January 30, 2003
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We greet you—our President, our nation’s highest military leader, and a member of the community of faith—in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
At a time when our nation, and you as its leader, face unprecedented challenges affecting the security of the United States and of the entire world, we wish to bring to you the insights and perspective of one of the largest segments of the Christian community of our country.
Because you are weighing the prospect of war on Iraq and all the terrible consequences that war involves, you will have faced firsthand the truth that war is not only—or even primarily—a military matter. It is a moral and ethical matter of the highest order, one that we have made a priority for many months as the possibility of war has loomed on our national horizon.
As leaders of tens of millions of Protestant and Orthodox Christians across the United States, we are in touch with our clergy, with lay leaders and with church members everywhere on this issue. We are also in communication with our counterparts in Europe and elsewhere around the globe. Several of us have traveled to Iraq in recent years, and even in recent days, to speak with Iraqi people of faith. We draw on the tenets of our Christian faith in all these encounters, seeking a way toward peace that is both prophetic and practical.
It is with the utmost urgency that we seek a meeting with you to convey face-to-face the message of the religious community that we represent on the moral choices that confront this nation and your Administration. You are no doubt well aware of our activities to slow the rush to war and our continuing uneasiness about the moral justification for war on Iraq. What we ask now, as fellow believers and as the spiritual leaders of Americans in congregations in every community of our great nation, is a pastoral opportunity to bring this message to you in person.
Be assured of our prayers always for you and the members of your Administration, that God may keep and guide you.
The following religious leaders have signed this letter.
Mr.
Ray Buchanan
Stop
Hunger Now
2501
Clark Avenue, Suite 301
Raleigh,
NC 27607-7213
888-501-8440
Bishop
Kenneth L. Carder
United
Methodist Church
321
East Mississippi Street - 39201
PO
Box 931
Jackson,
MS 39205-0931
601-948-4561
The
Rt. Rev. Dr. John Chane
Bishop
of Washington, DC, Episcopal Church
Episcopal
Church House
Mt.
St. Alban/ National Cathedral
Washington,
DC, 20016
202-537-6536
The
Rev. Roberto Delgado
Presbyterian
Church (USA)
Ramey
Calle
King 122-A
Aguadilla,
PR 00603
787-890-6091
His
Grace Bishop Dimitrios (Couchell)
of Xanthos
Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America
10
East 79th Street
New
York, NY 10021
212-570-3526
Bishop
R. Sheldon Duecker
United
Methodist Church
8625
Sweet Blossom Court
Fort
Wayne, IN 46835-9625
219-485-8255
The
Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar
General
Secretary
National
Council of Churches
475
Riverside Dr., Rm. 880
New
York, NY 10115
212-870-3398
The
Rt. Rev. C. Christopher Epting
Bishop,
Episcopal Church
815
Second Avenue
New
York, NY 10017
212-716-6220
Bishop
William Boyd Grove
United
Methodist Church
109
McDavid Lane
Charleston,
WV 25311
304-344-1384
The
Rev. Dr. Richard L. Hamm
Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ)
P.O
Box 1986
Indianapolis,
IN 46206
317-635-3100
Bishop
Mark Hanson
Presiding
Bishop
Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America
8765
West Higgins Road
Chicago,
Illinois 60631-4197
The
Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey
Alliance
of Baptists
1328
16th Street NW
Washington,
DC 20036
202-745-7609
Ms.
Karen Hessel
National
Council of Churches
475
Riverside Drive, 8th Floor
New
York, NY 10115
212-870-2421
[email protected]
or [email protected]
Bishop
Kenneth Hicks
United
Methodist Church
3909
South Lookout
Little
Rock, AR 72205-2027
501-663-9670
Ms.
Elenie K. Huszagh, Esq.
President
National
Council of Churches
475
Riverside Dr., 8th Floor
New
York, NY 10115
212-870-2025
Bishop
William W. Hutchinson
United
Methodist Church
527
North Boulevard
Baton
Rouge, LA 70802-5720
888-239-5286
Bishop
S. Clifton Ives
United
Methodist Church
900
Washington Street East, Room 300F
Charleston,
WV 25301
304-344-8330
Bishop
Reuben P. Job
United
Methodist Church
4900
Huffman Rod
Goodlettsville,
TN 37072-9612
615-876-3110
Bishop
Charles Wesley Jordan
United
Methodist Church
1014
Deborah Street
Upland,
CA 91784-1206
Bishop
Thomas L. Hoyt Jr.
President
Elect
National
Council of Churches
109
Holcomb Street
Shreveport,
LA 71103
(318)
424-2980
His
Eminence Archbishop Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim
Syrian
Orthodox Church of Antioch
260
Elm Avenue
Teaneck,
NJ 07666-2323
201-801-0660
Bishop
Leontine T.C. Kelly
United
Methodist Church
316
N El Camino Real Ste. 112
San
Mateo, CA 94401-2529
650-343-9029
The
Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick
Presbyterian
Church (USA)
100
Witherspoon St.
Louisville,
KY 40202
502-569-5439
Bishop
James Lloyd Knox
United
Methodist Church
6848
15th St. South
St.
Petersburg, FL 33705-6024
727-864-2874
The
Rev. Dr. Felton Edwin May, Bishop
United
Methodist Church
100
Maryland Avenue, NE, Suite 510
Washington,
DC, 20002-5611
202-546-3110
Bishop
Marshall L. Meadors
United
Methodist Church
Candler
School of Theology
Emory
University
Atlanta,
GA 30322
404-727-6326
The
Rev. A. Roy Medley
American
Baptist Churches in the USA
PO
Box 851
Valley
Forge, PA 19482-0851
610-768-2274
Dr.
Audrey Miller
United
Church of Christ
700
Prospect Avenue
Cleveland,
OH 44115
216-736-3751
Mr.
Don Mosley
Jubilee
Partners
PO
Box 68
Comer,
GA 30629-0068
706-783-5133
Bishop
Fredrick Mutti
United
Methodist Church
4201
West 15th Street
PO
Box 4187
Topeka,
KS 66604-0187
785-272-0587
Bishop
Donald Ott
United
Methodist Church
N22W24040
Cloister 3D
Pewaukee,
WI 53072-4677
262-523-2624
Bishop
Sharon Zimmerman Rader
United
Methodist Church
750
Windsor Street, #303
Sun
Prairie, WI 53590
608-837-8526
The
Rev. Judy Mills Reimer
Church
of the Brethren
1451
Dundee Avenue
Elgin,
IL 60120
847-742-5100
The
Rev. Dr. Bruce Robbins
United
Methodist Church
General
Secretary of General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns
475
Riverside Dr., Room 1300
New
York, NY 10115
212-870-3800
Bishop
Roy Sano
United
Methodist Church
110
Maryland Avenue NE Box 1
Washington
DC, 20002
510-635-7916
The
Rev. John H. Thomas
United
Church of Christ
700
Prospect Avenue
Cleveland,
OH 44115
216-736-2101
Bishop
Jack M. Tuell
United
Methodist Church
816
So 216th St #637
Des
Moines, WA 98198-6331
206-870-8637
The
Rev. Lydia Veliko
United
Church of Christ
700
Prospect Avenue
Cleveland,
OH 44115
216-736-2191
Mr.
Jim Wallis
Sojourners
Call
to Renewal/Sojourners
2401
15th Street NW
Washington,
DC, 20009
202-328-8842
x 225
The
Rev. Dr. Robert Welsh
Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ)
P.O.
Box 1986
Indianapolis,
IN 46206-1986
317-713-2582
Bishop
Timothy W. Whitaker
United
Methodist Church
1122
East McDonald Street - 33801-5641
PO
Box 1747
Lakeland,
FL 33802-1747
863-688-4427
Bishop
Richard B. Wilke
United
Methodist Church
904
North Clyde Drive
Winfield,
KS 67156-1517
620-221-0307
The
Rev. Robina Winbush
Presbyterian
Church (USA)
100
Witherspoon Street, Room 4412
Louisville,
KY 40202
502-569-5431
Mr.
James Edward Winkler
United
Methodist Church
General
Secretary of the General Board on Church and Society
100
Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington,
DC 20002
202-488-5620
The
Rev. Bertrice Y. Wood
United
Church of Christ
847
Arboretum Circle
Sagamore
Hills, OH 44067
216-791-5760
Bishop
Joseph H. Yeakel
United
Methodist Church
14137
Windy Haven Road
Smithsburg,
MD 21783-1126
301-824-7002