The World Communion of Reformed Churches has issued a pastoral letter to its member churches in the Americas and the Caribbean, voicing deep concern over rising global militarization, violations of international law and what it describes as the growing normalization of violence.
Grounded in scripture, the message urges churches to reject reliance on military power and weapons, which it says stands in opposition to faith in God. Citing Psalm 20:7, WCRC leaders say “trusting in weapons and violence is a form of idolatry,” and call on the global church to place its trust in God’s steadfast love rather than in doctrines of domination and force.
The letter raises alarm over the recent invasion of Venezuela by the United States, calling it a violation of international law with destabilizing consequences for the wider region. It warns that similar threats could extend to Colombia, Mexico and Greenland, pointing to what the WCRC describes as a resurgence of neo-colonialism, fascism and a reconfiguration of the Monroe Doctrine.
“Our hearts are heavy as we witness fear, trauma and instability spreading so early in the year,” said the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. “These actions contradict international law and undermine the dignity and sovereignty of peoples created in the image of God.”
The message also addresses the internal impact of militarization within the United States, citing intensified Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, the killing of Rene Nicole Good in Minneapolis, shootings in Portland and other acts of violence linked to the militarization of U.S. cities. The WCRC commended churches and clergy who have responded through protest, accompaniment and solidarity with communities it says are being disenfranchised.
“The suffering we see is not only across borders but within them,” said Philip Vinod Peacock, general secretary of the WCRC. “When communities live in fear — whether from bombs abroad or raids at home — the church is called to stand alongside the vulnerable and to speak truth to power.”
Placing these concerns in a broader global context, the WCRC pointed to bombings in Yemen, conflicts between India and Pakistan, violence in Nigeria, naval tensions in the Caribbean and ongoing crises in West Asia, including Lebanon and Syria. Together, the letter said, these realities underscore the need for a faithful Christian response rooted in justice, nonviolence and communion.
The message calls on the global Reformed family to remember its shared identity as one body in Christ, united beyond nationality and ethnicity by commitment to what it describes as God’s kin-dom.
“Although we are divided by borders, our allegiance is not to any nation,” Thompson said. “We belong to God and to one another, and we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves.”
The WCRC invited its member churches to pray for one another, support those affected by violence and oppression, and bear collective witness to hope, peace and God’s justice. The message concludes with a prayer seeking forgiveness for humanity’s trust in weapons and power, protection for the vulnerable, strength for those working for justice and unity for the church as a witness to peace through Jesus Christ.
