Nevada faith leaders are invited to sign a national letter defending fair, safe and accessible voting as a public witness for dignity, justice and democracy. From Faith In Us.

As people of faith, we believe every person is created with God-given dignity, voice and agency. That conviction does not stop at the doors of our congregations; it shapes how we show up in public life. When eligible voters face barriers, intimidation or confusion at the ballot box, our neighbors’ voices are diminished — and so is the health of our democracy.

A national sign-on letter, “Faith Leaders Defending Our Democracy,” invites clergy and faith leaders across traditions, races and geographies to speak out together for fair access to the ballot. The letter raises concern about efforts that could restrict vote-by-mail, complicate voter registration, intimidate voters, weaken privacy protections, or dilute communities’ voting power through discriminatory maps. It especially names the impact on elders, people with disabilities or mobility concerns, rural voters, workers with difficult schedules, voters of color and people living in poverty.

For Lutherans, protecting voting rights is one way we love our neighbor in public. Our advocacy is not about partisanship; it is about ensuring that all eligible voters can participate safely, freely and fairly in choosing the leaders who make decisions affecting our shared life. LEAN encourages Nevada faith leaders to review the letter and consider adding their names as a public witness for dignity, justice and democracy.Following is the text of the sign-on letter from Faith In Us, with a link to sign the letter below.

The Letter

“As faith leaders, we stand for justice and fairness. We believe in protecting the dignity and rights of all people. We work to bring people together across every divide and we know that our democracy is strong when everyone is treated with dignity and when all voices are heard. As we approach the 2026 November elections, our freedom to vote and elect the leaders we choose is under threat. As clergy across faith, race and geography, we are joining together to protect our voting rights and the voting rights of our neighbors. 

We are speaking out against decisions that limit the access eligible voters have to the ballot box and efforts that appear aimed at preventing eligible voters from voting. We are deeply concerned about the executive order severely restricting vote-by-mail, and we are outraged by the rapid gerrymandering of racially discriminatory election maps in many states following the Supreme Court’s decision to end the Voting Rights Act commitment to racial equality in elections.

Vote-by-mail is particularly important for elders in our communities, for those with mobility concerns, for those in rural areas, and for those whose job status or life circumstances makes it difficult to vote in person on election day. In some states, all eligible voters are sent a mail ballot. This executive order threatens to take the vote away from countless eligible voters in our communities, causing confusion and chaos and the denial of fundamental constitutional rights. Vote-by-mail has been proven to be accurate, reliable, and efficient across the country, and it helps ensure that eligible voters are able to exercise their constitutional right to vote.  

Our faith traditions affirm the dignity, worth, and agency of all people. Patterns of action that prevent eligible voters from voting and that dilute voter’s power to choose their elected leaders violate our faith traditions’ affirmation of human dignity. Complicated registration rules, fewer voting options, threats to deploy ICE to polling places, barriers based on financial ability, requests that states turn over voter rolls despite privacy and security concerns, and discriminatory gerrymandering of maps all offend our core faith values as well as core democracy values. These efforts limit access to the ballot box and intimidate eligible voters, especially eligible voters of color and poverty. This makes us less free and gives us less power as voters to choose our leaders. 

We call on our Secretaries of State, election administrators and all elected officials in our states to join us in publicly opposing these efforts. We call on elected officials to join us in protecting our elections, our democracy, and the ability of all eligible voters to be able to access the ballot box and vote.   

We are coming together to protect our voting rights and the voting rights of our neighbors. We will continue to oppose attacks on the freedom to vote. We call on our elected leaders to do the same.”

Sign Here.

One year ago, the Nevada legislature passed AB 388, a bill that would have established paid family and medical leave for many Nevada workers. The legislation recognized a simple truth: no one should have to choose between caring for a loved one and earning a paycheck.

Unfortunately, Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed the bill, preventing it from becoming law.

Nevada families deserve policies that support workers, caregivers, children, and aging loved ones. Paid family leave helps families weather life’s most important moments with dignity and economic security.

Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada remains committed to advocating for policies that strengthen families and expand access to paid family and medical leave. As we prepare for the next legislative session, we will continue working with partners, lawmakers, and communities across the state to ensure Nevada families have the support they need.

In this Juneteenth reflection, historian and Lutheran scholar Dr. Denise Rector explores the history of emancipation and the enduring significance of freedom. Drawing on both historical truth and Lutheran theology, she reflects on how the delayed announcement of freedom to enslaved people in Texas echoes the importance of proclaiming truth and justice today.

Rooted in the promise of justification by grace through faith, the article reminds Christians that freedom in Christ is real—and calls us to love our neighbors, speak truth, and serve a world God loves. Read Dr. Rector’s full reflection on Juneteenth.

In my first call, my predecessor had to navigate the question of flags and their place in worship spaces. Although that debate was settled at the time, it resurfaced periodically. Today, many congregations are again asking questions about national symbols in worship, especially as the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary.

One of the most common, and sensitive, questions is simple: Are flags appropriate in church?

An ELCA worship resource offers a helpful pastoral response. Flags are not required elements in a Christian worship space, and whether to display them is a decision for the congregation. At the same time, the resource encourages congregations to think carefully about what symbols communicate, especially in the place where the church gathers around Word and Sacrament.

The American flag is a powerful national symbol. For many, including veterans and families who have lost loved ones in military service, it represents sacrifice, gratitude, and love of country. For others, it may evoke memories of political conflict, exclusion, or unfulfilled promises. Because the flag carries different meanings for different people, its presence in worship can sometimes become a source of tension rather than unity.

Lutheran worship already places powerful symbols at its center: water, bread and wine, the Bible, the cross, and the gathered assembly itself. These are not symbols of any nation. They point us to Christ, whose body includes people of every nation, language, race, and culture. In worship, our primary identity is not as Americans, but our primary identity is as people baptized into Christ.

This does not mean Christians should withdraw from civic life. In fact, Lutheran theology has always taken public life seriously. We are called to love our neighbors, seek justice, pray for leaders, participate responsibly in civic life, and work for the common good. Yet worship reminds us that our deepest loyalty belongs to God. As Luther teaches in the Small Catechism, we are to “fear, love, and trust God above all things.”

The ELCA resource also notes that flags may be appropriate in other areas of a church building, particularly spaces used for civic gatherings, scouting programs, voting, community events, memorial displays, or veterans’ remembrances. Such placement can honor the flag’s civic significance without placing it alongside the central symbols of Christian worship.

For congregations across Nevada, this is not simply a question of décor. It is a question of faithful witness. At a time when Christian nationalism continues to blur the line between devotion to country and devotion to Christ, congregations have an opportunity to be clear, gracious, and courageous. We can give thanks for the blessings of civic life without making the nation an object of devotion. We can honor those who have served while remembering that the church’s mission transcends every border. We can love our country by telling the truth, caring for the vulnerable, welcoming the stranger, and seeking liberty and justice for all.

LEAN encourages congregations to use this ELCA resource as a conversation starter. Decisions about flags should be made with humility, pastoral care, and attention to local context. Whatever a congregation decides, the guiding question remains the same: Do the symbols in our worship space draw us more deeply into Christ, the gospel, and love of neighbor?

In worship, Christ is at the center. Everything else must find its place around him.

Tens of thousands of people fleeing persecution remain in limbo – speak out for protection and welcome.

Since the U.S. refugee resettlement program was indefinitely paused in January 2025, tens of thousands of screened, vetted and conditionally approved refugees remain stranded overseas. Most of the world’s refugees now have no pathway to resettlement in the United States – with a narrow exception for a comparatively small number of white Afrikaners from South Africa.

At the same time, refugees who have already been resettled in the United States – often by faith-based organizations – face traumatic reevaluations of their refugee status, threatened arrests, and cuts to benefits like SNAP and Medicaid that help with their transition to a permanent life in the United States.

“Welcoming refugees is a true expression of our faith, and also a continuation of an American tradition of providing a home to those facing persecution because of who they are or what they believe,” said the Rev. Amy Reumann, senior director of ELCA Witness in Society. “We call for a refugee admissions process that does not discriminate based on race, religion or nationality, but that welcomes all based on need. Each of these people, we know, is a beloved child of God; each of them bears the image of God.”

World Refugee Day is observed on June 20, a day to honor the strength and courage of people who have been displaced by conflict or persecution and to build understanding of how to respond. We can use this observance to move our action!

Ask Congress to reaffirm America’s longstanding commitment to protecting people fleeing persecution through a refugee program that is adequately funded and prioritizes the most vulnerable. Urge your member of Congress to defend the contributions of refugees and to defend federal investments in refugee processing, admissions and resettlement services.

Customize this message with your faith convictions and connections to refugee resettlement in your community.