Churches and Refugee Sponsorship

  

                                                                                  Kelly Latimore 

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink?  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’

           Matthew 25: 37-40 NSVue -- Jesus of Nazareth

You may have seen that a growing number of religious groups working with migrants and asylum seekers in the United States are coming up against hard realities in terms of funding. The current administration is xenophobic to the extreme and has threatened to cut off financial aid to some of those religious entities which have worked with government in sponsorship and support for decades. This sort of cooperation has existed in Canada a well and government financial assistance was vital when we sponsored Syrian refugees a decade ago. 

The latest twist in almost beyond belief. President Trump has repeatedly claimed that white South African farmers, known as Afrikaners, are facing genocide and land seizures. There is no evidence to support this and in South Africa only 7% of the population is white and own 70% of commercial farmland. Yet the Trump administration classified the white Afrikaners as refugees earlier this year making wild claims about their persecution. 

                                                 South African immigrants arriving in the US

The first "refugees" arrived this week and the government is insisting that the Episcopal Church help resettle them or risk defunding. The response from the Episcopalians is to end it's agreement. Once again those who are working for the betterment of the marginalized and oppressed are being forced into decisions that are antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ which informs their involvement in the first place. 

Here is a portion of coverage by the Washington Post that helps us realize what a sorry situation this is 

The Episcopal Church is ending its refugee resettlement agreement with the federal government rather than comply with a directive to help resettle White South Africans arriving in the United States as refugees, citing its “steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation.”

The church’s decision Monday, the same day that dozens of Afrikaners granted refugee status landed at Dulles International Airport drew criticism from the White House and Vice President JD Vance.

The church’s presiding bishop, Sean Rowe, said in a letter that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which the church’s resettlement ministry participated in for decades, “has essentially shut down” since January, with no refugees arriving and hundreds of staff laid off. Then, several weeks ago, the Trump administration told the church that it would be expected to resettle the White Afrikaners under the terms of its federal grant.

Rowe said the church wouldn’t do so given the “highly unusual manner” in which the federal government selected the White South Africans, who received “preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years.” Instead, he said, the church would end its refugee resettlement grant agreements with the government by the end of the fiscal year in September.

“I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country,” Rowe wrote. “I also grieve that victims of religious persecution, including Christians, have not been granted refuge in recent months.”

Shameful indeed.