Adapted from the Office of Public Affairs
The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society will present an hour-long webinar February 19 to explore the current status of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The free churchwide webinar begins at 7 p.m. Eastern and will be available on-demand after the event.
The webinar will be led by Kurt Bonz, program manager for Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement service of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society; Allison Duvall, Episcopal Migration Ministries’ church relations manager; and Katie Conway, policy analyst for immigration and refugees in the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society’s Office of Government Relations.
The goals of the webinar:
- Provide a survey of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Update the current status of Congolese refugees
- Suggest what can be done in communities to continue to welcome Congolese refugees as they arrive in the United States seeking safety, peace, and a chance to begin their lives again
- Examine ways for faith community support and advocacy for the plight of Congolese refugees
- Review how congregations can prepare to welcome these new Americans into the community
“Over the next 4 to 5 years, the United States expects to welcome tens of thousands of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, scene of some of the world’s worst ongoing violence and human rights abuses,” said Deborah Stein, Episcopal Migration Ministries director. “Both this webinar and our March #ShareTheJourney pilgrimage to the Great Lakes Region of Africa are part of a broader campaign to bring awareness about the plight of Congolese refugees and the ways Episcopalians can be involved in welcoming these new Americans.”
Participation is by registration here.
Questions are welcomed and encouraged and may be submitted via the webinar chat room or on social media using #ShareTheJourney.
The webinar content is ideal for Sunday forums, discussion groups, adult formation classes, youth groups, and formation classes. A discussion guide is available here.
For more information, contact Duvall.
