People fleeing Russian forces use wooden planks to cross the Irpin River March 9 in Ukraine.
To His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony and His Eminence Archbishop Daniel:
We write to you as Colleagues in Faith and in response to your statement “Pray for Ukraine!”
As members of the New Jersey Coalition of Religious Leaders, an interfaith Coalition of Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh Faith Leaders, we unite with you in our prayers for Peace and the well-being of the people of Ukraine. We pray for the Ukrainian people whose lives and freedoms are threatened. Our prayers are with all peoples in harm’s way, including civilians, children, and the elderly. Those seeking refuge and asylum, those defending their freedom in this tragic time of war. We pray for all the leaders and people living in fear and are caught in the crossfire. We mourn the loss of all life. We pray for world leaders to pursue all diplomatic efforts to bring a just resolution for the Ukrainian people. We condemn Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and their violating international law.
Do know in this difficult time for you and your faithful congregants we stand with you and join in prayer beseeching loving kindness and abundant Blessings upon the people of Ukraine during these days of great danger for their safety and wellbeing. We stand with you in solidarity with the Ukrainian Churches in New Jersey. We lift up in our prayers Ukrainian brothers and sisters here in New Jersey whom many are deeply concerned about their loved ones who are living in Ukraine. We will seek to discern ways in this tragic moment that we can witness together as people of faith seeking justice and peace for your beloved homeland. We will encourage members in our faith communities to lift up the people of Ukraine in prayer. We offer up these prayers in the many names of our Sacred Creator whose desire for us is to live in peace with one another.
Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Religious Leaders, Senior Rabbi Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, Short Hills
Reverend Jack Johnson, Coordinator of the New Jersey Coalition of Religious Leaders, Member of the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church
Reverend Darrell Armstrong, General Baptist Convention of New Jersey
Rev. Dr. Sandawna Ashley, Transitional Leader of the Presbyterian of the Synod of the Northeast
Very Reverend Peter Baktis, Orthodox Church of America
Bishop Tracie Bartholomew, Bishop of the New Jersey Synod Evangelical Church in America
Imam Qareeb Bashir, Islamic Center of Ewing
Reverend Dr. Tanya Bennett, Chair of the Board of Church and Society of Greater New Jersey United Methodist Church, Drew University Chaplain
Very Reverend Archimandrite
Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers, Ecumenical Officer, Greek Metroplis of New Jersey
Sara Blaine, JD, Lead Organizer. Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism of New Jersey
Reverend Charles Boyer, Executive Director, Salvation and Social Justice, Social Justice, Chair of the Social Action Commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Reverend Dr. Deborah Brincivalli, Presbytery Executive for the Southern New Jersey Presbytery
Mr. Marcus Burnett, President of the New Jersey Council of Churches
Reverend Amos Caley, Prison and Drug Policy Director for Salvation and Social Justice
M.Ali Chaundry, Ph.D., New Jersey Interfaith Coalition, Islamic Society of Basking Ridge
Imam Hamad Chebli, Islamic Society of Central New Jersey
The Most Reverend James F. Checchio, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen
Joan M. Diefenbach, Esq., Director of the New Jersey Council Of Churches
Reverend Eric Dobson, Deputy Director Fair Share Housing Center of New Jersey
Rabbi Menashe East, Mount Freedom Jewish Center, Interfaith Council of Morris County
Reverend Bolivar Flores, Vice- President of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers
Rabbi Daniel Geretz, Maayan of West Orange
Rabbi Arnold Gluck, Temple Beth- El, Hillsborough
Father Timothy Graff, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
Bishop Carlye J. Hughes, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark
Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale, Reformed Church of America, Synod of New Jersey
Mr. James King, Director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference
Rabbi David Levy, American Jewish Conference, New Jersey Regional Director
Reverend Sara Lilja, Director, Lutherans Engaging In Advocacy Ministry for New Jersey Synod of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in America
Charles Loflin, Executive Director, Unitarian Universalist Faith Action New Jersey
Reverend Dr. A. Roy. Medley, Retired General Secretary of American Baptist Churches U.S.A., Emeritus, Past President of the National Council of Churches
Reverend Miriam Mendez, Executive Minister American Baptist Churches of New Jersey
Reverend Nelson Murphy, Interim Associate Minister of the Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ
Reverend Freeman Palmer, Conference Minister of Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ
The Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton
Reverend Jeanne Radak, Presbytery Leader of the Presbytery of the Highlands of New Jersey
Mr. Raghu Rao, Hindu / Jewish Coalition of New Jersey
Reverend Dr. Joshua Rodriguez, Senior Advisor to the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers
Bishop John Schol, Bishop of the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey Conference
Reverend Raul Ruiz, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers
Reverend Louise Scott-Roundtree, Clergy Affairs Manager, Office of the Mayor of the City of Newark
Amman Seehra, Esq., Sikh American Legal Defense Fund and Education Fund
Imam W. Deen Shareef, Convener of the Council of Imams of New Jersey
Mr. Kavneet Singh, American Sikh Council
Mr. Sutinder Singh, American Sikh Council
Bishop William Stokes, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
The Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden
The Most Reverend Kevin J, Sweeney, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese Of Paterson
His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Newark
Rabbi David Vaisberg, Senior Rabbi, Temple B’nai Abraham , Livingston
Rev. Dr. Robert Wade, Presiding Elder of the Camden-Trenton District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
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