United Church of Christ General Synod Passes Resolution Condemning Violence Against Minorities in India

Kansas City, Missouri (July 15, 2025) – In a powerful expression of solidarity, the Thirty-Fifth General Synod of the United Church of Christ (UCC) has passed a landmark resolution condemning the escalating violence and persecution faced by religious minorities in India.  The resolution, titled “A Response to Violence Against Religious Minorities in India,” underscores the church’s ongoing commitment to justice, human rights, and religious freedom around the world.  The General Synod is held every two years and brings together thousands of UCC members from across the country.

The resolution highlights growing concerns over the deteriorating conditions for India’s Christians, Muslims, and indigenous groups, particularly since the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in 2014. The UCC cited the role of Prime Minister Narednra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ideology, anti-conversion laws, inflammatory rhetoric by political leaders, and widespread impunity as key drivers of this violence. Specific reference was made to the devastating ethnic and religious violence in Manipur, where over 70,000 people have been displaced and dozens of churches destroyed.

“Religious minorities such as Christians and Muslims live under constant fear and threat in India, the largest democracy in the world. Supported by the National and State governments, the Hindu Nationalist movement commits egregious religious rights violations in India,” reads the resolution.

The resolution calls on the US State Department to designate India as a “country of particular concern” for systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom. It also urges U.S. officials to condemn these abuses, to engage India diplomatically in defense of human rights, and to support religious organizations and human rights groups facing persecution.

The UCC is also encouraging its members to contact their congressional representatives to raise concerns about India’s discriminatory laws, including the Citizenship Amendment Act and state-level anti-conversion legislation. 

This resolution brings the United Church of Christ into alignment with other major U.S. Christian bodies, including the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) and the United Methodist Church, both of which passed similar resolutions in 2024 condemning violence against Indian religious minorities.

Read the FULL RESOLUTION below