“We ask that through this gathering, we might wake people up to the immorality of this bill, that we might help our leaders remember that they have a special obligation to the poor and the least among us,” Larson said.
Sponsors of the event included the National Council of Jewish Women, Masjid Muhammad, the National Council of Churches, Fellowship of Reconciliation, the AME Zion Church, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, Indivisible and the National Urban League.
The Rev. William Barber II speaks during a Moral Mondays rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court, Monday, June 2, 2025, in Washington. (RNS photo/Jack Jenkins)
The protest comes days after news broke that Barber is facing a legal battle with his ex-wife, Rebecca Barber, who has asked a judge to investigate whether the pastor used funds from Repairers of the Breach, the nonprofit he founded, to make alimony payments. Barber has denied the allegations, and representatives for Repairers of the Breach have said they believe the allegations “to be baseless.” The group has launched an internal investigation into the matter.
Demonstrators at the Moral Monday rally seemed unmoved by Barber’s legal situation. One speaker, the Rev. Brian R. Thompson, bishop of the AME Zion Church’s Mid-Atlantic District, made a joking reference to controversy surrounding Barber, saying someone had warned him not to be associated with the pastor. But the AME Zion bishop appeared to dismiss the suggestion, adding that the broader cause is a moral one that transcends any one individual.
“I ain’t standing with Bishop Barber — I’m standing with Jesus,” Thompson said.
This article originally appeared here.
