A Call to Prayer and Action in Response to Gun Violence

September 2, 2022 | GNJ News, Messages from the Bishop

“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