Dear Friends and Family in the Communities of Northern California and Northern Nevada,
We, as Christians, unequivocally condemn and deplore racist acts and the promotion of hatred based on perceived racial markers. People of Asian descent are essential members of our community, human beings of inherent dignity and worth.
Fear and hatred have no place in responding to a global health crisis. We call on all people of faith and goodwill to join us in publicly condemning language and actions that single out any group of people for discrimination. Our scriptures teach us that every single person is connected to all the rest of creation as members of one body, and that no part of the body can dispense with any other part. In this time of fear and anxiety especially, we stand united against hate perpetrated towards our siblings who are of Asian descent, and other ethnicities that are perceived to be of Asian descent.
Further, we particularly name, recognize, and appreciate those people of Asian descent who fight against prejudice and fear in order to provide care and essential services for our communities and families. By signing this letter, we commit to being “upstanders,” speaking up and out for all victims of hate speech and racist acts. We invite all who read this letter to join us in this important work.
The Rev. Dr. Diane Weible, Conference Minister, Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ
The Rev. Davena L. Jones, Associate Conference Minister, Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ
The Rev. Daniel Ross-Jones, Associate Conference Minister, Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ
Susan Hamilton, SJH College and Career Coaching
The Rev. Warren Dale, First Church Redwood City, UCC
Margaret Cross, Congregational Church of Belmont
Barbara Regan
The Rev. Rene StammKirk, Senior Minister, Community Congregational Church UCC, Benicia
Ursula Jorgensen, Congregational Church of Belmont
The Rev. Dr. LaTaunya M. Bynum, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Northern California-Nevada
Jake Yan Lan, Chinese Congregational Church of San Francisco, UCC
The Rev. Kristi Denham
The Rev. Tautalaaso Faaleava, First Samoan Congregational Church in San Francisco, UCC
Kate Luce
Elizabeth Nordt
Zion Lee, Senior Services Coordinator, Albany Senior Center
The Rev. Roger Straw
Judith Brooke
The Rev. David Gaewski, Conference Minister, New York Conference of the United Church of Christ
The Rev. Kacey Alexander, Pastor, Trinity Congregational Church UCC, Weaverville
Bonnie Harvey
The Rev. Dr. Martha A. Williams, Interim Pastor, Congregational Church of Almaden Valley, UCC
Paula Miller
Barbara Cook
Glenda Lamb
Shirley Lin Kinoshita, NAPAD CCNCN Planning Team Chair
The Rev. Garnet Cooper McClure, retired UCC minister, Petaluma
The Rev. Stephen Lee
The Rev. Elizabeth Robinson, Orinda Community Church UCC
Judith Moore
Myrdell Dybdal, Community Presbyterian Church, Pittsburg
Kim Williams, First Congregational Church of Fresno, UCC
Faith Burgess, San Carlos Community UCC
Douglas Leich, Danville Congregational Church, UCC
The Rev. Dr. Mary Susan Gast, Conference Minister Emerita, Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ
Andrew Tang
Christina Umhofer, President, The Umhofer Group
The Rev. Ruth Schweitzer-Mordecai, MFT
Carla Sillin, Woodside Road United Methodist Church
The Rev. Fred Weidmann, Hillcrest Church UCC, Pleasant Hill
The Rev. Kyung-Min Daniel Lee, Associate Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Northern California-Nevada
Arthur Zingher, Synagogue Kol Emeth, Palo Alto
The Rev. Stephen Glauz-Todrank, retired UCC minister
The Rev. Carolyn Glauz-Todrank
The Rev. Phil Porter, City of Refuge UCC, Oakland
Nicholas Piediscalzi, Peace UCC, Santa Cruz
The Rev. Cherie Marckx, Pastor
The Rev. Denise Leopold, Parkside Community UCC, Sacramento
The Rev. Marilyn B. Kendrix, Bridge Conference Minister, Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ
The Rev. Diana Renner Noyes, Hospice of Humboldt
The Rev. Winston Gould, retired
The Rev. David Long-Higgins, Transitional Conference Minister, Heartland Conference of the United Church of Christ
Elizabeth Lanej
The Rev. Bonnie Bates, Conference Minister, Penn Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ
Joy Barnitz, Niles Discovery Church, Fremont and Tri-City Interfaith Council
Laurel Przybylski
Mei Wang, Congregational Community Church of Sunnyvale, UCC
James Ross, Pastor, First Congregational Church of Ripon, UCC
The Rev. Deborah Lee, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
Peter Wilson
Richard Ober, Elk Grove United Church of Christ
The Rev. Carole G. Geim, Squaw Valley UCC
The Rev. Nancy McKay, spiritual director
Barbara Hamm, Minister of Music, Community Congregational UCC, Benicia
The Rev. Bonnie Rambob
The Rev. Rebecca Schroeder
Moses Park
The Rev. Wilma J. Reichard
The Rev. Kit Novotny
The Rev. Kathryn Schreiber, Lead Pastor, Berkeley Chinese Community Church, UCC
Moira Darone, Director of Children’s and Youth Ministries, First Congregational Church of Alameda, UCC
The Rev. Thomas Dipko, Retired Executive Minister, United Church Board for Homeland Ministries
The Rev. Robert Howell
Sara Fread, First Church UCC Berkeley
Patricia Simmons, Grace Community Church UCC, North Fork
Kristina Burnett, United Church of Hayward UCC
The Rev. Arlene Nehring, Senior Minister, Eden United Church of Christ, Hayward
Carolyn Zeljak
The Rev. Thomas Crosby
Donna Fisher, Grace Community Church UCC, North Fork
The Rev. William Schroeder, retired
Shirley Schroeder
Lauren Jewett, Program Director and Interfaith Organizer, Youth Spirit Artworks
The Rev. Chuck Kelsey, Pastor, St. John’s UCC, San Francisco
The Rev. Naomi Schulz, Pastor, Campbell UCC, Campbell
The Rev. Michael Dack
Ronald Fujiyoshi
Darlene Hamady, Berkeley Chinese Community Church UCC
Cheryl Coleman Jones, Skyline UCC, Oakland
Hermann Chu, Chinese Congregational Church UCC, San Francisco
Kae Riklon, Sacramento Marshallese Ministry
Cynthia Cornell
Patsy Finster, First Congregational Church of Fresno, UCC
The Rev. Phil Konz
The Rev. Dr. F. Russell Baker, retired
The Rev. Beverly Brook, Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
Dick Hom, Moderator, Pacific Islander & Asian American Ministries, United Church of Christ, and member of Chinese Congregational Church UCC, San Francisco
Carolyn Hedgecock
The Rev. Dr. Tom Gough, First Congregational Church of San Jose, UCC
The Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor, San Lorenzo Community Church, UCC
Barbara Colliander, Grace Community Church UCC, North Fork
The Rev. Will McGarvey, Pastor, East County Shared Ministry, Pittsburg
Paul Michel
The Rev. Ruth Sandberg
The Rev. Tami Groves, Senior Minister, First Congregational Church of San Francisco, UCC
The Rev. Bill Eichhorn
The Rev. Ann Eichhorn
Carol McDermott
The Rev. Charlotte Asher
The Rev. William Pifer-Foote, Interim Pastor, First Congregational Church of Stockton, UCC
The Rev. Melissa Tumaneng
The Rev. Carol Barriger, Skyland Community Church UCC, Los Gatos
The Rev. Elizabeth Mitchell Clement, Interim Pastor, Congregational Church of Belmont UCC
The Rev. Niels Teunis
The Rev. Dr. Katherine Lambertson
Mary Richardson
The Rev. Elizabeth Griswold, Co-Pastor, Parkside Community Church, UCC
Elaine Palmer, First Congregational Church of Antioch, UCC
The Rev. Dr. Eileen Altman, First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, UCC
The Rev. Diane Ryder
Adrienne Wong Hull
Alan Stivers, First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, UCC
The Rev. Sally Train
The Rev. Penny V. Phillips, First Congregational Church of San Jose, UCC
The Rev. Casey Tinnin, Pastor, Loomis Basin Congregational Church UCC
The Rev. Rhina Ramos, Ministerio Latino, Oakland
Marilyn Michelon, United Church of Cloverdale UCC
The Rev. Mary P. Conant, Little Brown Church UCC, Sunol
Josefina Gabuya
The REv. Ann Lougee
Anne Swanson
The Rev. Wendy Peters
The Rev. Sophia DeWitt, Program Director, East Bay Housing Organizations
Ken Tipton, First Congregational Church of San Francisco, UCC
The Rev. Damien J. Lake, Interim Minister, Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
The Rev. Joellynn Monahan, SPiritual Director, theSpiralWay.org
Kathie Fosgett, Executive Director, First Church of Redwood City UCC
Susan S. Ward
The Rev. Jane Grady, Pastor, La Selva Beach Community Church UCC
The Rev. Dr. Benhamin J. Broadbent, Lead Minister, Community Church of Sebastopol, UCC
Richard Brabham
Jeanne Strauss, LMFT
The Rev. Laura Rose, Pastor, First Congregational Church of Alameda, UCC
The Rev. Christy Ramage, Pastor, First Congregational Church of Antioch, UCC
The Rev. Annette Cook, Pastor, San Lorenzo Community Church UCC
The Rev. Melissa Munger McBride
The Rev. Dr. Melinda V. McLain, The Good Table UCC, El Cerrito, CA
Lorna Hill, St. John’s UCC, San Francisco
Barbara Broadbent, Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
The Rev. Kevin Omi, Interim Minister, Skyland Community Church UCC, Los Gatos
The Rev. Judith Huston, retired
The Rev. Molly Baskette, Senior Minister, First Church Berkeley, UCC
The Rev. Frank J. Beltran
Eppie Encabo, Moderator, Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ
Gerry Brague
The Rev. Pepper Swanson, Associate Minister, Eden United Church of Christ, Hayward
Keith Howard, Congregational Church of Belmont UCC
The Rev. Patricia C. Wood, Mountain Neighbors Heling Neighbors
Nancy Taylor, Skyline Community Church UCC, Oakland
Jennie Fong, Chinese Congregational Church UCC, San Francisco
Emma Fuji
The Rev. Dr. Norman Broadbent, retired, First Congregational Church of Fresno UCC
The Rev. Bonnie Hollinger, Pastor, First Congregational Church of Murphys UCC
The Rev. Carol J. Manahan, Minister, Community Church of Mill Valley
The Rev. Roberto Ochoa, Associate for Congregations of Color, United Church of Christ National Setting
The Rev. Dr. Hilary Marckx, Pastor, Geyserville Christian Church
The Rev. Sharon MacArhut, retired
Jean Golden
Dawn Grace Renshaw
John & Diane Hawes
The Rev. Dr. Robert McGrath
The Rev. Barbara Barkley, Pastor, Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Rick Yramategui, Minister, Carmel Valley Community Chapel
The Rev. Akiko Miyake-Stoner, Pastor, United Japanese Christian Church, Clovis
Mary Westfall, Transitional Presbyter, Presbytery of Sacramento
Theron Jones, Pilgrim Community Church UCC, San Francisco
Sandy Baldwin, Congregational Church of Almaden Valley UCC, San Jose
Taston Hezskia, Sacramento Marshallese Ministry
Franzetta Houston, City of Refuge UCC, Oakland
Margaret Smullin
Carole Stivers, First Congregational Church of Palo Alto UCC
The Rev. Rachel Knuth, Associate Minister, Community Church of Sebastopol UCC
The Rev. Brenda Loreman, Associate Pastor, Niles Discovery Church, Fremont
The Rev. Susan Parsley, Forest Hill Christian Church, San Francisco
The Rev. Anne Hoffmann, First Congregational Church of Santa Rosa UCC
Ursula McClure, City of Refuge UCC, Oakland
The Rev. Jeffrey Spencer, Senior Pastor, Niles Discovery Church, Fremont
The Rev. Melanie Weiner
The Rev. Benjamin S. Bigney
Judith Norberg
The Rev. Jeanne Loveless, Minister & Teacher, United Church of Hayward UCC
The Rev. David H. Brown
Marilyn Baisel, First Congregational Church of Murphys UCC
Paul Schierenberg, Parkside Community Church UCC, Sacramento
The Rev. Barry Cammer, Healthy Path Counseling
Tricia Wong, Berkeley Chinese Community Church UCC
The Rev. Sheryl Johnson, Congregational Church of San Mateo UCC
The Rev. Eric Sherlock, Senior Pastor, Danville Congregational Church UCC
Lea Mavroudis, Congregational Church of Belmont UCC
The Rev. Evelyn Vigil, Associate Pastor, Congregational Community Church of Sunnyvale UCC
Alan N. McLarty
Rachel Kau-Taylor
Kevin Manz
Bonnie Brewer
The Rev. Debra Newcomb
Carla Gerber, Congregational Church of Almaden Valley UCC, San Jose
Phyllis Chai, Congregational Church of Almaden Valley UCC, San Jose
The Rev. S. Kay Wellington, Plymouth Congregational Church UCC, Oakland
(Add your own signature here. Each day’s new signatories updated afternoons, Monday through Friday.)
