Faith, Palms, and Protest: Bismarck Marchers Carry a Message of Compassion to the Capitol

More than 400 people walked from Trinity Lutheran Church near downtown Bismarck to the North Dakota State Capitol in a Palm Sunday demonstration rooted in scripture and shaped by the nation’s immigration crisis.

BISMARCK, N.D. — Under sunny spring skies, more than 400 people streamed through the streets of downtown Bismarck on Sunday afternoon, palm fronds in hand, their procession equal parts religious observance and civic witness. They called it the Palm Sunday Path, and its message — etched in the language of the Gospel — was pointed: feed the hungry, care for the sick, welcome the stranger.

The procession, comprised of participants from many different churches, began at Trinity Lutheran Church at 502 N. 4th Street at 3 p.m. Attendees then walked to the Capitol where a short service took place. During the event, worship leaders sang songs, read Bible passages and delivered sermons.

A Movement With Deep Roots — and a Timely Message

The Palm Sunday Path is described by its organizers as a growing, ecumenical movement of church leaders who recognize that now is the time for Christians to publicly witness to values laid out by Jesus in Matthew 25: feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and welcoming the stranger. The organizers say they intend to stand up to violations of these values by elected leaders and call on every elected official at every level, regardless of party, to advance policies promoting those values.

Bismarck’s walk was part of a series of similar events taking place the same day across the country, including in Fargo, though organizers said it was not connected to the concurrent No Kings protest events also happening that weekend. In Minnesota, the Palm Sunday Path drew enormous crowds: more than 7,000 Christians from various denominations gathered on the front lawn of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.

The Organizers: Pastors, Community Leaders, and Advocates

Planning for Bismarck’s walk had been underway for weeks. Faith leaders and community organizers met at the Bismarck United Church of Christ on Feb. 24, 2026, to discuss the upcoming event. Those involved in planning included Ross Keys, Rev. Gretchen Deeg, Rev. John Muhorana, Rev. Sylvia Bull and Bill Patrie.

Bill Patrie, a Bismarck organizer and BisMan Dem-NPL candidate for District 47, said he hoped the event would be a chance for North Dakotans to show their support for immigrants, adding that “welcoming the stranger” is not just part of the Bible, it’s also part of North Dakota’s roots. Jason Thoms, a house of representatives candidate endorsed by the BisMan Dem-NPL for District 7, led the group in singing on the way to the Capitol and once the group had arrived.

Rev. Sylvia Bull, an associate pastor at Faith Lutheran Church and another organizer, said she and other Bismarck faith leaders want in the future to host trainings to teach community members to become more engaged.

The preachers for the Capitol steps service were Sr. Kathleen Atkinson, founder of Ministry on the Margins, and Jasmine Tosseth-Smith, executive director of Bismarck Global Neighbors.

Key Speakers: Dignity Is Not Optional

Tosseth-Smith, whose words drew directly from her own story, shared she came to the United States from Zimbabwe, and told the gathering that immigrants are part of North Dakota’s fabric. Addressing the crowd from the Capitol steps, she delivered a line that drew strong response from the assembled marchers: “We do not have to agree on everything to agree on this: human dignity is not optional,” she said.

She urged North Dakotans to recognize the shared values they hold with immigrant families, many of whom have risked everything to seek a better life in the United States.

Tosseth-Smith also said that the federal government’s immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis has caused many of the immigrants she works with to be terrified. Even though the presence of immigration agents in Minnesota has tapered somewhat, many still don’t feel safe. About 25 of the families Bismarck Global Neighbors supports are still afraid to go out in public because of worries about encountering immigration agents.

Tosseth-Smith said immigrants remain a vital part of North Dakota’s present, not just its past: “Today, we’re still shaped by newcomers.”

The Pastor Who Made It Personal

Perhaps no voice carried more weight on Sunday than that of the Rev. John Muhorana, a Congolese immigrant and pastor at a small Bismarck church serving the city’s African immigrant community.

Muhorana came to the United States after spending 15 years in a refugee camp in Uganda. He said the expansion of immigration detentions and removals, and the highly publicized and aggressive enforcement methods used by immigration agents, brings up memories of oppression he experienced in his home country. Some of his congregants are so terrified to leave their homes that they no longer attend church.

In Muhorana’s own words, his parishioners told him: “Maybe today, the police or government will come and pick us up from the church and take us.”

Muhorana said his church members are all legal U.S. residents, mostly naturalized citizens and a few green card holders — but they are not confident that status will protect them, given widespread reports of immigration agents arresting people who are lawfully present in the country.

Surveying the crowd of more than 400 who turned out, Muhorana was moved. “This is a very big revival,” he said, praising the community’s support for immigrants.

A Community Speaks

For many in attendance, the day was about the intersection of faith and action. Lynn Beiswanger, a local resident, described what the day meant to her personally: “It’s coming together as a community and sharing our faith together and what it means to us personally, and what it means to us as a group.”

Part of a Nationwide Chorus

Sunday’s walk in Bismarck was one of many such events unfolding simultaneously across the country. Palm Sunday Path events were held in cities including Des Moines, Nashville, Eau Claire and others, with processions typically moving from a local church to a statehouse or government building for a service grounded in Matthew 25.

In Bismarck, the message landed on the steps of the capitol building. Organizers made clear they were not speaking to one party or one side of the aisle. They were, they said, speaking to a set of values older than any administration: that the hungry deserve food, the sick deserve care, and the stranger deserves welcome.

In addition to Patrie and Thoms, other Region 6 Dem-NPL candidates also attended, including Tim Spilman from District 31, Kelly Spilman from District 31, and Kevin Horneman from District 7.