Immigration Resources

Lenten Devotions

Resources for Faithfully Standing with the Vulnerable

“As United Methodists, we must live the gospel we proclaim. For such a time as this, we must preach the courage of our Wesleyan convictions, teach a theology that welcomes the stranger, and advocate a witness that stands with the marginalized and oppressed... Now is the time for us to stand on the side of justice. In the words of Dr. King, 'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.' Now is the time for us to stand on holy ground.”

– excerpted from Bishop LaTrelle Easterling’s Statement on Jan. 31, 2017

DACA

United to Love at the Border

The resource list that follows seeks to help leaders and congregations discover how to find and stand on holy ground instead of siding with one party or another. Sometimes the line between faithfulness and politics can be difficult to find. But as Jesus followers, let’s not allow our fear of “being political” prevent us from acting out of our grounding in the Great Commandment and Matthew 25. One way of staying on solid ground is to not participate in name-calling or blaming, but to speak to and act on the issue at hand that is not in line with the values and life example of Jesus.

Let’s be love and light together even though we may not agree on specific political parties, agendas and tactics. As John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement said: “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.”

Download a PDF of these resources

For congregations who don’t understand why the church has issued a pro-immigrant/refugee statement:

For congregations who want to organize themselves to engage:

For congregations who want to become a part of the sanctuary movement:

The Sanctuary Movement is an ecumenical effort to protect immigrant families who face workplace discrimination or unjust deportation. There are several sites that are dedicated to this.