Forget turning water into wine-Bishop Budde turned outrage into $53 million.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bishop Mariann Budde, who made international headlines for transforming an inaugural prayer service into an anti-Trump sermon, is now finding that her moral high ground has turned into a financial sinkhole.
You may remember Bishop Budde as the courageous cleric who, instead of offering a traditional invocation for the newly elected president, took the opportunity to scold Donald Trump on immigration policies. Her passionate rebuke was met with thunderous applause from media elites and blue-check activists alike, many of whom suggested she was a shoo-in for the next Nobel Peace Prize. "Such bravery! Such conviction!" they cried.
Well, as it turns out, the “bravery” had a to suspiciously large price tag attached to it—$53 million, to be exact.
Yes, folks, a shocking revelation has surfaced: Bishop Budde’s Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), the so-called humanitarian wing of the Episcopal Church, received a jaw-dropping $53 million in taxpayer dollars in 2023 to facilitate “immigrant resettlement.” That’s right—the same Trump policies Budde railed against just happen to threaten the very business model of her church’s lucrative resettlement empire.
Who could’ve guessed that a clergywoman’s righteous indignation would align so perfectly with her financial bottom line?
Thou Shalt Not Cut Funding
Budde’s fiery sermon painted her as a divine warrior of justice, standing tall against the oppressive policies of the new administration. But upon closer inspection, it appears that she was less of a prophet and more of a profit.
Episcopal Migration Ministries has been cashing in on government contracts for years, serving as a taxpayer-funded travel agency for refugees. In 2023 alone, EMM resettled 3,600 individuals—each of whom became immediately eligible for full welfare benefits upon arrival. The group also “sponsored” 6,400 people from 48 different countries in 2024, ensuring that America’s entitlement programs remain in peak hemorrhage mode.
Among the arrivals were thousands of Afghans, Congolese refugees, and even a few Vietnamese immigrants. Which, of course, raises an obvious question: Why are we still running refugee programs for Vietnam—50 years after the war ended? Perhaps the church is just making sure no revenue stream gets left behind.
Follow the Money (and the Sermons)
Trump’s temporary pause on the program was, naturally, a threat to the good bishop’s business model. With the government re-evaluating how billions are spent on refugee resettlement, Budde sprang into action—not through policy debate, not through lobbying, but by delivering a self-righteous scolding from the pulpit.
The media, of course, ate it up. A brave woman standing against the forces of evil! Except… the forces of evil, in this case, were merely questioning whether American taxpayers should be subsidizing foreign nationals at the expense of their own citizens.
Meanwhile, Budde’s EMM program has ensured that these “humanitarian arrivals” can instantly sponsor friends and family under Biden’s expanded refugee plan, meaning the money train just keeps on rolling. How convenient.
A Nobel Peace Prize? Or a Nobel “Piece” Prize?
Given these latest revelations, Bishop Budde’s once-glowing reputation as a moral crusader now looks more like a thinly veiled lobbying effort in a fancy robe. But will her admirers in the press and political circles retract their praise? Doubtful. After all, what’s a little financial conflict of interest when you’re fighting the “good fight”?
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: Budde may not get her Nobel Peace Prize after all. But hey, at least she still has 53 million reasons to sleep soundly at night.
Center for Immigration Studies: Article
Bishop Marian Budde’s Missed Opportunity to Lead with Truth: Article
Comments