A Letter from the Downtown Clergy

We hold our community in prayer following the killing of George Floyd. Through our witness, let us speak out against systemic racism and share the good news of God’s love for all. We are working alongside our interfaith partner congregations to serve and respond to those most vulnerable. For anyone who would like to offer resources to community partners who are coordinating clean-up efforts and supporting justice ministries in the city, you may do so through the Minneapolis Interfaith Relief Fund (MIRF).

Statement on the Killing of George Floyd from the Senior Clergy of the Downtown Minneapolis Interfaith Congregations:

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the May 25 killing by a police officer of an unarmed African American man in Minneapolis.

As leaders of faith traditions that include Judaism, Islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Humanism, we affirm our common conviction that all life is sacred and that every human being is our neighbor, worthy to be loved. Not killed.  

Our hearts break, going out to the family and to those in our community who continue to bear the historical brunt of racially-motivated oppression that too often leads to violence and even death. In a press conference, Mayor Jacob Frey phrased it well: “Being black in America should not be a death sentence.” We all say amen!

We call for a swift response by city officials and Minneapolis law enforcement leaders, and a deeper addressing of the systemic issues that led to this and similar killings. We say “enough and more than enough!” Law enforcement must interact with all our neighbors in all our neighborhoods fairly and equally. 

Might we finally learn from this most recent tragic incident? We must. We are all called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Signed, 

Imam Makram Nu’Man El-Amin, Masjid An-Nur
Rev. Dr. David Breeden, First Unitarian Society
Rev. Dr. Dan Collison, First Covenant Church
Rev. Jen Crow, First Universalist Church
Rev. Dr. Laurie Feille, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Rev. Al Gallmon, Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church
Imam Dr. Hamdy El-Sawaf Islamic Community Center of Minnesota/Masjid Al-Amin
Rev. Dr. Tim Hart-Andersen, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Father Kevin Kenney, St. Olaf Roman Catholic Church
The Very Reverend Paul Lebens-Englund, St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral
Rev. Dr. Paula Northwood, Plymouth Congregational Church
Pastor Peter Nycklemoe, Central Lutheran Church
Rev. Judy Zabel, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman, Temple Israel
Father Kevin Kenney, St. Olaf Roman Catholic Church