Answering the Call
Faith is not only about what we believe. It is about how we respond when human dignity is under assault.
Faith has long been a catalyst for justice. Across faith traditions, caring for those who are imprisoned, defending the vulnerable, and speaking truth to power are not optional acts of compassion, they are sacred responsibilities. Scripture and sacred teachings call us to remember those in prison, to seek justice, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Thousands of people in Texas prisons are living in conditions that threaten their health, dignity, and lives. Their voices often go unheard.
When people suffer behind prison walls,
faith demands more than compassion, it calls for action.
TPCA's Answering The Call initiative provides clergy, congregations, and individuals with practical tools to answer that call through advocacy, public witness, education, and action.
Why Faith Voices Matter
Rather than another advocacy organization speaking alone, faith leaders bring moral authority into spaces where public policy is discussed.
Faith leaders have historically played central roles in movements for justice and that testimony from clergy carries a unique weight during TBCJ meetings.
Faith communities can:
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Advocate for humane prison conditions
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Speak during TBCJ public comment
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Support impacted families
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Educate congregations
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Write letters to decision-makers
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Participate in interfaith events
...and importantly, help ensure incarcerated people are not forgotten.
How You Can Help
I Am a Faith Leader
Answer the call by attending a Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) meeting and using your voice to advocate for humane prison conditions.
Speaking during public comment is one of the most meaningful ways faith leaders can bear witness, call for justice, and stand alongside those impacted by incarceration.
I Need a Faith Leader to Contact
Don't have a congregation or don't know who to reach?
Browse a directory of denominational leaders, Texas faith organizations, and other faith contacts willing to receive advocacy letters. The campaign includes a public-facing clergy directory specifically for this purpose.
Continue scrolling or click the link below to find the directory.
EMAIL TEMPLATES
Ask Your Faith Leader to Speak Up
Choose the template below that best reflects your perspective. Each includes guidance to help you personalize your message before sending it to a faith leader in your community.
Don't have someone in mind? Browse the Faith Leader Directory below
How It Works
Step 1. Choose a template
Select the template below that best matches your perspective.
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Step 2. Send Personalized Email
Use the guidance provided to make it your own.
Your authentic voice is far more powerful than a copied template. Email to a faith leader.
↓
Step 3. Submit Form
Complete the short form at the bottom of template.
Knowing how many people have taken action helps us demonstrate growing public support, evaluate our campaigns, and keep advocates informed as this work progresses.
(Templates Linked Below)
Faith Leader Directory
Find & Contact a Faith Leader
This directory includes national, Texas, and international faith leaders from a wide range of religious traditions. Contacts are listed alphabetically (A-Z) by faith tradition.
Each contact is labeled with an orange location badge to help you quickly identify the most relevant organization:
Texas — Faith leaders and organizations based in Texas
USA — National denominational leadership and organizations
International — Global faith leaders and institutions
If you're looking to encourage action within Texas, start with contacts labeled Texas.
Buddhist
USA
Reverend Marvin Harada
Bishop
Buddhist Churches of America
(415) 776-5600
1710 Octavia Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Christian – African Methodist Episcopal (AME)
USA
Bishop Silvester Scott Beaman
President of The Council of Bishops
African Methodist Episcopal Church
(615) 254-0911
500 Eighth Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
Christian – Baptist
USA
Rev. Clint Pressley
President
Southern Baptist Convention
(615) 244-2355
SBC Executive Committee, 901 Commerce Street, 7th Floor
Nashville, TN 37203
bporter@sbc.net (Brandon Porter, Media Contact)
Christian – Baptist
USA
The Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley
Executive Coordinator
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
(770) 220-1600
160 Clairemont Avenue, Suite 500
Decatur, GA 30030
No email listed
Christian – Baptist
Texas
Dr. Julio Guarneri
Executive Director
Baptist General Convention of Texas
(214) 828-5230
7557 Rambler Road, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75231
Christian – Episcopal
Texas
Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle
Bishop of Texas
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
(713) 520-6444
1225 Texas Avenue
Houston, TX 77002
Christian – Episcopal
USA
The Most Rev. Sean Rowe
Presiding Bishop
The Episcopal Church
(800) 334-7626
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY,10017
Christian – Evangelical
Texas
Dr. Tony Evans
Senior Pastor
Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship
(972) 572-8378
1808 W. Camp Wisdom Road
Dallas, TX 75232
No email listed
Christian – Latter-day Saint
International
Dallin H. Oaks
President
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(801) 240-1000
50 East North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
@OaksDallinH (X)
Christian – Lutheran
USA
The Rev. Yehiel Curry
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
(773) 380-2600
8765 W. Higgins Road
Chicago, IL 60631
Christian – Methodist
USA
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.
President, Council of Bishops
United Methodist Church
(202) 547-6270
100 Maryland Avenue NE, Suite 320
Washington, DC 20002
No email listed
Christian – Methodist
Texas
Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell
United Methodist
Windsor Village United Methodist Church
(713) 723-8187
6000 Heatherbrook Drive
Houston, TX 77085
No email listed
Christian – Nazarene
USA
Dr. David A. Busic
General Superintendent
Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center
(913)-577-0848
17001 Prairie Star Parkway
Lenexa, KS 66220
Christian – Non-denominational
Texas
Pastor Joel Osteen
Senior Pastor
Lakewood Church
713) 635-4154
3700 SW Freeway
Houston, TX 77027
Christian – Orthodox
USA
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
Archbishop
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
(212) 570-3511
10 East 79th Street
New York, NY 10075-0106
Christian – Pentecostal
USA
Doug Clay
General Superintendent
Assemblies of God National Office
(417) 862-2781
1445 N. Boonville Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802-1894
Christian – Pentecostal
USA
Bishop John Drew Sheard
Presiding Bishop
Church of God in Christ (COGIC)
(313) 864-7170
19190 Schaefer Highway
Detroit, Michigan 48235
Christian – Pentecostal
Texas
Bishop T.D. Jakes
Senior Pastor
The Potter's House
214-331-0954
6777 W. Kiest Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75236
Christian – Presbyterian
USA
The Rev. Jihyun Oh
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church (USA)
(800) 728-7228
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Christian – Protestant
USA
Rev. Teresa Hord Owens
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
(317) 635-3100
PO Box 1986
Indianapolis, IN 46206
Christian – Protestant / Quaker
USA
Bridget Moix
General Secretary
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
(202) 547-6000
245 2nd Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
Christian – Roman Catholic
USA
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley
President
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
(202) 541-3000
3211 Fourth Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
Christian – Roman Catholic
Texas
Most Reverend Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS
Archbishop
Archdiocese of San Antonio
(210) 734-2620
2718 W. Woodlawn Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78228
Christian – Roman Catholic
International
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV
Bishop of Rome
The Holy See
Piazza San Pietro
00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
No email listed
Christian – Roman Catholic
Texas
Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez
Archbishop
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
(713) 659-5461
1700 San Jacinto Street
Houston, TX 77002
Christian – Seventh-day Adventist
USA
Glenward Alexander (“Alex”) Bryant, DMin
President (North American Division)
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
(443) 391-7200
9705 Patuxent Woods Drive
Columbia, MD 21046-1565
Hindu
USA
Suhag Shukla, Esq.
Executive Director
Hindu American Foundation
(202) 223-8222
100 S. Broad St., Suite 1318
Philadelphia PA 19110
@SuhagAShukla (X)
Jewish
USA
Rabbi Josh Joseph, Ed.D.
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Orthodox Union
(212) 563-4000
11 Broadway, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Jewish
USA
Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal
CEO
Rabbinical Assembly
(212) 280-6000
3080 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
Jewish
USA
Rabbi Rick Jacobs
President
Union for Reform Judaism
1-855-875-1800
633 Third Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Muslim
USA
Nihad Awad
National Executive Director
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
(202) 488-8787
453 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003
Muslim
Texas
Imam Ehteshamul Haque
Religious Director
Islamic Society of Greater Houston
(713) 524-6615 x 104
3110 Eastside Street
Houston, TX 77098
Muslim
USA
Mohammed Elithy
President
Islamic Association of North Texas (IANT)
(972) 231-5698
840 Abrams Rd
Richardson, TX 75081
Muslim
USA
Br. Azhar Azeez
Chief Executive Officer
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
317-839-8157
6555 South County Road 750 East
Plainfield, IN 46168
Unitarian Universalist
USA
Rev. Sofía Betancourt, Ph.D.
President
Unitarian Universalist Association
(617) 742-2100
24 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210