A liberal Christian advocacy group known for its pro-LGBT stance and commitment to social justice has launched an online petition against the Trump administration’s recent moves to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
The controversy erupted in March when U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced plans to eliminate the department, which supports the schools of over 90% of American children and spent more than $268 billion in 2024, comprising 4% of federal spending. The department had plans to fire half of its staff to accelerate the dismantling process.
Faithful America, which emerged as an offshoot of the National Council of Churches in 2004 to advocate against conservative policies, sees the elimination of the Department of Education as a dangerous step toward theocratic control. The group claims it aligns with the far-right Project 2025 agenda, from which President Donald Trump distanced himself during the 2024 presidential election.
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In a petition launched on its website, the group, which boasts nearly 200,000 members, urged Christians to reject the move.
“Forcing Christianity on others doesn’t spread our faith, it corrupts it,” the petition states, calling on “social-justice Christians” to oppose what they describe as a “Christian-nationalist attack on our education system.”
In a statement to the media, Faithful America declared: “Christian nationalism has no place in our schools. We are deeply troubled by Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s radical cuts to the Department of Education. By defunding and eliminating this crucial department, Trump and the Christian nationalist leaders supporting him clearly wish to make public schools across the country either indoctrinate our children with a certain form of Christianity or close down.”
The group contends that “all children deserve the dignity of an education no matter what they believe, what they look like, how they identify, or where they call home.”
The organization, which has a history of advocating for politically left-wing causes — including same-sex marriage, gun control and transgender rights — called for “a strong, well-funded Department of Education to protect our kids’ rights and stop the breakdown of the separation of church and state.”
The move has drawn praise from prominent Christian conservatives, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, who hailed Trump’s actions as a “win for families.” Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s public school system head, called it “a historic moment.”
In a statement, Perkins said the “educational needs” of families will be “better served at the state and local levels.”
Oklahoma State Superintendent Walters, who has advocated for the Bible’s inclusion in public school curriculum, believes the federal agency has in the past supported policies that “strip parents of their rights.” He has argued that cutting the federal department would give states more flexibility when it comes to how they utilize public funding for education.
“Every county in my state voted for President Trump,” Walters said, according to KTEN. “We will unapologetically enforce an America first agenda into policy.”
On its website, Faithful America encourages supporters to download an image of a Christian cross emblazoned in transgender flag colors to promote messages like “Protect Trans Kids” as a “Christian value.” The same image is used on Faithful America’s social media pages with a caption reading, “All transgender people are seen, known, and loved by God.”
CP reached out to Faithful America for comment on Monday. This story will be updated if a request is received.
The group’s political activism dates back to 2004. While it was initially an affiliate of the NCC, it later operated under the Citizen Engagement Lab before becoming an independent 501(c)(4) organization in 2018.
Under leaders like Rev. Nathan Empsall, who served as executive director from 2019 through January 2025, Faithful America gained prominence for challenging known Christian leaders like Perkins, whom they accused of “extreme, hateful rhetoric against gays and lesbians” and in 2017, demanded MSNBC stop inviting Perkins on-air. The group also called for Perkins’ removal when he served as the chair of the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
In the past, the group has also opposed other Christian figures and groups, including Catholic dioceses, World Vision, Hobby Lobby and Franklin Graham.
In his executive order calling for the department’s closure, Trump claimed that the public education system in the U.S. is “failing” children and families.
“Today, American reading and math scores are near historical lows. This year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that 70 percent of 8th graders were below proficient in reading, and 72 percent were below proficient in math. The Federal education bureaucracy is not working,” read the order.
“Unfortunately, the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucracy those programs and dollars support — has plainly failed our children, our teachers, and our families.”
The department manages over $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, making the federal student aid program “roughly the size of one of the Nation’s largest banks,” according to the order.
“The Department of Education is not a bank, and it must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s students,” the order states.
The largest teachers’ union in the U.S. and progressive advocacy organizations filed legal challenges last month to stop the administration’s attempt to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education by “executive fiat.” The department was created by the Department of Education Organization Act of 1979.
