Editor’s note: Be sure to read the “Capacity and Care Notice” toward the bottom of this article. Click here for the original posting of this call.
Minneapolis finds itself at the center of a crisis that has been long in the making.
This is a crisis of our Constitution, federal overreach, militarized enforcement, and the erosion of civil liberties.
A crisis of our democracy.
A crisis of our morals.
A crisis of faith communities failing to live into a vision of Beloved Community—or, across traditions, our shared commitments to justice, dignity, compassion, right relationship, and collective care.
This is not a crisis confined to one city. It is a crisis all over the land, born of original sins: stolen land, slavery, genocide, and the ongoing violence required to sustain them.
And just before we mark MLK Day on January 19, 2026, we find ourselves standing in an echo of history—offered lessons we need not repeat and legacies of love we are called to build upon.
In the tendrils of inherited harm and collective memory, we hear calls from our past—calling us toward both peril and possibility.
That’s why we are calling on you to join us on January 22nd & 23rd.
ECHOES OF SELMA— A CALL ANSWERED, A CALL RENEWED
On Monday, March 8, 1965, as state violence was unleashed against Black citizens in Selma, Martin Luther King Jr. penned a telegram to clergy across the nation:
In the vicious maltreatment of defenseless citizens of Selma, where old women and young children were gassed and clubbed at random, we have witnessed an eruption of the disease of racism which seeks to destroy all of America. No American is without responsibility. All are involved in the sorrow that rises from Selma to contaminate every crevice of our national life. The people of Selma will struggle on for the soul of the nation, but it is fitting that all America help to bear the burden. I call therefore, on clergy of all faiths representative of every part of the country, to join me for a ministers’ march to Montgomery on Tuesday morning, March 9th. In this way all America will testify to the fact that the struggle in Selma is for the survival of democracy everywhere in our land.
That call was answered.
Clergy came from across the country. Among them was Rev. James Reeb, who was brutally beaten and later died from his injuries. Alongside the lives of Jimmie Lee Jackson and Viola Liuzzo, his sacrifice stands as a permanent reminder of the cost of answering history when conscience demands it.
It is in that same spirit—and with that same clarity—that we issue this call now.
THE CALL TO MINNEAPOLIS — 2026
In the targeted violence against immigrant communities from Latine and Somali neighborhoods—where families are being torn apart by masked agents, where communities are organizing, resisting, and protecting one another, and where Renee Good’s life has been taken with reckless disregard for the preciousness of human life—we are witnessing an eruption of corruption, racism, and the worship of money over life itself, now threatening the soul of this nation.
No American is without responsibility for the 600+ and growing number of people kidnapped and missing from our communities, nor for Renee’s murder. All are involved in the sorrow that rises from Minneapolis and contaminates every crevice of our national life.
The people of Minneapolis will continue to struggle for an end to suffering and violence, and to redeem the soul of this nation. But this moment also demands that others come—to witness what is being tested here, to learn from how communities are responding, and to help bear the burden together. What is unfolding in Minneapolis will not stay here.
We therefore call on clergy and faith leaders of all faiths, representative of every part of the country, to join us for a day of witness and resistance—a working convening rooted in accountability to impacted communities and designed to build the relationships, skills, and commitments needed for sustained action across the country.
In this way, all who come will bear witness to the fact that the struggle in Minneapolis is for a new America, a new Beloved Community, and a new democracy everywhere in the world.
**Capacity & Care Notice** This gathering is a working, relational convening designed with care for participants, facilitators, partners, and the communities most impacted. Because of this, we are approaching the functional capacity of what we can responsibly hold in a single space. Registrations are being reviewed and confirmed on a rolling basis. Submitting this form does not guarantee a spot at the gathering. Some registrants may be placed on a waitlist or invited to stay connected through future opportunities. We are deeply grateful for the response to this call and appreciate your understanding as we prioritize safety, accountability, and care.
OUR PURPOSE
The clergy call and gathering on the 22nd is intended to amplify and support the demands of 1/23:
1. ICE must leave Minnesota immediately.
2. The officer who killed Renee Good must be held legally accountable.
3. No additional federal funding for ICE in the upcoming Congressional budget and ICE should be investigated for human and Constitutional violations of Americans and our neighbors.
4. We call upon Minnesota and national companies to become 4th Amendment businesses, cease economic relations with ICE, and refuse ICE entry or using their property for staging grounds.
Visit ICE Out Now MN and May Day Strong for more information.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This is a two-day call rooted in formation, accountability, and collective action. Programming will run roughly from 8AM Thursday to dinnertime on Friday.
On January 22, clergy and faith leaders will gather in person for:
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Relationship-building and trust-building
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Spiritual grounding and preparation
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Orientation to what is happening on the ground
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Formation shaped by accountability to those most impacted
On January 23, participants will:
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Join and support the broader Day of Action
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Show up grounded, aligned, and in solidarity with impacted communities
You will witness the extraordinary repression happening in MN and learn tactics and strategies to resist this oppression. We aim to equip people to take this back to their own neighborhoods. You will leave with deeper connection, clearer analysis, and tools to carry this work back to your own community.
MARCH suggests a $500 contribution toward the cost of your visit, but will not turn away any attendee for lack of funds. That registration fee helps us pay for food, transportation, and speaker fees. At the same time, we know that worth has nothing to do with money and what is most important to us is that you are here. If this amount is at all barrier, please share what you can or none at all. And to make this work, we ask that those with enough resources cover their own cost and that those with plenty cover the cost of at least one more attendee. MARCH will share any funds remaining at the conclusion of the event directly with impacted community.
TRAVEL & COMMITMENT
This call is urgent and emergent.
We can offer limited support for lodging and travel, but we ask participants to make their own arrangements if they are able. Our promise is simple: if you get yourself here, we will make sure your time matters—to what is happening on the ground and to the communities you serve.
COME WITH US
We are Minneapolis. We are Minnesota.
We are not one color, one gender, one faith—but we are beautiful.
We weather winters together that humble even the hardest dispositions. We know how to love and care for one another.
And we ask you now to come with us—armed with love, compassion, and hearts committed to justice—to fight for an end to occupation and violence, and to build the Beloved Community this moment demands.
RISK ASSESSMENT
Because we want to meet you with transparency in this moment, we have to advise you that right now, Minneapolis is not safe – for anyone. Agents are smashing windows, breaking doors, and stealing humans without verifying whether they are undocumented or even whether they are immigrants. As part of this “immigration enforcement” operation, the U.S. has incarcerated members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and refused to release information about the men unless the tribe “enter[s] into an immigration agreement with ICE.” Federal agents assault and abduct citizens regardless of their status, and then sometimes abandon their human targets miles from where agents took them. And they disappear other neighbors entirely. We cannot quantify the risk of visiting our cities because it changes daily. We also recognize that if everyone stays away, more terror will come here and elsewhere. We trust you to make the decision that is the best one for you, and if you do come, encourage you to bring a passport card or copy of your passport, birth certificate, or other proof of status.
