Faith Leaders Call for Nuclear Abolition at United Methodist Building Vigil
Returning for a second year, Nuclear Prayer Day focused on prioritizing people and communities over war and weapons.
On Aug. 6, peace advocates, faith leaders, and community members gathered at the United Methodist Building in Washington, D.C., for Nuclear Prayer Day, a vigil commemorating the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was the second Nuclear Prayer Day vigil, following last year’s 80th anniversary observance.
This event featured prayers for justice and a nuclear-free world, reflections from faith leaders and nuclear disarmament advocates, music, and calls to action to support legislative measures, educational efforts, and movement building to halt and reverse the nuclear arms race. Twenty-one national organizations and faith communities cosponsored the vigil.
Church and Society’s Peace with Justice Director Colleen Moore said the anniversary comes amid the United States fighting unpopular and illegal wars, detaining and killing immigrants, and cutting services people depend on.
“We gather today in prayer and call on lawmakers to choose the grace of helping life to flourish instead of the greed of funding more war and weapons.”
Speakers reflected on the continued threat of nuclear weapons and the human cost and lasting impact of nuclear war.
In his remarks, Church and Society General Secretary Bishop Trimble shared the story of Megan Shitama Weston’s grandmother, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing. Weston is a Church and Society board member.
“She’s 103 years old. And still, until recently, she continued to tell the story to her children and grandchildren, with vivid memories of returning to Hiroshima to see the total devastation of all of the buildings and seeing bodies floating in the river. Two of her siblings survived, and one younger sister was never found. This traumatic experience turned a young woman into a lifelong advocate for peace and justice.”
Pax Christi USA Executive Director Charlene Howard said remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki is not only about the past, but also the present and the future. “Thousands of nuclear warheads still exist worldwide, and geopolitical tensions continue to place humanity at risk.”
The Rev. Camille Henderson Edwards, senior executive director of advocacy at Church and Society, said women and girls often bear disproportionate burdens during conflict and displacement.
“They become caregivers in the wake of catastrophe while also experiencing unique health impacts of radiation exposure,” she said. “The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church remind us that peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice.”
Video statements from several members of Congress were featured in the program, including Rep. Jim McGovern, a lead sponsor of House Resolution 317, the Back from the Brink resolution calling for global nuclear disarmament.
“We hear and echo the stories of the few survivors of those atomic bombings who remain with us. We convey to future generations a promise to ensure that such horrors never, ever, happen again. Nuclear war is a threat that challenges our conscience.”
Bishop Trimble closed the vigil with a call to action. “May this be more than just our prayer. May this be our pledge, our lifelong pledge, so that in fact, we not only pray for peace, but we encourage each other to continue to work for peace. That we might fight today so that the children of this world may live and grow and laugh and play.”
Watch the full vigil recording below.
About Nuclear Prayer Day
Nuclear Prayer Day is organized by Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, part of the United Religions Initiative. The DC Nuclear Prayer Day Vigil was co-sponsored by faith-based, peacebuilding, and advocacy organizations from across the United States.
