A Shared Call from Arizona Faith Leaders for a Faithful and Peaceful 2026 Election
As bishops, judicatory leaders, clergy, and faith leaders serving communities across Arizona, we come from different traditions, hold different beliefs, and serve people with a wide range of political perspectives. Yet we share a fundamental conviction: every human being possesses inherent worth and dignity and bears responsibility for the well-being of our neighbors and communities.
As Arizona prepares for the 2026 election, we call upon people of faith to approach this season with courage, compassion, and a commitment to the common good.
We call on people of faith to participate.
Voting is one important way we show up for our neighbors and help shape the communities we share. We encourage every eligible voter to participate thoughtfully, informed by conscience, careful study, and concern for those who are vulnerable, marginalized, or too often unheard.
Faithful people will not all vote the same way. Respecting differences of conscience does not require political uniformity, nor does political disagreement release us from our responsibility to one another.
Civic participation also extends beyond voting. People who are not eligible to vote can learn about public issues, support their neighbors, volunteer, encourage peaceful participation, and help strengthen community life.
We call for safe, accessible and peaceful elections.
Every eligible voter should be able to participate safely, freely, and without intimidation, discrimination, or fear.
Election workers, volunteers, public servants, and voters are our neighbors. They deserve gratitude, respect, and protection as they fulfill their responsibilities within the democratic process.
We call upon candidates, campaigns, public officials, civic organizations, news media, and community leaders to reject threats, harassment, intimidation, dehumanizing rhetoric, and violence, regardless of their source, target or stated purpose.
We call on our communities to seek truth.
False information and unverified rumors can spread fear, discourage participation and undermine trust. We urge Arizonans to rely on responsible election officials and other credible sources, verify information before sharing it, and correct errors openly when they occur.
Election-night reports and projections are not final results. We encourage patience while ballots are counted and the lawful processes of canvassing, auditing, recounting when necessary, and certification are completed. Legitimate questions and legal challenges should be addressed through established procedures—not through threats, coercion or interference.
We call on people of faith to be peacemakers.
Our traditions teach us that peace requires more than the absence of physical violence. Peacemaking is not passivity, avoidance or silence when people are threatened. It means speaking truth without dehumanizing, protecting those who are vulnerable, listening before assuming the worst and choosing responsible action over retaliation.
Across our different traditions, we share a simple moral teaching: to treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated. That commitment does not disappear when we disagree.
We reject every attempt to use religion to justify political violence, confer divine authority upon a candidate or party, or portray political opponents as enemies whose dignity no longer matters.
Especially when tensions are high, faith communities have a responsibility to lower the temperature without lowering our commitment to truth, justice and the protection of our neighbors.
We commit ourselves to faithful public leadership.
As faith leaders, we commit ourselves and encourage our communities to:
Encourage informed, peaceful and nonpartisan participation.
Share accurate information from trustworthy sources.
Resist rumors, misinformation and dehumanizing speech.
Pray for and support voters, election workers, public servants and candidates.
Stand alongside people who experience intimidation, discrimination or threats.
Provide spaces for prayer, listening, dialogue and healing.
Reject political violence before, during and after the election.
Continue working for the common good when the election season has passed.
And when the election is over, we will still be neighbors.
Whatever results emerge from lawful election processes, we will continue to live alongside one another. We will worship, work, learn, serve, raise our families, care for those in need and build Arizona together with people who may have voted differently from us.
Our responsibility to one another does not end when the ballots are counted. We will continue to protect human dignity, stand with people who are vulnerable or marginalized, seek repair where harm has occurred and work toward peace across our differences.
In this election season and beyond, may our communities be places where people can participate without fear, disagree without dehumanizing one another, and work together for the common good.
May our faith be greater than our fear.
May our love of neighbor be stronger than our divisions.
May our commitment to truth and peace be stronger than the forces that seek to divide us.
And may we remember, before Election Day, on Election Day, and long afterward:
We are bound to one another.
The following bishops, judicatory heads, and faith leaders join together in affirming this statement.
Rabbi Andy Green
President, Greater Phoenix Board of Rabbis
Rev. Dr. Brad Munroe
Pastor to the Presbytery, Grand Canyon and de Cristo presbyteries
The Rev. Dr. Carlo A. Rapanut
Bishop, Phoenix and New Mexico Episcopal Areas of The United Methodist Church
The Reverend Deborah K. Hutterer
Bishop, Grand Canyon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Rev. Dr. Derrick Elliott
Associate Conference Minister, Southwest Conference United Church of Christ
Rev. Dr. Jay R. Hartley
Regional Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona
The Right Rev. Jennifer A. Reddall
VI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona
Most Reverend Bishop John P. Dolan
Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
Mr. Mahbubur Rahman Maruf
Imam at the United Islamic Centre of Arizona
SIGNATORIES
This statement was coordinated by Arizona Faith Network in collaboration with participating Arizona faith leaders.