Up To Date

How Kansas City religious leaders are approaching another Trump administration

By Brian Ellison,

Published January 26, 2025 at 4:00 AM CST

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A U.S. flag flies with the sun in the background.

What is the role of moral and religious leaders in the age of Trump? A Kansas City rabbi and a pastor discuss the complexities of mixing religion with politics, and talk about how they prepared for the new Trump administration.

Following President Trump’s inauguration on Monday, religious and moral leaders around the Kansas City metro are thinking about how to approach these next four years.

Some say they’re personally troubled by certain aspects of President Trump’s leadership. But what are those leaders saying to their congregations? How are they working to help and spiritually guide the people who rely on them?

And when is it the right time to “get political” as a religious leader and when is it best to leave it alone?

Rabbi Doug Alpert of Congregation Kol Ami and Reverend Laura Phillips of Overland Park Christian Church joined KCUR's Up To Date to answer those questions.

Rabbi Doug Alpert, Congregation Kol Ami
Reverend Laura Phillips, Overland Park Christian Church

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Up To Date Podcast religion politics Donald Trump

Brian Ellison

As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.

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Zach Wilson

As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.

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Josh Marvine

As the 2024-2025 Up to Date intern, I am passionate about finding diverse stories that allow public radio to serve as a platform for people in our area to share what matters to them. I grew up in the Kansas City metro, graduated from the University of Arkansas, and have previously worked as a producer for KUAF, Northwest Arkansas' NPR affiliate station. Email me at jmarvine@kcur.org.

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