Last week, Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement agency of the Episcopal Church, launched a fundraising campaign called Stand To Support Refugees. Funds donated will support the Episcopal Church’s ministry to refugees, which began in the nineteenth century and expanded to include refugee resettlement with the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980.
The campaign is prompted by the Trump administration’s attempts to suspend refugee resettlement entirely for 120 days and reduce by more than 50% the number of refugees scheduled to be resettled in the United States. President Trump has signed two executive orders suspending the refugee resettlement program, but both have been blocked by federal judges.
Despite the temporary rulings, federal funding for refugee resettlement has been slashed, and grants to Episcopal Migration Ministries and other refugee resettlement agencies have decreased dramatically. But the Rev. Canon Mark Stevenson, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries, says that the agency’s work will continue despite funding shortfalls.
“Episcopal Migration Ministries is committed to embracing the command of Jesus, and his definition of neighbor,” Stevenson said. “We recognize that there is little to fear from those who have themselves fled violence for fear of their lives. We respect and value the dignity of every human being. Our interest is only in being ‘neighbor’ to those who need to know peace and comfort.”
“The Stand To Support Refugees campaign will fund ministries and will lay the groundwork for a strong future,” he said.
To contribute to Stand To Support Refugees, visit Episcopal Migration Ministries online.
