From the pulpit to the picket line: For many miners, religion and labour rights have long been connected in coal country.

The article reflects on the retirement of longtime United Mine Workers of America president Cecil Roberts, highlighting his deep Appalachian roots, leadership through coal industry decline, and the historic intertwining of religion and labor activism in coal country. Topics include Roberts' legacy and union leadership; the cultural and historical connection between faith and labor movements in Appalachia; and the broader social and spiritual identity shaped by coal mining communities.