A Pastoral Letter to the Dakotas–Minnesota Episcopal Area  

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; ...those whose spirits are overwhelmed.” - Psalm 34.18 NLT, adapt.  

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good;  
and what does the Lord require of you  
but to do justice, and to love kindness,  
and to walk humbly with your God?” - Micah 6.8 NRSV  

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.  

I write as one who, in my episcopal role, is called to guard the faith, shepherd the people, and work for unity. It is from this responsibility that I offer these words. 

Today in Minneapolis, during a federal immigration enforcement operation, Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot. Investigations are underway. Accounts differ. Many details remain unclear. At the time of this writing, what we know, and must not move past too quickly, is this: a human life has been lost.  

The work of the church begins here. Before we receive deep analysis or a full explanation of the events that led to the shooting, we enter into lament. We grieve a life ended too soon. We hold in prayer the family and loved ones who now carry an unimaginable loss. We acknowledge the fear and trauma this event has stirred, especially among immigrant and refugee neighbors for whom encounters with law enforcement already carry profound risk. 

We also speak to the wider moment in which this tragedy occurred. Across our nation, we are witnessing a troubling willingness to normalize violence as a tool of order and to resist accountability as though it were a threat rather than a safeguard. The church must say clearly: power that is unexamined, unchecked, or unaccountable stands in tension with the way of Jesus Christ.  

Scripture reminds us that authority is given for the sake of the common good. When power is exercised, its first obligation is to preserve life and protect the vulnerable. The measure of justice is not how quickly actions are justified, but how faithfully truth is sought and responsibility is held.  

This word is spoken not in condemnation, but in love. Love for communities living in fear. Love for institutions that must be called back to their highest purposes. Love for a nation whose soul is shaped, for better or worse, by the choices it makes in moments like these.  

As your bishop, I call our congregations to be places of refuge and prayer in the days ahead. Be attentive to grief. Listen deeply to those who are afraid. Stay rooted in Christ, who chose the way of self-giving love over the way of force.  

In moments of grief and uncertainty, most of us naturally lean toward news voices we already trust. In our vulnerability, we rush to make complex situations simple and clear-cut. While that is human, it can also narrow our understanding. I encourage us to broaden our listening, seek out careful reporting from news sources representing multiple perspectives, and remain open to voices that may challenge our assumptions. Expanding how we listen is one way we practice humility and love in the pursuit of truth.  

In this fragile space between tragedy and truth, may we be a people who lament honestly, seek justice humbly, and refuse the lie that violence has the final word. We hold fast to the resurrection promise that love endures and that life, not death, will have the final say.   

May the God who binds up the brokenhearted draw near to all who mourn, and may the Spirit lead us in the way of justice, mercy, and peace.  

Grace and peace,  

Bishop Lanette Plambeck
Resident Bishop
Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area
The United Methodist Church  

Prayer   

God of mercy and nearness,  
we come to you with heavy hearts.  
We grieve a life lost and hold close all who mourn.  
Be near to those whose hearts are broken,  
to those who are afraid,  
and to all who are waiting for truth to come into the light.  

In this tender space between tragedy and understanding,  
teach us to lament honestly,  
to seek justice with humility,  
and to walk gently with one another.  
Guard us from haste, from hardened hearts,  
and from the temptation to let fear or violence shape our way.  

We place our hope in you, O God of resurrection.  
When death and grief seem to have the final word,  
remind us that life and love endure.  
Make us instruments of your peace,  
and keep us faithful in the days ahead.  

We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus,  
who brings life out of death  
and hope out of sorrow.  

Amen.