San Francisco Bay Area Religious Leaders Condemn the Killing of George Floyd and Structural Racism
As religious leaders of diverse traditions we understand human life to be the greatest and most sacred gift endowed by our Creator. Inherent in that gift is the inalienable right to live freely and not in fear.
The May 25, 2020 abhorrent killing of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, at the knee of a law enforcement official, sworn and entrusted to protect the public and keep the peace, is yet another stark reminder of humanity’s blindness to the sacredness of that gift of life and society’s failure, if not refusal, to act to ensure equal rights for all created beings.
We lament the murder and death of George Floyd and pray for him, his family, loved ones and all in need of strength and comfort in this fragile time of grief.
The overwhelming national response to George Floyd’s death, manifested in peaceful protests, not only honors his life, but powerfully expresses the threshold of tolerance we as Americans have reached for injustice, systematic racism and discrimination against people of color. This powerful resurgence of a long overdue civil rights movement will not be silenced until structural change is realized.
We lift our voices and stand in unity and solidarity with our sisters and brothers of color in proclaiming that BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Kaushik Roy, Chair, San Francisco Interfaith Council
Mario Paz, Vice Chair, San Francisco Interfaith Council
John McKnight, Treasurer, San Francisco Interfaith Council
Nancy Nielsen, Secretary, San Francisco Interfaith Council
Rita Semel, Past Chair, San Francisco Interfaith Council
G.L. Hodge, Past Chair, San Francisco Interfaith Council
Michael G. Pappas, M.Div., Executive Director, San Francisco Interfaith Council
Rev. Jeanelle N. Ablola, Lead Pastor, Pine United Methodist Church
Rev. Ineda P. Adesanya, President/CEO, The Chaplaincy Institute
Rabbi Dan Ain, Congregation Beth Sholom
Fr. Arturo Albano, Pastor, St. Mary’s Cathedral
Abu Qadir Al-Amin, Imam, San Francisco Muslim Community Center
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of California
Fatih Ferdi Ates, Director, Pacifica Institute
Wilma Batiste, SF Interfaith Council Board Member, Neighborhood Baptist Church
Fr. Greg Bonfiglio, S.J., Pastor, St. Ignatius Catholic Church
Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, Pastor, Third Baptist Church & President, SF Branch NAACP
Rev. Angela Brown, JD, Minister: Community Engagement, Advocacy & Justice, CA-NV Conference, United Methodist Church Conference
Rev. Alexis Cambe, Grace United Methodist Church
Rev. Gerald P. Caprio, Executive Director and Board Chair, Interfaith Center at the Presidio
Rev. Richard Carlini, RN BA C-RNPC, Transform Myself Inc., A Unity Ministry
Rev. Calvin Chinn, Transitional Pastor and Head of Staff, Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Canon Dr. Ellen Clark-King, Vice Dean and Canon for Social Justice, Grace Cathedral
Rev. Robert E. Collins, Minister at Large, Centers for Spiritual Living
Rev. Kōdō Conlin, San Francisco Zen Center
Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Vocational Service (JVS)
Rev. Staci Current, Bay District Superintendent, CA-NV Conference, United Methodist Church
Rev. Linda Ruth Cutts, Zen Buddhist, San Francisco Zen Center, Green Gulch Farm Zen Center
Quentisha Davis Wiles, MSW, ASW, MDIV, Senior Pastor, Pittsburg United Methodist Church
Rev. Kristi Denham, Peninsula Multifaith Coalition
M. Rev. Robert M. Dittler, OSB, Abbot-Bishop, White Robed Monks of St. Benedict
Rev. Elaine Donlin, Minister Assistant, Buddhist Church of San Francisco
Rev. Lori Eickmann, Interim Pastor, St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA), Antioch
Rabbi Serena Eisenberg, Northern California Director, AJC
Rev. Elizabeth Ekdale, Lead Pastor, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director, Islamic Networks Group (ING)
Rev. Greg Fain, San Francisco Zen Center
Fred Fielding, Global Council Trustee – North America, United Religions Initiative
Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J., President, University of San Francisco
Rev. Victor H. Floyd, Minister of Spiritual Care, Calvary Presbyterian Church
Rev. Norman Fong, Parish Associate, Presbyterian Church in Chinatown
Dr. Anita Friedman, Executive Director, Jewish Family and Children’s Services
Rabbi Pam Frydman, Congregation B’nai Emunah and President, No. California Board of Rabbis
Andrew Galvan, The Ohlone Indian Tribe and Curator, Old Mission Dolores
Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman Graf, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Sherith Israel
Rev. Tova Green, San Francisco Zen Center
Julie Greenfield, President, Eden Area Interfaith Council
Tyler Harris Gregory, Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
Iftekhar Hai, President, UMA Interfaith Alliance
Commissioner Hala K. Hijazi, San Francisco Muslim Community Center
Cantor Linda Hirschhorn, Spiritual Leader, Temple Beth Sholom, San Leandro
David Hoffman, Chair, Interfaith Council of Sonoma County
The Rev. Mark W. Holmerud, bishop, Sierra Pacific Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Paige Hosking, SF Interfaith Council Board Member, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Elder Gayle Humphrey, Child of God
Rev. Heather More Iarusso, San Francisco Zen Center
The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian, Jr., Executive Director, United Religions Initiative
Father Stephen Kyriacou, Dean, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Rev. Junchol Lee, Senior Pastor, San Francisco Swedenborgian Church
Michael Lee, Executive Director, Donaldina Cameron House
Rev. Joy-Ellen Lipsky, CCP, PMP, CCM
Robert Mar Ephrem Lopez, Bishop, Mar Thoma Orthodox Church in America
Rev. Valerie McEntee, San Francisco Night Ministry
Rev. Will McGarvey, Executive Director, Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County
Rev. Jake Medcalf, Lead Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Hayward, Castro Valley
Rev. Ron Moe-Lobeda, Associate Pastor, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Rev Dr. Arlene K. Nehring, Senior Pastor, Eden United Church of Christ, Hayward
The Rev. Monique L. Ortiz, St. Mary and St. Martha Lutheran Church and SF Night Ministry
Dr. Deon Nielsen Price, organist, Golden Gate Ward, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Rev. Scott Quinn, Executive Director, Marin Interfaith Council
Jay Roller, Board President, Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Alameda
Rabbi Amanda Russell, Congregation Beth Sholom
Abiding Abbess Fu Schroeder, Green Gulch Farm
Rev. Lien Shutt, Head Priest of Sudden Leap/Access to Zen
Rabbi Beth Singer, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Emanu-El
Rabbi Jonathan Singer, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Emanu-El
Harriet Skelly, President, Congregation Shir Ami
The Rev. Debra Low Skinner, Vicar, Christ Episcopal Church Sei Ko Kai
Camilla Smith, Vice President of Development, Interfaith Center at the Presidio
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Universalist Society of SF
Rev. Sadie Stone, Bethany United Methodist Church
Rabbi Andrew Straus, Deputy Northwest Regional Director, J Street
Rev. Dr. Leslie Carole Taylor, Senior Minister, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Concord
Dr. Mary J. Wardell-Ghirarduzzi, Vice Provost & Chief Diversity Officer, University of San Francisco
Angie Watson-Hajjem, Chair, Alameda All Faiths Coalition
Rev. Steven Weintraub, Zen Buddhist, San Francisco Zen Center, Green Gulch Farm Zen Center
Marvin K. White, Minister of Celebration, GLIDE Memorial Church and GLIDE Foundation
Rev. Gengyoko Tim Wicks, San Franciso Zen Center
Pastor Connie Winter-Eulberg, St. Andrews Lutheran Church, San Mateo
Rev. Marvin Lance Wiser, Associate Minister, Eden United Church of Christ, Hayward
Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director, Chinatown Community Development Center
The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean, Grace Cathedral
Rev. Tenzen David Zimmerman, Abiding Abbot, San Francisco Zen Center
