Justice & Equity

Here at LCM Canterbury, with God's help, we commit ourselves to actively work for reconciliation, racial equity and justice for all people, and to respect the dignity of every person. Interested in getting more involved in working for justice and equity in the months and years ahead? Our churches have been engaged in speaking to those in power from the place of faith for decades. This page contains local and national resources to get involved.

Many of us are feeling anxious in light of ongoing political events. If you need to talk to someone, visit our Pastoral Care page. If you want to read a statement from our social media manager Sarah Lee, visit our Facebook here. Remember you are always welcomed and supported here.

Celebrating Trans Day of Visibility

Trans Day of Visibility was first celebrated March 31st, 2009. Today, we recognize the joy and resilience of trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse people. Trans and nonbinary people have existed for thousands of years in cultures throughout the world.

Born in 1752, The Public Universal Friend was an American preacher who rejected their birth name and all gendered pronouns. They are considered the first openly nonbinary Christian preacher. Visit this link to learn more about them. (Please note that this historical project is called "Women and the American Story." The Friend lived the first 24 years of their life presenting as a woman, which is why they have been included in the project.)

Marsha P. Johnson, born 1945, was a trans woman and American activist who was one of the most influential people of the gay rights movement. She spent her life advocating for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, people suffering from HIV/AIDS, and gay and transgender rights. Her death in 1992 was originally ruled a suicide by NYPD, but many in the queer community suspected it was murder. Trans women, especially trans women of culture, experience disproportionate rates of violence in the United States and elsewhere. Visit this link to learn more about Marsha P. Johnson.

Christine Jorgenson, often regarded as the first openly trans woman in America, was born in 1926. After her service in the U.S. Army during WWII, she began exploring her gender identity. She traveled to Denmark in 1950 to undergo gender-affirming hormone therapy and surgery. She was outed by the press on December 1, 1952. She spent her life advocating for the rights and acceptance of transgender people. Visit this link to learn more about her.

Michael Dillon, born 1915, was the first person to transition from female-to-male through gender-affirming hormones and surgery. He was outed by the Sunday Express in 1958. Visit this link to learn more about him.

Today in the United States, growing attacks from conservative organizations and politicians are threatening the rights of 3.3 million trans adults in the country. Gender affirming care, medical and non-medical, is under attack. The right of trans people to exist in public is under attack.

It is important that we recognize the dignity of trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse people and fight to protect their rights to medical care, employment, housing, and public life. All people, including trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse people, are created and wonderfully loved by God just as they are.

"There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

– Caleb Jensen (he/him), LCMCanterbury Web Manager

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Arizona

Get involved in various issues like food insecurity and housing in Arizona. Visit their website here.

Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, Working for Justice

Learn how to get involved in the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona's social justice ministries. Visit their website here.

ELCA Advocacy

Learn how to get involved with the ELCA's social justice ministries across the nation. Visit their website here.

The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations

Find resources from the Episcopal Church to contact elected officials, get involved in voter engagement, and more. Visit their website here.

Photo from Library of Congress,

Prints & Photographs Division

Celebrating Martin Luther King Day

Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of an incredibly influential figure at the center of the Civil Rights Movement of the mid 20th century. We find this day overshadowed by the inauguration of a President that has already promised to be a threat to the lives of people of color, women, and the queer community.

While today may be difficult for many, it is important to continue to carry on Dr. King's legacy of advocating for justice in our communities. If you are looking for ways to get involved, please visit the resources below.

This semester, our Wednesday Bible Study focuses on social justice from a faith-based perspective. In February, Pastor Mike and other community members will be traveling to Phoenix for Lutheran Advocacy Day. Join us!

At LCM Canterbury, we work tirelessly to remind everyone in our community that they are wonderfully loved. We stand in solidarity with those in our community who are grieving today, and we weep with you.

Dr. King once said, "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” It is easy to feel like all is lost, but we cannot survive without hope. Let us move forward in our faith, keep hope in our hearts and continue working towards a better, brighter future.

Visit the Smithsonian here to learn more about the history behind MLK Day.

Visit NAU's website here for the Office of Inclusion and resources surrounding racial equity and justice.

– LCMCanterbury Web Team, Sarah Lee & Caleb Jensen

Thanksgiving & Indigenous Communities

Thanksgiving is a difficult time for many people for a variety of reasons. Indigenous communities especially have been negatively impacted due to the holiday's roots in imperialism and violence. The myth of the "First Thanksgiving" in 1621 is a romanticization of what, at the time, was a political gathering of alliances and temporary peace. We now acknowledge the harmful rhetoric behind this myth that has excused and ignored the violence and genocide enacted upon Indigenous peoples in North America and elsewhere.

Indigenous communities still face racism, erasure, and violence in many ways. They are more likely to experience food and water insecurity, high levels of pollution, and Indigenous women are more than ten times as likely to be murdered or sexually assaulted when compared to non-Indigenous women. In Arizona, the Diné people and others have been subjected to massive amounts of radioactive waste from uranium mines, creating a much higher risk for cancers and other severe illnesses.

It is vitally important to acknowledge and combat the violence that Indigenous people continue to face through education and action.

Visit NAU's website here for information specific to NAU and Indigenous inclusion and advocacy.

Visit UA's website here for links to Indigenous and other advocacy groups.