A Letter From Bishop Chris

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

I write to you today asking you to consider the importance of our call as Christians to protect the vulnerable as part of our Kingdom life. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s particular concern for those who are powerless, oppressed, or unable to defend themselves. As followers of Jesus, this concern must become our concern as well.

The Kingdom of God is not only a future hope; it shapes how we live now. When we pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), we are asking God to make His justice, mercy, and love visible through us. In our own communities and beyond, there are many places where this calling meets real human need. I want to draw our attention particularly to two of them: human trafficking and persecution, and the protection of unborn life. Though these issues take different forms, they call Christians to recognize and defend the God-given dignity of every human life.

Human Trafficking and Persecution

Scripture teaches that every person is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27). Human trafficking and modern-day slavery directly attack that dignity by treating people as commodities to be controlled, exploited, bought, or sold. Modern slavery can include sexual exploitation, forced labor, domestic servitude, forced marriage, and other forms of coercion and abuse.

We must also be mindful of our brothers and sisters around the world who suffer because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Some face discrimination, displacement, violence, imprisonment, or the loss of family and livelihood. While Christian persecution and human trafficking are distinct realities, both remind us of Christ’s call to stand with those who suffer and to remember that, as members of one Body, “if one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

Jesus proclaimed freedom for the oppressed (Luke 4:18), and Kingdom living calls us not to look away from suffering. We can pray for the persecuted Church, advocate for those whose religious freedom is threatened, support ministries serving victims of trafficking and modern slavery, and help survivors find freedom, healing, and restoration. In all these ways, we bear witness to a Kingdom in which every person is seen, valued, and loved by God.

Protecting Unborn Life

Our concern for human dignity also extends to unborn life. Psalm 139 speaks of God forming us in the womb, reminding us that every person is known and valued by God.

A Christian response to abortion seeks to protect unborn children while also showing compassion and practical support to women and families facing difficult or unexpected pregnancies. Churches can provide encouragement, material assistance, adoption and foster-care support, and a loving community that walks alongside families before and after a child is born.

Neither trafficking nor abortion should be reduced simply to politics. Kingdom life asks more of us than holding the right position. It asks us to love our neighbors sacrificially. We are called to stand beside the exploited and enslaved, the unborn, mothers and families in need, and those carrying wounds from their past.

As Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression.” May our churches be communities where Christ’s Kingdom becomes visible; where vulnerable lives are protected, captives find freedom, wounded people experience restoration, and every person is treated with the dignity of one made in the image of God.

Two Opportunities to Learn and Respond

Prayer and Conversation on Virginia’s Proposed Reproductive Freedom Amendment - September 2

TFCA’s Anglicans for Life chapter, with the Rev. Dr. Allen Roberts, will host an evening of prayer, learning, and conversation about Virginia’s proposed “Fundamental Right to Reproductive Freedom” Amendment, which is scheduled to go before Virginia voters on November 3. Together, participants will consider questions concerning human life, care for women and families, and public policy and reflect on how Christians can respond faithfully. Learn more at tfcafl.org.

Breaking the Chains - September 18–19

Breaking the Chains: Responding to Christian Persecution and Human Trafficking will be held at All Saints Church in Woodbridge, Virginia, September 18-19, 2026. Hosted by the Anglican Persecuted Church Network (APCN) and Anglican Freedom Network (AFN) of New Wineskins Missions Network, the conference will bring together Christians who have endured persecution and those serving victims of human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Through firsthand testimonies and practical teaching, participants will learn ways individuals and churches can respond through prayer, advocacy, and hands-on support. Learn more.

A Personal Word

Brothers and sisters, these are difficult matters, and it can be tempting to feel that the problems are simply too large for any one of us to make a difference. But the Lord has not called us to carry the whole burden ourselves. He has called us to be faithful. He invites us to pray, to listen, to learn, to speak with grace and courage, and to act when He places an opportunity before us.

I hope you will consider joining one or both of these gatherings. More importantly, I pray that together we will continue becoming a diocese that makes the love and reign of Jesus visible to those who are most vulnerable. May our churches be places where life is cherished, those who suffer are seen and heard, and the hope and freedom of Jesus Christ are offered generously.

Thank you for the many ways you already serve Jesus and your neighbors. It is a privilege to walk with you as, together, we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness.

Blessings,