07/02/2026
An Interfaith Declaration of Interdependence
As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, we the undersigned clergy and leaders of faith communities throughout the Monadnock region and beyond, offer the following reflection and call to conscience.
Independence Day in the United States has always been a moment for us as a nation to affirm something larger than our individual selves, to acknowledge that we become better when we live together in freedom, dignity, and mutual responsibility. Throughout this season of celebration, we remember the truest blessing of this country, which is most vividly seen when we continue to write our collective story by showing up for one another, by demonstrating courage in the face of shared challenges, and by offering compassion that extends beyond our differences.
In this time when division almost seems inescapable, we assert a truth held firmly in all our faith traditions; that none of us will thrive alone. Independence is the cornerstone of our identity, but interdependence will always be our calling. Our country, our communities, and our futures will only exceed our imagination – and the hope of the men and women who first conceived the American dream – when we recognize that our well being is bound up with the well being of our neighbors, even those we have not yet met. Love, compassion, justice, and mercy are not our burden, but rather the source of our blessings.
On the Fourth of July, as we celebrate both independence and interdependence, we invite our neighbors to join us in renewing this promise. Let us celebrate not only the freedoms we cherish but also make room for the responsibilities that make those freedoms meaningful. May this holiday remind us that we belong to one another — and may we commit ourselves to shaping the next 250 years with compassion, generosity, and shared purpose.
Signed, Clergy, Faith Communities, and Faith Workers of the Monadnock Region Including:
The Guiding Council of the Monadnock Interfaith Council (Tom Julius, Roye Ginsburg, Ann Carlson, Alaria Clauss, Len Fleischer, Judy Lundahl, Pamela Parish, & Phil Wyzik, Angela Pape Community Organizer)
Rev. Rebecca Poor Chaplain, Covenant Living of Keene
Rev. Scott Masters The United Methodist Churches of Keene, Chesterfield, & Munsonville
Rev. Jenna Frost, Pastor The Monadnock Covenant Church, Keene
Rev. Brad Frost, Pastor The Monadnock Covenant Church, Keene
Pastor Kat Fredericks, Associate Pastor The Monadnock Covenant Church, Keene
Rabbi Daniel Aronson, Congregation Ahavas Achim Keene
Rev. Derick Scalia, Deacon St. James Episcopal Church, Keene
Rev. Cynthia E. Bagley The United Church of Christ, Keene
Rev. Rowan Van Ness The Unitarian Universalist Church of Keene
Rev. Traceymay Kalvaitis Dublin Community Church/ Community Church of Harrisville & Chesham
Rev. Susan Clinkenbeard The Fitzwilliam Community Church UCC
Mindy Olsen on Behalf of the Bahá'í Community of Southwestern New Hampshire
Dr. Mohammad A. Saleh Project Home New Hampshire
Rev Richard Malmberg, The First Congregational Church of Walpole
Rev. Elsa Worth, St. James Episcopal Church, Keene
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