On May 7, 2025, more than 70 faith and community leaders from across the state gathered at the Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh to launch the Blueprint NC Faith Table. At a time when individual liberties and democratic values are under attack, this new formation has come together to mobilize likeminded congregations and individuals to advance progressive values in North Carolina and beyond. The statewide interfaith coalition aims to align faith communities around shared values, reclaim the religious moral voice, and organize impactful actions to counter the corrosive impact of white Christian nationalism on our state.
“This moment requires us to stand up to regressive, authoritarian forces that erode the democratic foundation of our state and country,” says Rev. CJ Brinson, Pastor at Umoja Church in Greensboro, NC. “Today is a powerful demonstration of what is possible when faith communities unite in action.”
In the first months of the Trump Administration, several North Carolina immigrant communities, and many more around the country, have experienced abductions from their homes or places of work, and children have been separated from their parents, as a result of intrusive – at times, violent – raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
“We come together to stand against grave threats to the safety, rights and well-being of all North Carolinians,” says Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director of UU Justice NC. “We must show up for each other, for every person targeted by unjust, immoral policies, and every community impacted by systemic inequities.”
In April, nearly 200 North Carolina clergy signed on in support of a letter written by 18 North Carolina rabbis that called on the Trump Administration to end its policy of unlawful detention and deportation of student activists. The courageous message on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Passover rejected the cynical use of antisemitism and concerns over Jewish safety to further a political agenda seeking to upend democratic norms and curtail personal freedoms.
Speaking up when moral clarity is needed is one way the Faith Table aims to make an impact throughout the state. In addition to flexing its collective moral voice, the Faith Table also aims to organize networks of skills and resources in order to deliver needed care to communities impacted by disruptive federal and state policies.
Organizers hope to create a North Carolina where everyone is free to live in safety, with dignity and autonomy; where strangers are welcomed as neighbors; and where every person has equitable access to resources and opportunities to thrive.
“We know together we can achieve more meaningful change and be a stronger force working toward a vibrant, multi-racial democracy,” says Abby Lublin, a member of the Faith Table Steering Committee and former Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice.
For more details about how you and/or your congregation can become a part of the Faith Table, email Rev. CJ Brinson at cjbrinso@gmail.com.