The Office of Public Witness Remembers Renee Good

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:12–13   Jesus teaches that there is no greater love than the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for others, to lay down one’s life for someone else. It is to offer oneself unselfishly for the sake of others, especially the defenseless and the vulnerable. On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, Renee Nicole Good was shot while moving her car, attempting to follow the orders of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. Her last words, captured on video, were, “I’m not mad at you.” We lament and mourn the loss of Ms. Good, a widow of a veteran, a wife, and a mother who put herself in harm’s way not out of any desire to do harm, but to observe and bear witness to the actions of ICE. We affirm the right to peaceful protest and lawful observation for all Americans, without the threat of repressive or deadly responses by government and law enforcement authorities. As Presbyterians, we hold a twofold connection to Ms.  Good. First, we are bound by our shared faith in a God of justice, who calls us to engage the powers of this world and to counter hate with love. Our tradition compels us to oppose injustice with a prophetic word from the Lord and to participate in the transformation of the world God loves. Our second connection is more personal: Ms. Good was one of us. She was a fellow Presbyterian. Edgewater Presbyterian Church (Illinois) remembered her with these words:“Renee Nicole Good lived out the conviction that every person deserves kindness, regardless of their background… Her story is a testament to the power of the Presbyterian mission and a challenge to our conscience. We mourn a fellow Presbyterian whose quiet smile and creative spirit touched lives from Colorado to Northern Ireland to Minnesota.” Alongside Ms. Good, we remember George Floyd, whose life was taken at the hands of law enforcement in 2020, within one mile of where Ms. Good was murdered at the hands of enforcement officers, a stark and enduring reminder of the deadly consequences of injustice and the unfinished work of truth, repentance, and transformation to which God continually calls us. In the coming week, we will remember the life and witness of the martyred Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who called this nation to a “radical revolution of values”. Values that demand divestment from racism, materialism, and militarism. Ms. Good’s life and death echo this same moral call. Her memory also stands in a sacred lineage of faithful witnesses who have risked and lost their lives in defense of human dignity. We remember the four Maryknoll Sisters—Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and Lay Missioner Jean Donovan—who were abducted, abused, and murdered in El Salvador in 1980 for standing alongside the Salvadoran people. We name as well the Rev. Elijah Lovejoy, murdered for his opposition to the evil of slavery, for whom Giddings Lovejoy Presbytery is named. These are not isolated tragedies, but part of a continuing story of costly discipleship. We must remember her name: Renee Nicole Good. We remember her as a testament to Jesus’ teaching that God does not change the world through violence, but through faithful presence amid struggle, and that through love refuses to abandon the work of acceptance, justice, and compassion. Ms. Good’s wife, Rebecca Good, offered a fitting memorial: “On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns. We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness. Renee lived this belief every day. She is pure love. She is pure joy. She is pure sunshine. Renee was a Christian who knew that all religions teach the same essential truth: we are here to love each other, care for each other, and keep each other safe and whole.” Through this remembrance, we rededicate ourselves to advocacy in the name of Christ Jesus. We stand with those who are detained or killed by ICE, treated unjustly, and vilified—whom God defends as bearers of the divine image. We proclaim a God who values all people and who calls us, again and again, to remind the world to value the lives of all. Through this remembrance, we rededicate ourselves to advocacy in the name of Christ Jesus. We stand with those who are detained, harmed, or killed by enforcement practices, treated unjustly, marginalized, and vilified, whom God defends as bearers of the divine image. We proclaim a God who values all people and who calls us again and again to remind the world to value the lives of all.

Statement on the US Detention of Refugees

Statement on the US Detention of Refugees Scripture calls us to welcome the stranger and protect the vulnerable, and to honor the dignity of those who seek refuge among us. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness is deeply concerned by reports that refugees who have been lawfully admitted to the United States are being detained. Families who have already been welcomed into safety and passed extensive screening should not be uprooted again, separated from the communities supporting them, or made to live under renewed fear and uncertainty. Scripture calls us to welcome the stranger and protect the vulnerable, and to honor the dignity of those who seek refuge among us. We believe our nation must not undo the safety it has already promised, but instead uphold justice, compassion, and the rule of law for our newest neighbors. On January 9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Operation “Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening” (PARRIS), which reopens and intensively re-examines certain refugee cases after resettlement. The operation’s initial focus is reported to be approximately 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who remain in refugee status while awaiting green cards. In recent days, refugee-serving organizations have reported that refugees, including children, have been detained, with limited public information about the standards being applied, the scope of enforcement, or the due process protections available. This is not a routine administrative review. It is a sweeping action that undermines the promise of protection the United States makes when it resettles refugees. It is unjust to detain people who are here legally, and it is especially cruel to subject families to detention and secrecy after they have already survived persecution and displacement. Just as importantly, these actions risk communicating to the world and to refugee communities that the United States will not honor the protection it has promised. They reflect a deeply troubling and cold-hearted turn toward a refugee policy shaped more by suspicion than by compassion, and they weaken the moral credibility of our nation’s commitment to welcome those who have fled persecution. The United States has made binding commitments under international law to protect refugees; this operation contradicts those commitments. Our denomination’s stance is clear and longstanding. Presbyterians have repeatedly affirmed the call to welcome refugees, to support their resettlement, to seek family reunification, and to oppose policies that endanger refugees or return them involuntarily to harm. Across decades of General Assembly action, the PC(USA) and our predecessor denominations have urged the United States to uphold humane refugee policy, uphold the rule of law, and resist cruelty and discrimination. The Office of Public Witness calls on the administration to: Immediately halt detentions of lawfully resettled refugees connected to Operation PARRIS Guarantee due process, including access to legal counsel and clear, timely procedures Provide transparency about the legal authority, criteria, and implementation of this operation Protect family unity and ensure refugees are not isolated from their communities and sponsors Reaffirm the U.S. commitment to refugee protection, rather than weakening it through fear-based enforcement We urge Congress to conduct immediate oversight, demand public answers, and ensure that refugee policy is carried out humanely and lawfully. We call on Presbyterians and people of faith to continue to stand with refugees, support resettlement communities, and live out Christ’s call to love our neighbors. In this moment, we urge our nation to choose welcome over suspicion, truth over secrecy, and hope over fear.

EarthBeat Weekly: Catholic outcry as US withdraws further from global climate action

Catholic outcry as US withdraws further from global climate action   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change January 16, 2026   The signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement on climate change is seen at U.N. headquarters in New York City April 22, 2016. (CNS photo/Mike Segar, Reuters) The opening of 2026 has been a turbulent time for U.S. environmental policy. The Trump administration attacked Venezuela, with controlling the South American country's vast oil reserves a driving factor. Meanwhile, the president has renewed his long focus on acquiring, and perhaps by force, Greenland, a place where climate change is vividly on display while home to a wealth of critical minerals. [This New York Times report from way back in 2015 offers a stunning look at the magnitude of melting in Greenland.] At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, administrator Lee Zeldin has directed the federal government's top environmental health office to no longer consider the potential lives saved from proposed regulations and rules and instead only the economic impact on businesses. Meanwhile, a final rule aimed at revoking the "endangerment finding" — the EPA decision underlying all federal climate regulations — is expected any day.  And on Jan. 7, two weeks before its exit from the Paris Agreement becomes official, the Trump administration announced it would also move to withdraw from the bedrock treaty for the 2015 climate accord, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. "These decisions will have painful and direct repercussions on the lives of vulnerable populations and God's creation already suffering from a changing climate," Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement about the planned withdrawals from more than 60 U.N. bodies and related organizations, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world's leading climate science group. GSR international correspondent Chris Herlinger and I reported this week how several Catholic groups joined the U.S. bishops in quickly assailing the Trump administration's move to exit the central U.N. climate treaty, a process which takes a year to complete. Once it does, the U.S. — the largest source of historical emissions and top present-day user and producer of oil and gas — will stand as the only country in the world not part of the UNFCCC. The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, whose missionaries see firsthand in their work across 25 countries the life-threatening impacts of intensifying droughts, storms and rising sea levels worsened by climate change, called the planned exit "an isolationist move" whereby the U.S. "is abandoning its moral responsibility as a leading global power and as the world's largest historical contributor to greenhouse gas emissions." "Withdrawing from this framework is not just a policy shift; it is a rejection of our duty to protect our common home and the future of all humanity," Lisa Sullivan, the Maryknoll NGO's senior policy officer for integral ecology, told me.  Read more: US 'abandoning its moral responsibility' with exit from bedrock climate treaty, Catholic groups say   What else is new on EarthBeat:   Pope sets Jubilee to mark 800th year since St. Francis' death; saint's body to be displayed by Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News According to the decree, Leo has established that from Jan. 10, following the closing of the church's Jubilee Year, until Jan. 10, 2027, a special Year of St. Francis may be proclaimed, in which every Christian, "following the example of the Saint of Assisi, may himself become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace." Read more here »   Istanbul's 'sea snot' is a test case for ecological sin by Ersun Augustinus Kayra If ecological sin is real, then ecological repentance must be real, too: pipes that work, standards that bite, and the stubborn, persistent work of repair. Read more here »   Palestinian Christian family regains its farm after years of struggle by Ryan Byrnes The Kisiyas come from a minority of Christians who have lived in the Al-Makhrour valley for thousands of years and make up about 1% of the West Bank's population. Read more here »   Church must stand for peace, rights, says Greenland priest, as US eyes takeover by Gina Christian, OSV News The Trump administration's plans to acquire Greenland for the U.S. are being met with concern, sometimes fear and "a quiet strength" by residents, said the Arctic island's only Catholic parish priest. Read more here » What's happening in other climate news: Scientists call another near-record hot year a 'warning shot' of a shifting, dangerous climate —Seth Borenstein for the Associated Press Why Greenland matters for a warming world —Somini Sengupta for The New York Times US carbon emissions rose in 2025 as coal produced more power —Julian Spector for Canary Media Trump administration sues California over law keeping oil wells from homes, schools —Hayley Smith for the Los Angeles Times At Detroit auto show, spotlight dims for EVs —Alexa St. John for the Associated Press Why your power bill is spiking faster than a nearby data center's —Shannon Osaka for the Washington Post Countries want debt relief for conservation. Is China ready to play a role? —Katie Surma, Georgina Gustin for Inside Climate News Monarch butterflies could disappear. Butterfly Town USA is scrambling to save them —Amanda Ulrich for the Guardian In Ecuador's battle of toad vs. road, toad wins —Katie Surma for Inside Climate News Final Beat: Last week, I made the pitch for you, our readers, to share what stories or topics at the intersection of faith and environment you'd like to see EarthBeat explore this year. We're still interested. You can send your ideas to earthbeat@ncronline.org.  As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement

Truth and Action Roundup 1.16.2026

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source for information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. This week began with Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell announcing that he’s under investigation by the Department of Justice, drawing alarm and rebukes from senators and other central bankers. Amid this outcry over the Federal Reserve Board’s independence, we learned that multiple longtime prosecutors in Minneapolis resigned, partly in protest over plans to investigate Becca Good, the widow of Renee Nicole Good, rather than the officer who killed her. We then learned that the Department of Justice is also targeting members of Congress who reminded service members of their duty to reject any illegal orders. In each of these instances, we are seeing the Trump administration build on the criminalization that has fueled both its foreign and domestic policies. From the recent abduction of Maduro under the auspices of executing a criminal warrant to last year’s arrests of officials Rep. LaMonica McIver and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for attempting to monitor detention centers, we have seen an escalation of these repressive actions as the Trump administration has grown more certain that Congress will do nothing to hold it accountable. While the situation may seem dire, we must also recognize that the administration is resorting to force in response to community-led resistance in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. This past weekend underscored the strength of those opposing Trump’s mass deportation policies, as rapid “ICE Out” protests nationwide followed the killing of Renee Nicole Good. In each of these cities, faith leaders across many traditions have led efforts to protect their neighbors and raise their voices. Although the Justice Department’s actions will be decided in courtrooms and by jurors, every act of resistance and every act of faith offers hope and fuels greater courage moving forward. Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners In the News Here’s a look at what happened this week: 1. The Trump administration continued to display clear signs of government overreach and abuse of power: Four senior career officials resigned from the Criminal Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, reportedly in protest of the DOJ’s handling of the investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE Agent Jonathan Ross. Six federal prosecutors in Minnesota also resigned this week over the DOJ’s interest in investigating Good’s widow, Becca, allegedly over her ties to activist organizations. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Sunday that the Department of Justice has served the Fed with subpoenas and threatened a criminal indictment over Powell’s testimony about the Fed’s building renovations. Powell stated that the threat of criminal charges was a clear pretext to undermine the Fed’s independence. The Trump administration sent hundreds of grant termination letters to organizations that provide mental health and addiction services across the country before reversing course the next day. The total cuts to these services resulting from the sudden grant terminations were estimated at about $2 billion. FBI agents searched the home of a Washington Post reporter on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the disclosure of classified information. According to The New York Times, “It is exceedingly rare, even in investigations of classified disclosures, for federal agents to search a reporter’s home.” 2. International news continued to be tumultuous and alarming: Senate Republicans blocked a war powers resolution that would have required President Trump to obtain congressional authorization before launching any further military operations in Venezuela. The resolution was defeated by a 51-50 vote after Vice President J.D. Vance was brought in to break the tie. Amid President Trump’s escalating rhetoric about acquiring Greenland, Denmark, which controls the semiautonomous territory, is bolstering its military presence on and around the island with support from other NATO allies. The Danish Defense Ministry noted that it also strengthened its presence there last summer with assistance from Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. As the violent and deadly crackdown against anti-regime protesters continues in Iran, President Trump has signaled that the U.S. may conduct military strikes against the Iranian government at the beginning of the week. The State Department has urged U.S. citizens to “leave Iran now.” Nearly 17,000 fans canceled their tickets to the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada in response to an online campaign to boycott the tournament in protest of the Trump administration’s actions. The cancellations reportedly prompted FIFA to schedule an emergency meeting this week. 3. The Trump administration continued to implement its cruel deportation agenda: Federal immigration agents have continued to deploy aggressive and violent tactics against observers, protesters, and investigation targets alike in Minnesota and across the country, including but not limited to door-to-door searches; chemical agents like tear gas; chokeholds and other banned moves;  violent threats; and excessive force. Trump also threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act after ICE shot a Venezuelan man in the leg in Minneapolis, provoking protests on Wednesday night. Four migrant people died in ICE custody during the first 10 days of the new year. The State Department announced Wednesday that it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries. The stated reason for the pause is to prevent the entry into the U.S. of people who might need public assistance. The countries whose citizens will no longer be able to immigrate are almost entirely lower-income countries. Take Action This week, we’re urging the Senate to extend ACA subsidies. Stand With Minnesota is providing a hub to support the people in Minneapolis currently under occupation by ICE. Minneapolis labor and economic leaders are calling on people to join a general strike on Jan. 23 in solidarity with the communities currently being targeted. What We’re Reading “The God They Preach at the Pentagon” | “Now is the time for Christians to reclaim the message of peace that is at the heart of the gospel, and to resist imperialism.” (by Michael Woolf) This week, Sojourners released “Light For The Way,” a collection of essays to begin new conversations about faith, justice, and spiritual thriving Deep Breaths From Selma to This Moment Beloved, this weekend is when many of us will honor the work and memory of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sadly, society often reduces his legacy to the “I Have a Dream” speech, with some hijacking it to benefit unrelated causes. One of Dr. King’s most significant sermons came on March 25, 1965, in Montgomery, Alabama, after the brutal march from Selma to Montgomery. The entire world was watching after the killing of protestors and the violent resistance to Black voter registration and the freedom struggle. This speech told the history of racism in America, framing the march as part of a long struggle for freedom, from enslavement to Reconstruction to Jim Crow. It’s important to remember whence we came. It’s important to remember how God has acted on our behalf in the past. Dr. King knew this, walking listeners through each moment, leading them to celebration. He didn’t skip over the hard times. He didn’t sugarcoat anything. I am mentioning this because we are at a tipping point, with violence being seen on levels many of us have never dared to experience, coming from places our minds couldn’t have imagined. Yet this moment echoes the past as we witness assaults on truth, on bodies, on communities, and on the very right to live and to vote with dignity. Now is a time when we must go inward to deeply encounter God as we decide what to do outwardly. Dr. King had a prayer life that fortified his soul when his courage wavered. He cultivated spiritual disciplines, sitting at the feet of Howard Thurman. To confront the evil of Jim Crow, he had to draw deeply from God’s well. That is what we must do today. We must cultivate spiritual practices that strengthen our resolve to confront the evil that is, so that our inner life with God fuels our public witness in the streets, at the polls, and in the halls of power. We must pray, meditate, be still, be silent, sing, dance, weep and laugh. We must be fully human, experiencing all that life presents in healthy ways. This MLK Weekend, please take a moment to read Dr. King’s sermon at the Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. Take it in. Then, after you have read it, listen to the sermon's culmination. The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps Political Director: Chad V. Stanton Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842

Presbyterians for Earth Care - Lenten Devotional Writers Needed and Introducing our 2026 PEC Leadership

l Lenten Earth Care Devotional Writers Needed For the 2026 Lenten season, Presbyterians for Earth Care will provide free daily devotionals based on lectionary readings.  PEC will be partnering with Red Presbiteriana Para el Cuidado de la Creación as a collaboration with both English and Spanish Lenten Devotionals to share. We will be including each Sunday in Lent, as well as significant days of Holy Week.  If you would like to write a devotion in English, please CLICK HERE.  To sign up to write a devotion in Spanish, please CLICK HERE. Please sign up no later than January 23rd.  Devotions must be submitted no later than January 30th.  Writer Instructions: Devotions should be 250-300 words long. Mention the scripture referenced in your devotion. Include a brief prayer at the end.  Share your name, church/organization, and city/state. All devotions should be emailed by January 30th: English devotions to presbyearthcare@gmail.com, and Spanish devotions to redecopcusa@gmail.com. Se acerca la temporada litúrgica de la Cuaresma y como todos los años Presbyterians for Earth Care nos invita a reflexionar esta temporada desde una mirada más amplia con todos los elementos de la creación.  Al igual que en la pasada temporada de Adviento y Navidad, la Red Presbiteriana para el Cuidado de la Creación se ha unido en colaboración con PEC para la producción y publicación de estos devocionales en Español,  por eso te invitamos a considerar escribir una pequeña reflexión que resalte tus acciones personales o congregacionales hacia el cuidado de la creación.  El formato sugerido para cada página es la Escritura seleccionada del leccionario, una breve reflexión, una oración sencilla y alguna sugerencia de acción a tomar (ejemplo).  Para economizar espacio, solamente utilizaremos la cita bíblica, no es necesario copiar todo el pasaje.  Necesitaremos que incluyas el nombre, la iglesia u organización y la ciudad o estado.  También aceptaremos historias personales relacionadas al cuidado de la creación y la Curesma.  La reflexión no debe exceder 300 palabras.  PEC la publicará en formato digital en línea para que pueda ser impreso y/o compartido. Debes inscribirte en o antes del 23 de enero de 2026 para enviar tu participación.  Necesitaremos recibir tu escrito para el día 30 de enero de 2026 para que pueda ser incluido en el panfleto.  Además, puedes compartir fotos o dibujos originales (con permiso para reproducir) que impriman bien en blanco y negro para el panfleto. Si te interesa escribir una reflexión en Inglés, regístrate aquí , si prefieres hacerlo en Español utiliza este registro.  Puedes enviar tu escrito a:  presbyearthcare@gmail.com (para Inglés) y a redecopcusa@gmail.com (para Español). Gracias por tu ayuda y cooperación.  Tu participación enriquecerá la temporada de Cuaresma para otro(a)s y beneficiará a toda la creación de Dios. Introducing the 2026 PEC Steering Committee! PEC would like to thank retiring PEC Vice Moderator Jane Laping for her dedicated leadership! Jane has been actively involved with our organization for over 25 of our 30 years of existence, and has been called a “PEC Legend” by more than one PEC member. She promises this will not be the last we see of her. Thank you for all you do to care fort God’s creation, Jane! Missed the Gathering? CLICK HERE for the Video Recording Resource Now Available: PEC 2025 Conference Workshop Recordings Did you miss the October 2025 PEC Conference Sacred Creation: Justice Flows Down Like Water, or wish you could watch some of the presentations again? All of the recordings of workshops, keynotes, and worship gatherings are available for anyone to access on our YouTube channel. Please view and share these offerings with your church groups, families, and friends so that all may benefit from top-notch presenters and timely topics. Recordings Available: 4 Worship Services with Rev. Rebecca Barnes and Rev. Jocelyn Wildwright 3 Keynote Talks with Rev. Andrew Black 7 Engaging Workshops on various topics related to water and spirituality International Discussion Panel representing work in Guatemala, Kenya, & Peru CLICK HERE for Conference Video Recordings CLICK HERE to download Workshop Summaries & Resources How can we help you care for God’s creation?  Drop us an email and let us know at presbyearthcare@gmail.com Help us grow! Please let us know if there is anyone we should add to our list!  Just reply to this email.  Thank you! Please help us to continue to assist individuals and churches in creation care work by donating to PEC through our website by CLICKING HERE.  Thank you!

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