Conference participants in Rome have condemned xenophobia and racism directed at refugees and migrants. Leaders were called to the World Conference on Xenophobia, Racism, and Populist Nationalism in the Context of Global Migration, which met in Rome on Sept. 18-20. The gathering was sponsored by Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the World Council … [Read more...] about Conference Condemns Xenophobia
refugees
World Refugee Day Video
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has recorded a brief video message on behalf of Episcopal Migration Ministries for World Refugee Day. Bishop Curry says: Our work with and for refugees began when we began to follow Jesus, to follow his way and his teachings. It is because we are followers of Jesus, because we follow the way of love, because we follow the way of compassion, … [Read more...] about World Refugee Day Video
Worship Shapes Welcome
Regular churchgoers are less likely to be hostile to immigration than people who call themselves Christians but do not attend church very often. This is a finding from new research conducted by the University of Bristol on behalf of the BBC. Siobhan McAndrew, a sociologist at the University of Bristol, is uncertain why regular churchgoers are more open and tolerant toward … [Read more...] about Worship Shapes Welcome
Abp. Welby on Sudan
The Archbishop of Canterbury writes on Facebook about his recent visit to Sudan and Uganda, on which he visited two refugee camps: I am left wondering whether the cause of this crisis can be resolved. Is it possible for peace to be achieved in South Sudan? This question formed the basis of my meetings with President Museveni and with Mrs Rebecca Garang, wife of the late Dr … [Read more...] about Abp. Welby on Sudan
Be Alert to Possibilities
The Rt. Rev. George Wayne Smith, Bishop of Missouri, reflects on the principle of sanctuary: Almost every parish or mission in Missouri has the resources and the character necessary to help newcomers resettle in our country. The smaller church which I served in Des Moines could and did sponsor refugee families as they came to Iowa. Circumstances have changed since the 1990s … [Read more...] about Be Alert to Possibilities
Singing Welcome
The Hymn Society’s newsletter reports: The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada seeks hymns and songs related to welcoming refugees and immigrants. Our goal is the compilation of a collection of 30-40 congregational songs. Through The Hymn Society’s website, these will be made available for use in worship without charge. We invite both published and unpublished … [Read more...] about Singing Welcome
Plan for Compassion
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald Long aligned with progressive causes, Augustana Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon, did not hesitate when Pastor Mark Knutson announced 20 years ago that the church would be a “sanctuary congregation” where undocumented immigrants could avoid federal agents with warrants to deport them. But that did not mean Augustana’s congregants were fully … [Read more...] about Plan for Compassion
A Refugee Voice at Fringe
By John Martin The experiences of Eritrean refugees in the Calais refugee camp known as the Jungle is the centerpiece of a play sponsored by the Church of England at this summer’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Still Here traces the nine-day journey of a man who fled Eritrea, one of the most repressive countries in Africa. His mother and sister were imprisoned for their faith … [Read more...] about A Refugee Voice at Fringe