Texas Faith Network
Clergy Statement Opposing Vouchers
As religious leaders in Texas, we are opposed to any "school choice" or "voucher" plan that would funnel tax money either directly or indirectly to sectarian schools.
We believe that directing state funds into private schools is destructive to public education, hazardous to the distinctiveness of private education, and oppressive to many who do not want their tax dollars to fund the teaching of religious views different from their own.
We believe that the diversion of public education dollars to religious schools unconstitutionally allows for public funding of religious teachings. Our religious beliefs and institutions are sacred and must be free of the government controls and regulations which appropriately accompany government funds.
We further believe that to allocate state tax dollars to any group, institution or person without state regulation and control would be a serious mismanagement of taxpayer money.
If you are a religious leader and wish to add your name to the growing number of Texas clergy who oppose vouchers, e-mail your name, religious affiliation and home city to the Texas Faith Network.
| The Reverend Dan G. Adams | United Methodist | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Joe Ader | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Larry Altman | Fredericksburg United Methodist Church | Fredericksburg |
| The Reverend Wilfred M. Bailey | United Methodist | Dallas |
| Rabbi Kerry Baker | Congregation Kol Halev | Austin |
| The Reverend Ann Beaty | Tarrytown United Methodist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend John Beebe | Episcopal Church | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Dr. Larry Bethune | University Baptist Church | Austin |
| Rabbi Barry Block | Temple Beth-El | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Frank Boutwell | United Methodist | New Boston |
| The Reverend Dr. John Brand | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Morris Bratton | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend L. B. Broach | Christ United Methodist Church | Plano |
| Joel Brooks | American Jewish Congress | Dallas |
| The Reverend Dr. Burt Burleson | Day Spring Baptist Church | Waco |
| Sister Emmanuel Cahill | Holy Spirit Religious Congregation | San Antonio |
| The Reverend John Campbell | Episcopal Priest | Austin |
| The Reverend Wilson Canafax | First United Methodist Church | Hurst |
| The Reverend Michael Chancellor | Crescent Heights Baptist Church | Abilene |
| The Reverend Wallace Chappell | First United Methodist Church | Dallas |
| The Reverend Kyle Childress | Austin Heights Baptist Church | Nacogdoches |
| The Reverend Dr. Jann Clanton | Baptist | Dallas |
| The Reverend Robert O. Cooper | United Methodist | Dallas |
| The Reverend Terry Cosby | First Baptist Church | Hereford |
| David Currie | Texas Baptists Committed | San Angelo |
| The Reverend Sarah Currie | St. Luke United Methodist Church | Austin |
| Father Bill Davis | Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church | Houston |
| The Reverend Larry Davis | South Garland Baptist Church | Garland |
| Father George Driskell | Anglican Church International | Corpus Christi |
| Rabbi Richard Dryer | -- | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Mary Earle | St. Mark’s Episcopal Church | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Dea Eggleston | Berkeley United Methodist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Kathleen Trichel Ellis | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship | College Station |
| The Reverend Leslie Ellison | Presbyterian Church (USA) | San Antonio |
| The Reverend G. M. Field | United Methodist | Bonham |
| The Reverend Finees Flores | Monte Sinai United Methodist Church | San Antonio |
| Dr. Ron Flowers | Texas Christian University Religion Department | Fort Worth |
| Rabbi Steven Folberg | Congregation Beth Israel | Austin |
| The Reverend Chuck Freeman | Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Bill Fyffe | Baptist | Austin |
| The Reverend Albert Gani | Church of the Path | Austin |
| The Reverend David Gilliam | St. John’s United Methodist Church | Austin |
| Dr. David Griffin | United Methodist | Kerrville |
| The Reverend Henry Griffin | United Methodist | Canyon Lake |
| The Reverend Dr. Sidney Hall | Trinity United Methodist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Dennis Hamilton | Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church | Carrollton |
| The Reverend J. David Hargrave | Oaks Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) | Houston |
| The Reverend Bill Harris | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Tom Heger | St. John’s Presbyterian Church | Manchaca |
| The Rev. Ross Hamilton Henry | Asimov Humanists of Montgomery County | Spring |
| The Reverend Mark Herbener | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Dallas |
| The Reverend Patti Herndon | First United Methodist Church | Bastrop |
| The Reverend Samuel Hose | Saint John Vianney Catholic Church | Round Rock |
| The Reverend Balty Janacek | San Francesco Di Paola Church | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Charles Johnson | Trinity Baptist Church | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Bobbi Kaye Jones | St. John’s United Methodist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Robert Karli | First English Lutheran Church | Austin |
| Rabbi Nancy Kasten | -- | Dallas |
| Rabbi Neal Katz | Congregation Beth El | Tyler |
| Dr. Jorge Lara-Braud | Presbyterian Church (USA) | Austin |
| The Reverend Alvin Larke | African Methodist Episcopal | College Station |
| The Reverend Dr. Steven Larson | Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church | Austin |
| The Reverend James Leach | American Baptist Churches (USA) | Houston |
| The Reverend Ouida Lee | St. Luke "Community" United Methodist | Dallas |
| Rabbi Sue Levy | -- | Webster |
| The Reverend Ann Locasio | United Methodist | Lockhart |
| The Reverend David Lowry | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Diana Luck | St. Matthews Episcopal Church | Dallas |
| The Reverend Dr. William Lytle | Madison Square Presbyterian Church | San Antonio |
| The Reverend C. Jordan Mann | United Methodist | Kerrville |
| The Reverend Claude Maples | Romine Avenue Christian Church | Dallas |
| The Reverend Ben Marshall | United Methodist | Dallas |
| The Reverend James Mayfield | Tarrytown United Methodist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Janet Maykus | Disciples of Christ | Austin |
| Magnolia McCullough | African Methodist Episcopal Church | Austin |
| The Rev. Greg McDonell | Central Presbyterian Church | Austin |
| The Reverend William McElvaney | Perkins School of Theology - SMU | Dallas |
| The Reverend Lib McGregor Simmons | University Presbyterian Church | San Antonio |
| The Reverend J. Charles Merrill | United Methodist | Austin |
| Chaplain Charlie Mills | -- | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Charles Moore | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Richard Moore | University Baptist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Martha Murchison | Presbyterian Church (USA) | Richardson |
| The Reverend Mark A. Newton | First Baptist Church | San Marcos |
| The Reverend Ellis Orozco | Calvary Baptist Church | McAllen |
| The Reverend Joseph Parker | David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Robert Parsons | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend John Payne | Episcopal Church | Seguin |
| The Reverend Dr. Roger Paynter | First Baptist Church | Austin |
| Susan Paynter | Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission | Austin |
| The Reverend Linda Pendergrass | Unity Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Tom Plumbley | Disciples of Christ | Dallas |
| The Reverend Allen Price | Episcopal Church - Diocese of Alaska | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Roger Quillin | Northridge Presbyterian Church | Dallas |
| The Reverend Dr. H. Doyle Ragle | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Msgr. Lonnie Reyes | Catholic | Austin |
| The Reverend George Ricker | University United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Dr. Randal Riddile | Harris Methodist- H-E-B- Hospital | Bedford |
| The Reverend Dr. James Rigby | St. Andrews Presbyterian Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Carl Rohlfs | University United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Barbara Ruth | Oak Hill United Methodist Church | Oak Hill |
| The Reverend Glen Schmucker | Cliff Temple Baptist Church | Dallas |
| The Reverend Wesley Schulze | United Methodist | Canyon Lake |
| The Reverend Ruth Seeliger | Chapel of Prayer | Houston |
| The Reverend Arthur Severance | First Unitarian Universalist Church | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Larry V. Shores | Faith United Methodist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Carl Siegenthaler | Presbyterian Church (USA) | Austin |
| The Reverend Dr. Don Sinclair | Coldspring United Methodist Church | Coldspring |
| The Reverend Wayne Smith | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Robert Soper | St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church | Edinburg |
| The Reverend Lon Speer | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend Susan Sprague | Trinity United Methodist Church | Austin |
| The Rev. Thomas Squiers | Orthodox Catholic Church of All Saints | Abilene |
| Rabbi Samuel Stahl | Temple Beth-El | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Marvin Steinmetz | Disciples of Christ | Austin |
| Rabbi David Stern | Temple Emanu-El | Dallas |
| The Reverend Kyle Streun | First Baptist Church | Crockett |
| Phil Strickland | Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission | Dallas |
| The Reverend Douglas Strong | Unitarian Universalist | Dallas |
| The Reverend W. Howard Surber, Jr. | United Methodist | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Mike Thompson | Unitarian Universalist Church | Beaumont |
| The Reverend John Thornburg | United Methodist | Dallas |
| The Reverend Dr. Matthew D. Tittle | Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church | Houston |
| Jim Trimble | Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest | Austin |
| The Reverend Dr. Joe E. Trull | the baptist church of Driftwood | Wimberley |
| The Reverend Timothy Tutt | United Christian Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Karen Vannoy | Travis Park United Methodist Church | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Phineas Washer | Presbyterian Church (USA) | San Antonio |
| The Reverend Joseph A. Weaks | Bethany Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) | Fort Worth |
| The Reverend Dawn Darwin Weaks | First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) | Rowlett |
| The Reverend Sue Wells | Leander United Methodist Church | Leander |
| The Reverend Dr. G. Richard Wheatcroft | St. Francis Church | Houston |
| The Reverend Don Wilkey | First Baptist Church of Onalaska | Onalaska |
| The Reverend June Wilkins | St. Martin’s Lutheran Church | Austin |
| The Reverend Rita Will | United Church of Christ | Houston |
| The Reverend Dr. Kathryn T. Williams | Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) | Corpus Christi |
| The Reverend Mary Wilson | Church of the Savior (American Baptist) | Cedar Park |
| The Reverend John Alexander Wright | Oak Hill United Methodist Church | Austin |
| The Reverend John F. Yeaman | United Methodist | Austin |
| The Reverend William Zelazny | Unitarian Universalist Association | Austin |