We stand united as people of faith in our commitments to welcome the stranger and to care for the most vulnerable – commitments rooted in our common understanding of our Creator’s love for all and call to serve our neighbors.
In these overlapping holy days of Purim, Lent, and Ramadan, we join our voices together to express our grave concern for the individuals and families seeking refuge in this country. We are particularly devastated and concerned for the welfare of the thousands of refugees who were approved and even ready for travel, only to have their plane tickets taken away.
For more than four decades, our faith-rooted organizations have partnered with the US government to ensure that people forced to flee their country because of conflict, violence, or persecution are vetted and arrive legally, to be welcomed in this country with services to meet their basic needs.
The recent US State Department termination of cooperative agreements with the 10 national resettlement agencies in the US has made already-at-risk people even more vulnerable. We urge all people of faith and goodwill to join us in advocating with our elected leaders for our partnerships with the government to be restored so that we can fully work with those we are called to serve.
We invite you to join us in prayer for all people who are forced to flee home. May they know our deep and abiding commitment to their lives and well-being.
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Alesia Frerichs, President & CEO, Lutheran Services in America
Myal Greene, President & CEO, World Relief
Mark Hetfield, President, HIAS
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union for Reform Judaism
The Rev. Walter Kim, President, National Association of Evangelicals
Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Kerry Alys Robinson, President & CEO, Catholic Charities USA
Basharat Saleem, Executive Director, Islamic Society of North America
Richard L. Santos, President & CEO, Church World Service
Ahmed Shehata, Chief Executive Officer, Islamic Relief USA
The Rev. Sarah Shipman, Director, Episcopal Migration Ministries
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO, Global Refuge
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
