Stories of Impact
Working together, Faithful America members have:
Rallied support for Christian leadership taking on the Trump regime on immigration, racial equity, LGBTQ rights, and more:
From the earliest moments of Donald Trump's second term, Christian clergy and institutions have publicly held the line for love and inclusion -- and Faithful America members spread and amplified that message. More than 50,000 grassroots Christians signed our thank-you letter to Bishop Budde after her prophetic sermon encouraging Trump to choose mercy over hatred, and tens of thousands showed support for Georgetown Law's faith-based defense of DEI and for clergy putting their bodies on the line to resist ICE.
Spoke out nationally and visibly against Donald Trump's Christofascist re-election campaign:
During the 2024 presidential campaign, we sent a 15-foot balloon of a golden calf -- the Bible's image of false worship -- to protest Christian-nationalist conferences, Trump rallies, and other events in key swing states. Faithful America sponsored "Christians Against Trump" events where faith leaders and grassroots Christians spoke out against Trump's Christian nationalist threat to our democracy in cities from Raleigh to Philadelphia. Together, we held prayer vigils, trainings, and press conferences where we demonstrated that many voters opposed Trump because of our faith, not in spite of it.
Made a difference against Michael Flynn's blasphemous, dangerous, Christian-nationalist ReAwaken America Tour:
From Nashville to Las Vegas, Faithful America organized our members and local clergy to protest nearly every single stop of Gen. Michael Flynn and Roger Stone's pro-violence, anti-democracy ReAwaken America Tour and its affiliate group "Pastors for Trump" since February 2022. Our organizing against the toxic blending of worship and election denial was so effective that in October 2023, the L.A. Times said we were a major reason why the tour was having trouble booking new venues -- causing Trump advisor and ReAwaken speaker Roger Stone to lash out and call our executive director at the time a "blasphemous a*****e" on Twitter/X. (He didn't use asterisks.)
Received recognition for our resources against white Christian nationalism from the Southern Poverty Law Center:
In 2022, the Southern Poverty Law Center called our guide "Resisting Christian Nationalism: FAQ + Resources" one of the three top resources for countering white Christian nationalism in their annual report, "The Year in Hate & Extremism 2022."
Removed an anti-vaccine priest and partisan bully from parish ministry:
Fr. James Altman became infamous in late 2020 for his vitriolic sermon, "You cannot be Catholic & a Democrat. Period." In spring 2021, Altman again made headlines for sharing deadly misinformation about the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. More than 18,000 Faithful America members signed our petition demanding his termination and called his bishop's office, generating headlines across the country. The bishop soon removed Altman from active ministry, noting that he was "divisive" and "ineffective."
Helped free an innocent asylum seeker:
In September 2020, ICE agents arrested Binsar Siahaan outside his family home on church grounds in Maryland, even though he'd done nothing wrong aside from missing a deadline his former, now-disbarred lawyer never told him about. Faithful America members partnered with Binsar's pastor and other faith organizations, marched on ICE HQ, and flooded ICE leaders' inboxes. ICE relented to our coalition's pressure, and Binsar was reunited with his family.
Removed far-right televangelist Jim Bakker's show from multiple networks:
In February 2020, the Jim Bakker Show dangerously implied that a discredited "silver solution" it sold could cure COVID-19. Nearly 18,000 Faithful America members contacted DirecTV-owner AT&T about the threat Bakker posed to public health. Feeling the pressure, AT&T asked its networks to closely review the program -- and at least two channels promptly dropped the broadcast.
Demonstrated visible, nation-wide Christian solidarity with immigrants:
After Donald Trump's devastating election in 2016, Faithful America printed large banners declaring "Immigrants & Refugees Welcome" and depicting the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt. Churches across the country hung these banners, earning major media coverage and spreading Christian love, witness, and resistance in cities like San Diego, Tempe, Honolulu, Louisville, Queens, Syracuse, Birmingham, Atlanta, Boston, and beyond. Many of these banners still hang today. If you'd like one, we don't have anymore available but you are free to download the image files and order one from your local printshop.
Defended a church homeless ministry from city pressure:
The town of Rockford, Illinois, tried to force a local church to stop serving as an emergency homeless shelter on freezing nights. But when the church's pastor showed up at City Hall with a petition signed by 25,000 Faithful America members (and a gaggle of local television news cameras!), the mayor quickly changed his tune and invited the pastor to join a special task force on changing city code to accommodate the church's ministry.
Convinced Google to drop World Vision for anti-LGBTQ discrimination:
When World Vision -- one of the world’s largest Christian relief and development organizations -- announced plans to stop discriminating against gay and lesbians, they were met with a furious outcry from the religious right. World Vision quickly reversed themselves, so more than 17,000 Faithful America members called on Google to find new Christian partners that don't discriminate. Within days, Google's director of corporate giving resigned from World Vision’s board of directors.
Helped Catholic students win justice for fired gay principal:
When hundreds of students walked out of class to protest the firing of a gay vice-principal at a Seattle-area Catholic high school in 2013, we amplified their message with 20,000 signatures, personally delivered to the archbishop by students and alumni. A week later, the school's president resigned -- even while a lesbian teacher came out and kept her job. From Indiana to Georgia, Faithful America members continue to speak out whenever religious institutions fire LGBTQ employees for how they were born or who they love, sending a potent message to parochial schools nationwide.
Supported Catholic sisters during a critical pipeline fight:
When the Sisters of Loretto, a Roman Catholic order in Kentucky, refused to allow the fracking industry to build a dangerous pipeline on their land in 2013, 30,000 Faithful America members joined in signing a petition in solidarity. Local religious leaders delivered the petition to the governor's office, making state and national headlines -- and plans for the pipeline were eventually halted.
Pressured MSNBC into dropping the hateful Family Research Council:
FRC, a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-LGBTQ hate group, has long exerted a poisonous influence in the media. Seeking to delegitimize the hate group as a legitimate representative of Christianity, we mobilized more than 20,000 members in 2012 for a sustained, months-long campaign -- including petitions, phone calls, and in-person events -- that ultimately pressured MSNBC to stop inviting FRC president Tony Perkins on air.