Utah's Episcopal churches see surge of interest following D.C. bishop's viral sermon
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Bishop Mariann Budde and President Trump at the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 21. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
As Trump supporters lambast an Episcopal bishop's sermon during an inaugural prayer service, Episcopal churches in Utah are being targeted with anger — as well as a surge of interest from prospective members.
State of play: Staff at the Episcopal Diocese of Utah told Axios they received at least a dozen angry calls in the aftermath of Bishop Mariann Budde's sermon last week, which, with President Trump in attendance, implored him to "have mercy" for undocumented immigrants and LGBTQ+ people.
Yes, but: Congregations in Salt Lake, Ogden and Park City also reported a spike in attendance this Sunday.
Zoom in: In a Wednesday story by the international Episcopal News Service, a Park City woman said she decided to visit her local parish after stumbling upon Budde's sermon.
- The Park City priest's first words were to welcome the newcomers, which the news service says ended the woman's "spiritual safari" for a progressive, inclusive church.
What they're saying: Don't expect your local Episcopal priest to shy away from politics, said the Right Rev. Phyllis A. Spiegel, bishop over the Diocese of Utah.
- "I always make the distinction between partisan and political, because Jesus is one of the most political figures in history," Spiegel told Axios. "We cannot expect the gospel not to be political. Jesus came to speak truth to power. How is that not political?"
Catch up quick: Following Budde's now-viral sermon at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 21, Trump demanded an apology, saying, "She is not very good at her job!"
- Other Republicans joined the attack, with one Congressman calling for her deportation (she was born in New Jersey) and 21 others cosponsoring a resolution condemning the sermon.
- Some faith leaders and conservative activists called on elected officials to revoke the National Cathedral's tax-exempt status, nullify the 1893 charter that allowed an Episcopal foundation to create it, and turn the building over to a more conservative denomination.
The intrigue: Republicans have made "religious freedom" a rallying cry to seek exemptions from non-discrimination laws.
- It's unclear how government action to punish a sermon fits into the party's religious freedom goals.
Zoom out: The Episcopal News Service reports that congregations across the nation saw a flush of visitors during the first Sunday after Budde's sermon.
- Meanwhile, in San Diego, vandals painted profanity and crosshair targets on the Episcopal cathedral; a Jewish synagogue there was defaced the same day.
Between the lines: The sudden rise in attention has made it hard to know whether hostility targeting Episcopalians is random or retaliatory against Budde's sermon, Spiegel said.
- For example, one Utah priest reported his mailbox was smashed this week — the only one on his street to be vandalized, Spiegel said.
The big picture: Conservative outcry against Budde's sermon follows years of warnings against "too much compassion" in religious discourse.
- A bestselling book in 2024 argued Christians are suffering from "toxic empathy" while some clergy admonish believers to avoid the "sin of empathy."
Similar teachings have surfaced in Utah's religious leadership.
- In a post that received more than 23 million views last week, a deacon at an Ogden church wrote of Budde: "Do not commit the sin of empathy. This snake is God's enemy and yours too. She hates God and His people. You need to properly hate in response."
- Latter-day Saint leaders have instructed members that obedience to God should come ahead of loving their neighbors.
The latest: In a Fox News interview Wednesday, Vice President J.D. Vance argued that Christianity teaches the faithful to love people in other countries only after prioritizing their own families, communities and countrymen.
Reality check: The Bible repeatedly calls on believers to love others regardless of nationality.