More than 20 religious leaders from houses of worship in northern Mercer and southern Middlesex counties have released a joint statement decrying racism.
The West Windsor Hightstown Area Ministerium is an interfaith group with membership that includes pastors, rabbis, imams, and priests from 30 area churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and parishes located in Cranbury, East Windsor, Hightstown, Plainsboro and West Windsor. WHAM has released the following statement:
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The recent killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, Tony McDade, David McAtee, and many others once again bring into focus the deadly racism that festers in the heart of American history, economy, and communities.
We, as the religious leaders of Windsor Hightstown Area Ministerium (WHAM) in Central New Jersey, stand in solidarity to affirm that black lives matter and that the concepts of white supremacy and white normativity are evil and must be resisted in our communities.
All life is sacred, and as such we must acknowledge, condemn and eradicate the violence — both historical and everyday — perpetrated towards our siblings of color. Together, we seek healing for the harm that has been done.
Guided by our various faith traditions and convictions, we as religious leaders affirm that we can and must band together amidst our diversity and reaffirm our commitment to each others’ equal rights with dignity.
We call upon all community members to commit ourselves to seeking justice, working toward dismantling racist systems, and building a future America and world where peace is an active and present reality. The road ahead is difficult and confronting, but we have faith that together we can and will achieve a community where all are welcome and live in peace.
The leaders who make up WHAM have each collected resources relevant to specific faith traditions that can help shape our response to these events. Please contact us if you would like assistance.
Brother John Baptist OSF
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Cranbury
Cantor Stuart Binder
Congregation Beth Chaim, West Windsor
Rabbi Adena Blum
Congregation Beth Chaim, West Windsor
Rev. Stephen Bryant
Pastor, St. James AME Church, Hightstown
The Rev. John D. Callanan, M. Div., BCC.
Chaplain, Meadow Lakes, East Windsor
The Rev. Kahlil Carmichael
Pastor, Live Well Church, Windsor
Rev. Rory Chambers
The First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, West Windsor
Govindanandini Dasi
ISKCON Radha Krishna Temple, Plainfield
Rev. Lisa M. Day
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Hightstown
The Rev. Peter Froehlke
Pastor, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, West Windsor
Rev. Robin Bacon Hoffman
Rosmoor Community Church, Monroe Township
Dr. Manzoor Hussain
Muslim Center of Greater Princeton, West Windsor
Rabbi Jay M. Kornsgold
Beth El Synagogue, East Windsor
Rev. Hannah Lovaglio
The First Presbyterian Church, Cranbury, NJ
Rev. Dr. Patricia Medley
St. Paul Lutheran Church, East Windsor
Imam Adeyinka Mendes
Muslim Center of Greater Princeton, West Windsor
Rev. Karin Mitchell (Retired)
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Cranbury
Rabbi Matthew S. Nover
Beth El Synagogue, East Windsor
Rabbi Robert Ourach (Retired)
Meadow Lakes, East Windsor
David Redman
The First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, West Windsor
The Rev. Matthew Rhodes
Penn Medicine Princeton Health, Plainsboro
Pastor Dale C. Selover
The House Next Door, West Windsor
Chaplain Tedford Taylor
RWJ University Hospital Hamilton, Hamilton
The Rev. Jan Willem Van der Werff
The First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, West Windsor
Rev. Bruce Wood
First Baptist Church, Hightstown
