MINNEAPOLIS (RNS) — As she stood at the pulpit at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Thursday (Jan. 22), the Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, a United Church of Christ minister, looked out at the packed sanctuary with tears in her eyes.
Far from the typical flock of Presbyterian worshippers who frequent the church on Sundays, the more than 600 people who filled the pews represented a wide range of faiths — Christians of all kinds as well as Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and Indigenous practitioners, among others.
All were religious leaders who had traveled to Minnesota on short notice, spurred by their faith to oppose President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign in the city.
“In the face of all the pain and suffering in our cities and our country, you are a beautiful, beautiful sight,” Voelkel said.
Beneath her, on the pulpit, sat a sign that referenced Scripture from the biblical book of Micah, but added a decidedly timely twist.
“Do justice. Love kindness. Abolish ICE.”
Hundreds of clergy convene at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in downtown Minneapolis, Minn. (RNS photo/Jack Jenkins)
The moment marked the beginning of a remarkable two-day religious gathering in Minneapolis this week, taking place amid the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign. Constructed as a mix of activist trainings, spiritual revival and direct-action protests, Minnesota faith leaders who have been actively resisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents used the assembly as an opportunity to pass along lessons to clergy from other parts of the country. And amid the prayers, songs and protest chants, the gathering heralded the emergence of a vast, faith-based network set on resisting the administration’s mass deportation effort.
Religion News Service was one of only three outlets given access to the conference, which was largely organized by the local religious advocacy group Multifaith Antiracism, Change and Healing, commonly known as MARCH. The size of the event was striking, in part because of how quickly it came together: The public invitation to clergy across the country was published on MARCH’s website only a week befor …