The Power Of Prayer In Structural Reform

July 31, 2018

ASJ (formerly known as AJS) believes a brave, independent Attorney General is crucial to justice work. We also believe in the power of prayer. As Honduras faced an Attorney General election process, we partnered with one of Honduras’ largest Christian denominations to host weekly prayer meetings. These meetings were broadcast live to over 19,000 followers on social media and to listeners of three different radio stations. We prayed that Honduras’ next Attorney General would not only be capable and trust-worthy, but also willing to boldly defend human rights.

Onan, an ASJ staff member who led these prayer sessions, reflects,

“As a young adult, it was gratifying to be part of this movement…to pray that our country be rooted in justice. People want to see the corrupt in jail, but they don’t understand that for this to happen, our country needs a good Attorney General.”

When the list of nominees for the position was released, we discovered that several candidates were wrapped in conflicts of interest that could affect their ability to be impartial. We knew that political elites and members of Congress were interested in nominating an Attorney General that would protect their interests, not investigate them.

ASJ’s journalism team stepped forward and released a website that profiled and ranked the candidates by their aptitude for the job, reaching over 133,000 people. Congress responded by eliminating the candidates ASJ had ranked the lowest.

Soon after, we heard worrying reports that Honduras’ major political parties were plotting to undermine corruption investigations by taking over the Attorney General’s office. ASJ declared at a press conference that the Attorney General’s role was to defend society, not the powerful. That afternoon, Onan and over 70 Brave Christians gathered to pray with the committee charged with nominating candidates. Onan laid hands on the President of the Supreme Court, head of the committee, and earnestly prayed, “We want a deep change in our country… a person who responds to our longing for justice.”

When legislators assembled to vote for the next Attorney General, we waited to see how God would answer our prayers. In an unexpected twist, Congress re-elected Oscar Chinchilla, the current Attorney General, to another five-year term.

As the news sunk in, we knew the election was not without concerns. The process used to re-elect the current Attorney General was legally questionable and his office has room to improve on human rights issues. Yet, Chinchilla has been willing to work with ASJ, stating:

“[ASJ] has taught us a lesson – you can point out things that are bad; but you can also work hand in hand to make changes.”

ASJ will continue to hold the Attorney General accountable to be “respectable, competent, diligent, independent, and brave, a person committed to lead the fight to reverse the impunity that has for so long damaged Honduras.”

After months of steadfast prayer, Onan is at peace with the results. But he adds, “Our work is not over yet. We have to continue praying, continue accompanying the process [so that] our country develops a just foundation.”

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ASJ-US and ASJ-Canada Joint Statement on Honduran Elections

December 2, 2025

ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US Congratulate the Honduran People, Call for Full and Transparent Results As sister organizations committed to justice, peace and hope in Honduras, ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US extend our deepest congratulations to the people of Honduras on the peaceful conduct of their national elections on November 30, 2025. With the initial tally showing an extraordinarily close vote, we call on election authorities to do what is necessary to ensure a transparent count of the remaining ballots in order to guarantee public trust in the final outcome. We commend the Honduran voters for their dedication to democratic participation and their commitment to shaping the future of their country through civic engagement. We also recognize the efforts of electoral authorities, civil society organizations, the international community and the thousands of volunteer observers who worked to ensure a transparent, orderly, and secure process. We are especially proud of our sister organization, ASJ-Honduras, for their unwavering commitment to democracy demonstrated through their electoral observation efforts, their analysis activities, and their consistent call for a fair and orderly process. Now that such a process has been achieved, the work turns to counting the votes with accuracy and transparency. The results remain close, increasing the possibility of a contested result. We support the work of the election officials at the National Electoral Council to give Hondurans confidence in the final results by conducting their count with rigor and transparency. We remain hopeful that the spirit of peaceful participation in the democratic process embraced by the electorate will carry forward into the post-election period to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with ASJ-Honduras as we all work together toward a just and hopeful future for all Hondurans. Matthew Van Geest President, Board of Directors ASJ-Canada Russ Jacobs President, Board of Directors ASJ-US

Artisans of Fraternity, Guardians of Hope

November 28, 2025

A call to action for Honduras

November 2025 ASJ-US Statement about Honduran Elections

By Elizabeth Hickel • November 25, 2025

The Association for a More Justice Society-US Supports the Network to Defend Democracy; Calls for Free and Fair Elections in Honduras November 25, 2025

Context Updates on the 2025 Elections in Honduras

November 13, 2025

Honduras’s Institutional Crisis Deepens Ahead of the 2025 Elections

HOPE

By Elizabeth Hickel • November 12, 2025

Dear friend, I couldn’t stop looking at the picture. Of course, there had been plenty of inspiring photos from this summer’s Prayer Walk for Peace and Democracy. The sea of blue and white rising and falling as hundreds of thousands walked the Honduran hills through Tegucigalpa, flowing like a never-ending stream. Catholic nuns praying their rosaries alongside Pentecostals dancing in the streets. But the picture that still knocks me flat is the closeup. The one of the two men standing side by side (picture enclosed). They are exhausted, and the shorter collapses into the taller. The tears mostly hold joy and relief, but they are mingled with something darker. After all, there had been threats—promises of harm done to themselves and their loved ones if they led their followers through the streets of Honduras in prayer. Despite the fear and intimidation, Pastor Gerardo Irías and Monsignor José Vicente Nácher forged ahead. They knew Honduras needed unity and, above all, prayer before the looming November 2025 presidential elections. As an ASJ supporter, you know that these kinds of threats aren’t out of the ordinary, and your support has helped slow and reverse violence in Honduras. Today, I am writing to share a way you can continue standing with brave Hondurans like Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José in hope. The Evangelical pastor and the Catholic archbishop put the word out as widely as they could to their churches, hoping to mobilize 20,000 to walk and pray. Instead, an estimated 230,000 walked in the capital of Tegucigalpa alone. It was a historic moment. And without your past support for ASJ, it may have never happened. After all, two years prior, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José didn’t even know each other’s names. They first met in 2023 at ASJ’s offices. They were two of many civil society leaders convened by ASJ to discuss safeguarding democracy– especially before the election in 2025. It was at that meeting that they shook each other’s hand and learned each other’s name. It was at that meeting–and many subsequent meetings–where old religious prejudices began to be replaced by trust and mutual affection. So, when the moment came this summer to act, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José knew what they had to do. And they knew that they had to do it together.