The first ask
Break the silence.
What it means for a congregation to name the genocide in Gaza — and how to do it.
What we’re asking
A congregation breaks the silence when it says, publicly and together, what is happening: the killing in Gaza is a genocide. Not a pastor’s private conviction. Not a hallway conversation after the service. A public act of the whole church — written down, voted on, published, and preached — so the record shows where this congregation stood.
The ask, in one sentence: adopt and publish a public statement, as a congregation, naming the genocide in Gaza.
“Let it be clear: Silence is complicity, and empty calls for peace without a ceasefire and end to occupation, and the shallow words of empathy without direct action — are all under the banner of complicity.”
You will not be the first
Naming the genocide is what much of the global church has already done, by overwhelming votes: the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — 454 to 15, July 2026. The United Church of Christ — 594 to 32. The ELCA — 742 to 38. The World Council of Churches, eight global Quaker organizations, the Disciples of Christ, the United Reformed Church. Pope Francis asked the world to investigate. The full record — with dates, votes, and sources — is in the guide.
And the evidence underneath them: the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures, the UN Commission of Inquiry, Amnesty International, Israel’s own human-rights organizations, and the world’s leading genocide scholars.
What breaking the silence looks like
Say it together.
Your governing body votes to adopt a written statement naming the genocide. The guide includes a statement you can adapt.
Publish it.
On your website, in your bulletin, and on the public record here at churchdivest.org.
Say it from the pulpit.
A statement buried in a PDF is not broken silence. Preach it. Pray for Gaza by name.
Send it upward.
A letter to your denomination and your members of Congress. Denominations move when congregations push.
Let it cost something.
Pair the words with a material act — a study series, support for relief, and the second ask: divest →
The hesitations, honestly
“This is too political for church.”
Silence is not neutral — it is a position, and everyone in your pews knows it. Genocide is not a partisan issue; it is the thing the church exists to say no to.
“We’ll risk our 501(c)(3).”
No. The Johnson Amendment restricts candidate campaigning, not moral witness on public issues. Whole denominations have gone on record with zero tax consequence.
“We’ll be accused of antisemitism.”
Say what the World Council of Churches said: there is a clear distinction between the Jewish people, our siblings in faith, and the acts of a government. Put the rejection of antisemitism in your statement itself — and mean it.
“Shouldn’t we wait for the courts?”
The Genocide Convention’s duty to prevent begins at serious risk, not after a verdict. Barmen, Birmingham, Kairos — the church’s own history is a history of speaking before it was safe.
Go on record
Every congregation ready to lead will find us alongside them the whole way.
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You don’t have to do this alone. — hello@churchdivest.org