As urban ministry leaders and pastors in
Kansas City, we see the daily impact of a broken immigration system everyday as
we live among our immigrant neighbors and friends. We believe right now
is the time for the church in our city to develop attitudes and opinions about
immigration reform that are shaped not by our allegiances to political parties
nor to economic policies, but by our allegiance to Jesus Christ. We
believe the Bible speaks clearly and repeatedly about God’s concern for the
immigrant. Too often, the church has been among the last to stand up for
the dignity of the most vulnerable. Today, we have an opportunity to
change history, leading the way as advocates for our immigrant brothers and
sisters.
Our goals are to:
• Begin a conversation in KC churches to
seek out what God has to say about our responsibilities towards immigrants in
Scripture by taking the 40-day, “I Was a Stranger” challenge.
•
Develop opinions about immigration
reform that are formed first and foremost by the Bible rather than politics or
questions of economics. We act first as citizens of God’s Kingdom and
secondarily as citizens of the United States.
• Create awareness that it is primarily public policy that diminishes life to the full for undocumented immigrants and changing this demands political engagement. As Moses and Nehemiah petitioned secular governments to act on behalf of the vulnerable, we invite Christians who are wary of political advocacy to do the same.
•
Mobilize Christians to petition their
congresspersons through personal meetings, phone calls, and e-mails to
encourage them to vote in favor of legislation that reflects compassionate,
Christian hospitality for the immigrant.
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