Mennonite Church USA executive director Glen Guyton joined more than 100 national faith leaders by signing a letter denouncing political violence and condemning attacks on free speech and the independence of nonprofit organizations.

The statement, released Oct. 2, warns against the normalization of violence and the rise of authoritarian threats to democratic freedoms.

The leaders urge elected officials to reject violent rhetoric, refuse to normalize threats and resist a drift toward authoritarianism.

They raise concerns about government efforts to target and retaliate against faith-based and nonprofit organizations that don’t conform to the Trump administration’s rhetoric.

Signatories urge the president and all elected officials to uphold freedom of speech and religious liberty, emphasizing that these rights are not partisan issues but guardrails of democracy.

Guyton said: “Signing this letter reflects our Anabaptist conviction that the way of Christ is one of love, not violence or harmful rhetoric.”