June 24, 2026

Dear Siblings in Christ,

As parishes, communities, and towns across Connecticut prepare to observe the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we offer you these thoughts and reflections on this moment. 

There is much to celebrate on this occasion. The crafters of the Declaration of Independence had a dream of something new and something bold. For them, the moment was filled with expectation and possibility. 

The Declaration of Independence document, which formed the cornerstone for the building of the United States, declared, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [men] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” We celebrate that this declaration laid the foundation for the development of what has been called by some the American Dream and by others the great experiment of America. At the same time, we acknowledge that on July 4, 1776, many of the signers were enslavers, and that their vision of “all men” only saw the personhood of white men.

In the 250 years since, the limited vision of “all men” has greatly expanded. Religious communities have been a key part in broadening, and living into, this expanded vision. And yet, we are still aspiring to live fully as a beacon of hope, freedom, and justice. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said in his speech at the March on Washington in 1963, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given us a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’ But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.” The Rev. Dr. King’s words did change things, did expand the vision—as did the marches, protests, advocacy, and work with legislators over decades. Things have changed, but still in 2026, we have further to go.

On the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the tension between the dream of freedom that launched this nation and the nightmare of injustice that far too many continue to live in daily feels especially acute. And in that tension, we remember that before we are Americans, we are followers of Jesus Christ. In 1776, our Church struggled with how to be faithful to the Gospel amid great political and social change. From July 23-25, 1776, a group of our Connecticut clergy gathered in New Haven, CT, to discuss their pastoral response to the Declaration of Independence. In the mid-1770s, Connecticut had at least 10,000 Episcopalians and 40 parishes. There was fear in that gathering; their Christian tradition was closely tied with the Church of England and Connecticut’s Loyalists. And the clergy wrestled with what they should do—should they close their church doors and stop their ministries, or should they keep their church doors open and continue to minister to the widows, the sick, and the poor in their communities? They decided to keep their church doors open. They decided they must still minister to the widows, the sick, and the poor in their communities. They decided that Scripture and the Book of Prayer should continue to be part of their witness, especially in a time of fear.

In 1776, Episcopalians in Connecticut wrestled with how to be faithful to the Gospel in the wake of civil disruption—and that is also our challenge and charge today. We are a people of Hope. Any observance of the 250th Anniversary of our country is a celebration of hope. It is the hope envisioned, not fully realized that we remember, celebrate, and dedicate ourselves to working toward

We commit ourselves to more fully living into the aspirational words that are in the founding American documents, with an expansive definition of who qualifies as deserving of full and equal rights. Even as we rightly celebrate this country, alongside the ways we mourn its shortcomings and harm, we situate ourselves first and foremost as Christians. 

As we mark this moment, may God give us courage enough to look clearly at the history of the United States, its shining moments and the ways we have not lived into the ideals we set before us. May we take this moment as an opportunity to be emboldened by our faith to work for a country where all are truly included in the promise of America. We invite you to look at our 250th anniversary resources on our ECCT website . We also invite you to join our churchwide "Vote Faithfully" networking calls. All these are tools that can help you discern what it means to live out the promise of the Gospel as an Episcopalian in the United States today.

To close, let us pray together: 

“Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

A Collect for the Nation, BCP p. 258.

Yours in Christ,