Iowa Annual Conference Graphic
Iowa Annual Conference | Sept. 18, 2025
Dear Siblings in Christ,
As the Director of Multicultural and Anti-racism Ministries in Iowa, I feel called to speak from the heart. The church is meant to be both a safe place for those who are pushed aside and a strong voice against anything that harms God’s children.
The recent Supreme Court ruling in Noem v. Perdomo puts many of our immigrant and multilingual neighbors at risk. It allows racial profiling to be disguised as “law enforcement.” Targeting people because of their accent, skin color, or type of work is not justice; it is wrong. This decision turns the law into a weapon against the very people who make our communities stronger through their work, culture, and lives.
Here in Iowa, this ruling is not far away; it directly touches our families, schools, towns, and churches. It creates fear for parents who only want to care for their children. It makes young people worry that speaking Spanish at school or church could mark them as “suspicious.” And it threatens the trust we have worked so hard to build across cultures and faith traditions.
I know that some will ask: “Why is the church speaking about Supreme Court rulings? Shouldn’t the church only preach the gospel and avoid politics?”
But here we must be clear. As theologian Karl Barth argued, the gospel is not just about personal comfort; it speaks to all areas of life. To proclaim that “Jesus is Lord” is not a private opinion; it is a public truth that challenges every other claim to power. The gospel unavoidably has political meaning, not because the church chooses to get involved in politics, but because the reign of Christ calls every human system, law, and power into question.
Barth said that when the Word of God is truly preached, it confronts “the rulers and authorities of this world.” That means when a law or ruling demeans part of God’s creation, the church cannot stay silent. To preach the gospel faithfully is to expose injustice and call for the dignity of all God’s children to be honored. Silence would not be gospel; it would be betrayal.
So when we say this ruling endorses racial profiling, we are not “doing politics.” We are witnessing to the truth of the gospel, that every human being is made in God’s image, and that no law has the right to strip people of that sacred worth.
Here in Iowa, we remain committed to teaching our congregations, training leaders to recognize and resist racism, and working for policies that protect our neighbors. We will listen to those whose voices are not being heard and always ground our actions in the call of Christ: to love God and our neighbor, to defend the oppressed, and to build communities marked by justice, equity, and peace.
So, we ask again: Is this political, or is it gospel? With Barth, we insist: it is gospel. To say otherwise would be to deny that Jesus Christ is Lord of the whole world.
May God’s Spirit give us courage and strength for this holy work.