The Christian Recorder - Council of Bishops Statement on United States Intervention in Venezuela

Statement from the Council of Bishops on the United States intervention in Venezuela On Saturday, January 3, 2026, the United States, under the direction of President Trump, launched deadly air strikes upon the sovereign nation of Venezuela. These strikes, carried out under the pretext of narcotics interdiction, have instead revealed themselves to be acts of dominance and economic ambition—imperialistic moves aimed at control of oil-rich lands rather than the cause of justice or peace. As images captured by ordinary citizens now circulate across the globe, the world again witnesses the tragic cost of power unmoored from moral restraint—families displaced, lives lost, and a people’s right to self-determination ignored. Today’s news underscores how the seeds of that same disregard for human dignity continue to grow. Within hours of each other, a U.S. oil tanker seized by military forces and the fatal shooting of a woman by ICE agents here on American soil remind us that violence—foreign and domestic—is too often justified in the name of “security.” The taking of human life, the violation of sovereignty, and the silencing of those deemed powerless all flow from the same poisoned root: a failure to see the divine image in every person and the sacred autonomy of every people. As Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, we cannot remain silent. African Methodism was born out of righteous resistance to oppression, affirming the full humanity of all people and proclaiming the sovereignty of God above the authority of empire. From Richard Allen’s stand for freedom at Mother Bethel to our Church’s enduring struggle for justice and liberation, we have taught that God’s world is one world and that every nation and every life within it must be treated with dignity and respect. When we see a powerful nation bomb a weaker one for oil, or armed agents end a woman’s life at her doorstep, we are confronted anew with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s warning about “the appalling silence of good people.” Silence in the face of such acts is complicity. It grants moral permission to those who believe might makes right, that domination is destiny, and that divine purpose bends to political will. Therefore, we, the Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, speak now—even at this late date—because silence has never been the way of African Methodism. We call upon faithful people everywhere to raise their voices, to declare that every person is a child of God, and to insist that every nation has the right to govern its own people free from intimidation and violence. Let the Church cry aloud and spare not; let us make plain that the reign of God is not built on bombs, bullets, or greed, but on justice, peace, and love. The Council of Bishops of the AME Church Bishop Silvester S. Beaman, President

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Share Tweet Forward The Christian Recorder is the official newspaper of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the oldest continuously produced publication by persons of African descent.   Bishop Francine A. Brookins, Chair of the General Board Commission on Publications Rev. Dr. Roderick D. Belin, President/Publisher of the AME Sunday School Union Dr. John Thomas III, Editor of The Christian Recorder Copyright © 2026 The Christian Recorder, All rights reserved.