A bishop from New Hampshire has captured national headlines after imploring his clergy to ensure their wills and personal affairs are up to date, as he referred to Renee Good as a ‘martyr.’

During a vigil on January 9, Bishop Rob Hirschfield of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire was among the speakers honoring Good, who was tragically shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Officials from the Trump administration have justified Ross’s actions, claiming he acted in self-defense when he fired as Good’s SUV began to move forward with him in front of it. However, this account has been criticized by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who have raised concerns based on the shooting footage.

Speaking at the New Hampshire State House, Hirschfield remarked on the incident, stating, “We are now engaged in a terrible, eternal battle that has been ongoing for millennia.”

He went on to say, “When the Christian church became allied with the empire under Constantine around the year 325, it immediately became corrupt. The essence of Jesus’s message—love, compassion, and commitment to the poor and the outcast—was instantly compromised.”

‘And we have lost that voice and we are now, I believe, entering a time, a new era of martyrdom.

‘Renee Good being the last of note of those martyrs,’ Hirschfield said. 

He then went on to cite several historical clergy members who risked their lives to protect others, including New Hampshire seminary student Jonathan Daniels, who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy in Alabama while shielding a young black civil rights activist in 1965. 

Bishop Rob Hirschfield of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire has attracted national attention after he urged his clergy to finalize their wills and get their affairs in order

He also called Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent earlier this month, a ‘martyr’

At that point, the bishop revealed that he has asked his clergy members to finalize their wills.

‘I have told the clergy of the Episcopal diocese of New Hampshire that we may be entering into that same witness,’ he explained.

‘And I’ve asked them to get their affairs in order, to make sure they have their wills written, because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies, to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.’

Hirschfield then argued in his speech that God demands Christians stand up for others.

‘The life that God wants for us is stronger than what we see, the cruelty, the injustice, the horror that we saw unleashed in Minneapolis,’ he said. 

‘And we’ve seen it so many other times. Also in Minneapolis, lest we forget, George Floyd: say his name,’ the bishop said, referring to an unarmed black man who was killed by police officers in 2020.

But, Hirschfield said, Christians ‘who are ready to build a new world’ have to be prepared and ‘cannot fear even death itself, my friends.

‘If I want to live and live with the fullness that God intends, I have to trust that God will always protect me and raise me, as God, I believe, is bringing Renee Good to glory right now.’

Surveillance footage showed Good apparently blocking the road with her SUV for four minutes before she was killed

She was fatally shot as she drove her SUV away by ICE Officer Jonathan Ross

The bishop then concluded his remarks by praying: ‘May the Creator, the Anointed and the Holy Spirit uphold, give you courage and strength and compassion to live these days.

‘There is a new day ahead,’ Hirschfield said. ‘It is coming. We can smell it. It is on its way.’ 

The White House has since hit back at the bishop’s remarks as they spread over social media.

‘No one should follow advice encouraging them to commit crimes,’ spokesperson Abigail Jackson told NBC News. 

‘Anyone who interferes with federal law enforcement operations is committing a crime and will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,’ she warned.

But Hirschfield denied he was encouraging or supporting ‘criminal behavior, especially acts of violence.

‘We are speaking about peaceful, non-violent resistance against those who, without warrant or justification, threaten physical injury or even death,’ he said.

‘Non-violence and love, as Jesus himself practiced and lived, should be the way for us to settle all differences in a free society.’ 

Hirschfield said he was surprised by the attention his remarks have gotten

In remarks to NHPR, Hirschfield even said he was surprised by the attention his speech has gotten, saying the message he delivered was ‘nothing new for me.’

‘It’s a message that I’ve been delivering ever since I became a priest, which is almost 35 years ago,’ he said. ‘And my job as a priest, and now bishop, is to direct people to a sense of preparedness and centeredness in the spirit, in their souls, to be ready for whatever may come as they live their lives.’

Still, he argued, Good was ‘upholding the dignity of every human being.’

Witnesses have said Good and her wife, Rebecca, were acting as legal observers as ICE officers carried out raids in Minneapolis on January 7.

Surveillance footage showed Good apparently blocking the road with her SUV for four minutes before she was killed.

About 20 seconds after Good pulled up to the street, a passenger – believed to be her wife, Rebecca – exited the vehicle and eventually began filming. 

There is speculation that Rebecca, who admitted to bringing her spouse to the anti-ICE protest, exited the car so she could begin filming any potential clash with federal agents.

She was seen wielding her camera during Ross’s confrontation with her wife but it is unclear when she first started to record.

Witnesses have said Good and her wife, Rebecca, were acting as legal observers as ICE officers carried out raids in Minneapolis on January 7

Other footage from the scene then showed an officer approach Good’s stopped SUV and grabbing the handle as he allegedly demanded she open the door last Wednesday.

Her Honda Pilot then began to pull forward and Ross pulled his weapon, immediately firing three shots and jumping back as the vehicle moved toward him.

It is not clear from the videos if the vehicle made contact with Ross. After the shooting, the SUV slammed into two cars parked on a curb before crashing to a stop.

In the weeks since, several religious leaders have called on Christians to protect the vulnerable amid the uptick in immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, including Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.

‘We keep resisting, advocating, bearing witness and repairing the breach,’ Rowe said during a prayer earlier this week. 

‘We keep sheltering and caring for those among us who are immigrants and refugees because they are beloved by God, and without them, we cannot fully be the church.’

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Rt. Rev. Craig Loya urged people not to meet ‘hatred with hatred’ but instead focus on love in ‘a world obviously not fine.’

‘We are going to make like our ancient ancestors, and turn the world upside down by mobilizing for love,’ he said. ‘We are going to disrupt with Jesus´ hope. We are going agitate with Jesus´ love.’