The Declaration and its Call to Action
The 1934 Barmen Declaration of the German Evangelical Church in Germany was a scripturally grounded call for resistance against the nationalist "German Christian" movement that gave its blessing to the rising Nazi dictatorship. The courageous signatories were publicly stating their commitment to speak out against the rising totalitarian state and especially its support by the church.
Similarly, those who affix their signatures to the present Declaration are taking a bold public stand. They are part of a growing movement of resistance to authoritarian rule and the campaign to undermine democracy, the rule of law, civil rights, and the church's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
This Declaration also provides a framework for carrying out a commitment to further action. In each of the Declaration’s five sections are contained sub-sections that begin with the words “We commit ourselves,” followed by very concrete actions to be taken. Among these actions are the following:
• Protest acts of government that violate the norms of justice and human rights
• Remove national flags from worship areas and nationalistic hymns from song books
• Initiate acts of healing with Native American communities
• Express opposition to White Christian nationalism
• Demand self-determination for the Palestinian people
• Protest military assistance to the Gaza genocide; protest settler violence against West Bank Palestinians
• Demand the free flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza
• Support the efforts of Palestinian Christians to provide health care, education and opportunities for reconciliation
• Protest every local expression of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
• Support political efforts to limit and eventually replace capitalist economy ("The Forgotten Luther"); call church leaders to declare a status confessionis, declaring the economic justification for the present chasm between the ultra-wealthy and the poor to be a direct affront to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Some of these commitments can find expression immediately, for example, in the form of emails, op-eds and letters to local or national politicians, church leaders, governments, Jewish, Christian and Muslim groups, etc.
Other commitments will require action following study and discussion by church groups. There are helpful resources for this, for example, from the Advocacy Office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): https://www.elca.org/our-work/publicly-engaged-church/advocacy