To His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony and His Eminence Archbishop Daniel:

We write to you as Colleagues in Faith and in response to your statement “Pray for Ukraine!”  As members of the New Jersey Coalition of Religious Leaders, an interfaith Coalition of Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh Faith Leaders, we unite with you in our prayers for Peace and the well-being of the people of Ukraine.  We pray for the Ukrainian people whose lives and freedoms are threatened.  Our prayers are with all peoples in harm’s way, including civilians, children, and the elderly. Those seeking refuge and asylum, those defending their freedom in this tragic time of war.  We pray for all the leaders and people living in fear and are caught in the crossfire.  We mourn the loss of all life.  We pray for world leaders to pursue all diplomatic efforts to bring a just resolution for the Ukrainian people.  We condemn Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and their violating international law.

Do know in this difficult time for you and your faithful congregants we stand with you and join in prayer beseeching loving kindness and abundant Blessings upon the people of Ukraine during these days of great danger for their safety and wellbeing.  We stand with you in solidarity with the Ukrainian Churches in New Jersey.  We lift up in our prayers Ukrainian brothers and sisters here in New Jersey whom many are deeply concerned about their loved ones who are living in Ukraine.  We will seek to discern ways in this tragic moment that we can witness together as people of faith seeking justice and peace for your beloved homeland.  We will encourage members in our faith communities to lift up the people of Ukraine in prayer.  We offer up these prayers in the many names of our Sacred Creator whose desire for us is to live in peace with one another.

Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Religious Leaders, Senior Rabbi Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, Short Hills

Reverend Jack Johnson, Coordinator of the New Jersey Coalition of Religious Leaders, Member of the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church

Reverend Darrell Armstrong, General Baptist Convention of New Jersey

Rev. Dr. Sandawna Ashley, Transitional Leader of the Presbyterian of the Synod of the Northeast

Very Reverend Peter Baktis, Orthodox Church of America

Bishop Tracie Bartholomew, Bishop of the New Jersey Synod Evangelical Church in America

Imam Qareeb Bashir, Islamic Center of Ewing

Reverend Dr. Tanya Bennett, Chair of the Board of Church and Society of Greater New Jersey United Methodist Church, Drew University Chaplain

Very Reverend Archimandrite Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers, Ecumenical Officer, Greek Metroplis of New Jersey

Sara Blaine, JD, Lead Organizer. Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism of New Jersey

Reverend Charles Boyer, Executive Director, Salvation and Social Justice, Social Justice, Chair of the Social Action Commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

Reverend Dr. Deborah Brincivalli, Presbytery Executive for the Southern New Jersey Presbytery

Mr.Marcus Burnett, President of the New Jersey Council of Churches

Reverend Amos Caley, Prison and Drug Policy Director for Salvation and Social Justice

M.Ali Chaundry, Ph.D., New Jersey Interfaith Coalition, Islamic Society of Basking Ridge

Imam Hamad Chebli, Islamic Society of Central New Jersey

The Most Reverend James F. Checchio, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen

Joan M. Diefenbach, Esq., Director of the New Jersey Council Of Churches

Reverend Eric Dobson, Deputy Director Fair Share Housing Center of New Jersey

Rabbi Menashe East, Mount Freedom Jewish Center, Interfaith Council of Morris County

Reverend Bolivar Flores, Vice-President of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers

Rabbi Daniel Geretz, Maayan of West Orange

Rabbi Arnold Gluck, Temple Beth-El, Hillsborough

Father Timothy Graff, Roman Catholic Arch-Dioecese of Newark

Bishop Carlye J, Hughes, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark

Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale, Reformed Church of America, Synod of New Jersey

Mr. James King, Director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference

Rabbi David Levy, American Jewish Conference, New Jersey Regional Director

Reverend Sara Lilja, Director, Lutherans Engaging In Advocacy Ministry for New Jersey Synod of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in America

Charles Loflin, Executive Director, Unitarian Universalist Faith Action New Jersey

Reverend Dr. A. Roy. Medley, Retired General Secretary of American Baptist Churches U.S.A., Emeritus, Past President of the National Council of Churches

Reverend Miriam Mendez, Executive Minister American Baptist Churches of New Jersey

Reverend Nelson Murphy, Interim Associate Minister of the Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ

Reverend Freeman Palmer, Conference Minister of Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ

The Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton

Reverend Jeanne Radak, Presbytery Leader of the Presbytery of the Highlands of New Jersey

Mr. Raghu Rao, Hindu / Jewish Coalition of New Jersey

Reverend Dr. Joshua Rodriguez, Senior Advisor to the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers

Bishop John Schol, Bishop of the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey Conference

Reverend Raul Ruiz, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers

Reverend Louise Scott-Roundtree, Clergy Affairs Manager, Office of the Mayor of the City of Newark

Amman Seehra, Esq., Sikh American Legal Defense Fund and Education Fund

Imam W. Deen Shareef, Convener of the Council of Imams of New Jersey

Mr. Kavneet Singh, American Sikh Council

Mr. Sutinder Singh, American Sikh council

Bishop William Stokes, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey

The Most Reverend Dennis Sullivan, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden

The Most Reverend Kevin J, Sweeney, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese Of Paterson

His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Newark

Rabbi David Vaisberg, Senior Rabbi, Temple B’nai Abraham , Livingston

Rev. Dr. Robert Wade, Presiding Elder of the Camden-Trenton District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

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