‘Wyoming families are struggling’: Faith leaders gather at State Capitol in Cheyenne to address state budget 

(Cheyenne, WY) – Priests, pastors, chaplains, and deacons from churches across Wyoming gathered in the State Capitol last week to advocate for a state budget that demonstrates the Christian mission of caring for our neighbors.

“Wyoming families are struggling to find housing, to access healthcare, and to afford the rising costs of just getting by – and our churches, we cannot carry that alone, especially in a state as vast and as rural as ours,” Rev. Jordan Bishop (St. Matthew’s Cathedral) said, opening the event.

During the gathering, two dozen faith leaders stood behind four speakers in the Capitol Rotunda who spoke about essential public programs for which cuts have been proposed during the legislature’s 2026 budget session. 

Rev. Jeromey Howard (Casper), Rev. Dan ODell (Casper), Deacon Mike Leman (Cheyenne), and Scott Clem (Gillette) all addressed the need for public programs to meet the needs of their communities.

Rev. Howard, the General Presbyter of Wyoming and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, drew on his experience losing a colleague to suicide to advocate for mental resources supplied by the Wyoming Department of Health, and Rev. ODell of First United Methodist Church in Casper cited his faith tradition which “insists that love of God and love of neighbor belong together in very practical ways.”

“There is no holiness except for social holiness,” ODell said.

Deacon Leman, Legislative Liaison for the Catholic Diocese of Wyoming, also commented on healthcare.

“The church does not see herself as a competitor with the state, but as a partner,” Leman said. “A realistic approach means that we acknowledge that our parishes are in no position to replace the critical lifesaving healthcare currently provided by licensed mental healthcare professionals that people have access to in our state, by our state.”

Clem, a former legislator, current county commissioner, and former pastor in the Baptist denomination, was the final speaker, emphasizing Deacon Leman’s comments on partnership.

“The work is overwhelming, the need is greater than the resources, and what is required is true partnership,” Clem said.

In an email to County 10, Bishop called the event “a major gathering and press conference of Wyoming faith leaders,” that represented “to our knowledge, “the first time in many years that a cross-denomination, statewide group of faith leaders have assembled to directly address decisions being made by the Wyoming State Legislature.”

Faith leaders in attendance included:

• Rev. Chris Mottl, St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Laramie
• Kathleen Urban, Wyoming Friends Meeting, Statewide
• Rev. Canon Paul Mottl, St Matthew’s Cathedral, Laramie
• The Very Rev. Rick Veit, Dean, St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Laramie
• Rev. Kurt Borgaard, Disciples of Christ denomination, Wyoming
• Rev. Elizabeth Barish Browne, Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne
• Rev. Katherine Saxbury, Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, Casper
• Rev. Bob Garrard, Presbyterian minister (ret’d), Cheyenne
• Rev. Dr. Sally Palmer, Laramie
• Ron Frost, Wyoming Interfaith Network, Laramie
• Rev. Dan ODell, First United Methodist Church, Casper
• Rev. Jordan Bishop, St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Laramie
• Rev. Jereomey Howard, General Presbyter of Wyoming
• Rev. Karl Heimbuck, First Presbyterian Church, Sheridan
• Rev. Vonne Yardley, Presbyterian Church of Torrington and Lingle
• Rev. Mike Evers, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Sheridan
• Rev. Doug Goodwin, First Christian Church/Disciples of Christ (ret’d), Sheridan
• Rev. Don Derryberry, United Methodist Church, Sheridan
• Rev. Allen Doyle, Canterbury Fellowship, Laramie
• Rev. Michelle Bacon, United Presbyterian Church, Laramie
• Rev. Delaney Piper, Highlands Presbyterian Church, Cheyenne

A video recording of the event can be found here.