The following is a statement released by a group of “clergy” in the Gloucester, MA area-Cape Ann and an excellent rebuttal from Alex Destino-a life-time resident of the Gloucester:
MIDWEEK MUSINGS: By The Associated Clergy of Cape Ann
On Jan. 21, in the traditional prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, the Episcopal bishop, the Rt. Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, asked President Donald Trump to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” Many people were angered by her words, insisting that such language had no place within a service of worship.
The Associated Clergy of Cape Ann is writing to share our support for Bishop Budde and to thank her for her prophetic witness. Clergy of any religious tradition understand that our call to ministry is, when necessary, to speak truth to power.
Throughout human history, prophets have emerged during turbulent times to raise their voices and to speak their truth. When we think of prophets we most often think of the ancient voices in the Hebrew Bible: Amos, or Jeremiah, or Isaiah. Here is the Prophet Amos: “I hate, I despise your festivals … but let justice flow down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:21,24).
Of course, throughout Jesus’ public ministry he spoke prophetically to the crowds who gathered, words that are familiar to us today. We remember well Jesus’ response to the question of what commandment in the law is the greatest: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind … and a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)
The words of warning and admonition spoken to the powerful often make people uncomfortable. No one wants to hear that they are missing the mark, acting out of covenant with God. It’s the role of prophets to tell us, and hope that we will have ears to hear.
Often a prophet is scorned. We see in the Gospel of Luke how Jesus was rejected for his preaching: an enraged crowd in Nazareth “got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.” (Luke 4:29-31)
We tend to celebrate prophets from earlier times, not those of the present. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most prophetic voices of the 20th century, was often deeply unpopular among ordinary citizens and those in the corridors of government. He was only silenced by assassination, at the age of 39. Today, he is honored. Time has made his words feel safer to us.
Clergy learn of all these powerful examples as they take up their calling. But in fact, reading the words of others is just the beginning. We are also called to serve, and to act on behalf of the vulnerable and the oppressed, to do all we can to bend the arc of the universe toward justice. We take this call seriously.
And we ask that others join us in lifting their voices, in finding ways to serve, in showing mercy and compassion, and helping those in need. It is all of our work together: we are all needed, and we all have a role to play. There are many different ways to serve, many opportunities to offer mercy and care. We do not have to agree on everything in order to each put our shoulders to the wheel and to foster more kindness in an often harsh world. But prophets of any age would tell us that we are not ever let off the hook; that we are not allowed to do nothing. Regardless of our political and religious beliefs, the work to foster justice and mercy remains the same.
Perhaps an outspoken clergy member, or even attendance at religious observances has made you uncomfortable. Do you ask yourself why that is? Is it easier to blame the person uttering the words for your discomfort than it is to search your heart?
In the concluding paragraphs of her 2023 book, “How We Learn to be Brave,” Bishop Budde wrote, “As a person of faith, I dare to trust that God is at work amid the most challenging realities of our lives, and that by grace and acceptance, we join God in the holy work of transforming the world.” (p. 183)
It’s a tall order, to transform the world. No one can do it alone. Working together, we can accomplish a great deal. We hope you will join us.
Members of the Associated Clergy of Cape Ann,
The Rev. Janet Parsons, minister, Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.
Rev. Valerie M. Roberts-Toler, interim pastor, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Gloucester
Rev. Printice M. Roberts-Toler, United Methodist pastor, (retired)
Rev. Susan Moran, minister, Unitarian Universalist Society of Rockport
Rev. Tess Baumberger, minister, First Universalist Church of Essex
The Rev. Alice W. Erickson, United Church of Christ,
The Rev. Judith Brain,
Rev. Sue Koehler-Arsenault, pastor, Annisquam Village Church
Rev. Rona Tyndall, pastor, West Gloucester Trinitarian Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Elsa Marshall, C.M.C.E.Y.M.,
The Rev. Dr. Norma Brettell, pastor, Trinity Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
The Rev. Jim Achadinha, pastor, The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Brother Patrick Garvey, Diocesan hermit, The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
The Rev. Derek van Gulden, First Congressional Church of Rockport, United Church of Christ
The Rev. Wendy Fitting, Unitarian Universalist minister (retired),
The Rev. Marya DeCarlen, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Gloucester.
The Rev. Sean Bendigo, senior pastor, First Church in Wenham
And Mr. Destino’s rebuttal:
My Response to The Associated Clergy of Cape Ann—Midweek Musings
The Associated Clergy of Cape Ann, entrusted with guiding their congregations in faith and doctrine, present themselves as biblical leaders. However, some of their recent statements raise concerns about their alignment with Scripture.
In their letter, they endorsed Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s call for “mercy” on transgender children and illegal immigrants at the National Prayer Service before President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and their families. While mercy and compassion are core Christian values, our faith leaders must also remain firmly rooted in biblical truth.
Bishop Budde—the first woman and openly lesbian individual to serve as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington—represents a departure from God’s design for church leadership.
Scripture is clear on this matter: God has established distinct roles for men and women within the church (1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35). This is not about inequality—Scripture affirms that men and women are equally valued but called to serve in different capacities. When these distinctions are disregarded, the church risks following cultural trends rather than God’s Word.
The Bible is also unambiguous regarding sexual morality (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). By fully embracing Bishop Budde’s leadership without acknowledging these teachings, the clergy of Cape Ann appear to be prioritizing societal pressures over Scripture.
At the same time, these clergy seem to be promoting gender ideology rather than biblical truth. While we are called to love and support all individuals, true compassion does not affirm confusion, but leads people toward clarity and truth. God created humanity male and female (Genesis 1:27), and our identity is divinely appointed before birth (Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5). Shouldn’t clergy, above all, uphold this truth?
Additionally, these clergy are actively protesting President Trump for enforcing immigration laws while remaining silent on the greatest crisis facing our nation: Under the Biden administration’s open-border policies, more than 365,000 children have gone missing—many tragically trafficked and exploited (Department of Homeland Security, 2024). Where is their outcry and compassion for these vulnerable children?
Beyond theology, there are financial concerns regarding the funding of faith-based organizations.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has revealed that faith-based NGOs—including the Episcopal Church and Catholic Charities—have received tens of millions in taxpayer dollars, in part, to fund LGBTQ+ and immigration programs.
This raises a serious question: Whose interests are these clergy truly serving? Are they answering to the government agencies that fund them or to their parishioners, who seek God’s unfiltered truth? Consider Matthew 6:24, Zechariah 11:13, and Matthew 26:14-16.
To the Associated Clergy of Cape Ann, I offer these questions with sincerity:
Where were you when Christians were arrested for praying on sidewalks and reciting the Rosary outside abortion clinics?
Where was your support and protests for Christian parents arrested at school board meetings for opposing gender policies?
Where were you when our religious freedoms were being infringed upon during COVID? You closed your churches while liquor stores and big-box retailers remained open. Did any of you stand up for religious freedom?
And why were you silent when the FBI spied on traditional Catholics while attending Mass, labeling them “potential domestic threats”?
To the faithful Christian and Catholic community of Cape Ann: Please join me in prayer for our region’s clergy. My hope is that they will return to their sacred duty of upholding God’s Word without compromise.
The church’s calling is not to conform to culture but to stand unwavering in God’s truth (Romans 12:2). Our community needs shepherds who will lead with wisdom, conviction and faithfulness to God’s Word.