mountain Sky Area
Bishop Øystein Olsen
Retired
Bishop Fama Onema
Retired
Bishop Donald A. Ott
Retired
Bishop Bruce R. Ough
Retired
Bishop Gregory V. Palmer
Ohio West Area
Bishop Jeremiah Park
Retired
Bishop Joseph E. Pennel, Jr.
Retired
Bishop Jose Quipungo
East Angola Area
Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr.
Liberia Area
Bishop Sharon Z. Rader
Retired
Bishop Harald Rückert
Germany Area
Bishop John W. Russell
Retired
Bishop Ruben Saenz, Jr.
Great Plains Area and Fort Worth Area
Bishop Roy L. Sano
Retired
Bishop Robert Schnase
New Mexico and San Antonio Area
Bishop John Schol
Greater New Jersey Area and Philadelphia Area
Bishop Ann B. Sherer-Simpson
Retired
Bishop Dan E. Solomon
Retired
Bishop Leo A. Soriano
Retired
Bishop Robert H. Spain
Retired
Bishop Joseph C. Sprague
Retired
Bishop Elaine Stanovsky
Greater Northwest Area
Bishop Forrest C. Stith
Retired
Bishop Thomas B. Stockton
Retired
Bishop Patrick Streiff
Central & Southern Europe Area
Bishop James E. Swanson Sr.
Mississippi Area
Bishop Mary Ann Swenson
Retired
Bishop Melvin Talbert
Retired
Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor
Retired
Bishop Solito K. Toquero
Retired
Bishop Pedro Torio, Jr.
Baguio Area
Bishop Julius C. Trimble
Indiana Area
Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda
Eastern Congo Area
Bishop Hans Växby
Retired
Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett
Birmingham Area and Holston Area
Bishop Daniel Wandabula
East Africa Area
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward
Retired
Bishop B. Michael Watson
Retired
Bishop Peter Weaver
Retired
Bishop Mark Webb
Upper New York Area
Bishop Rosemarie Wenner
Retired
Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker
Retired
Bishop Woodie W. White
Retired
Bishop D. Max Whitfield
Retired
Bishop Richard B. Wilke
Retired
Bishop William H. Willimon
Retired
Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr.
Retired
Bishop Joe A. Wilson
Retired
Bishop David K Yemba
Retired
Bishop John Wesley Yohanna
Nigeria Area