The Right Rev Mariann Edgar Budde made world headlines after she used her sermon, at the National Cathedral in Washington prayer service for the inauguration of President Trump, to implore him ‘to have mercy upon’ immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals. Tonight she comes to St Martin’s to speak about what it means to strive for Christian justice and to speak truth to power.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is the first woman to serve as the Bishop of Washington, leading the Episcopal Diocese of Washington since 2011. Before this role, she served for 18 years as Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. Mariann Budde has shown great courage in speaking truth to power believing Jesus calls all who follow him to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Bishop Budde is an advocate and organiser in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation.

She gained significant public attention for her address during a post-inauguration prayer service for President Donald Trump. During her sermon, she directly appealed to President Trump to ‘have mercy’ on vulnerable populations, specifically mentioning immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. This plea garnered both praise for its courage and criticism from Trump and his supporters. Bishop Budde stood by her message, stating she would not apologise for advocating for compassion.

This lecture is also being live-streamed. For livestream tickets, visit here.

The suggested price for tickets is £10 to cover our costs, but free tickets are also available so as not to exclude anyone who would like to come. All are welcome.