The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is one of the major sponsors of Together We Welcome, a five-day virtual Church World Service (CWS) conference to strengthen support in the faith community for immigrants, migrants and refugees.
An undercurrent of fear ran through the celebration for graduates of English as a Second Language classes conducted by the refugee resettlement agency World Relief at Carmichael Presbyterian Church in Carmichael, California, a city 11 miles northeast of Sacramento.
Watching the news as the United States military pulled out of Afghanistan after a near-20-year war, bringing with it thousands of Afghan refugees, members of First Presbyterian Church in New Haven, Connecticut, knew they wanted to help.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness is calling on the U.S. Congress and the White House to expedite admission of Afghan refugees to the United States, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is providing a guide for how Presbyterians and others can make their communities welcoming destinations for refugees.
Balloons swayed in the air, children kicked their swings toward the sky, and laughter floated beyond the fence as congregants and friends of Second Presbyterian Church gathered on the church’s playground after one of its first in-person worship services in months.
Forced to leave their homes and their countries, migrants often set out on journeys with a vague understanding of where they are headed. Refugees and asylum seekers know that even when the physical route itself is direct, their metaphorical journey is much less certain.
People from Cameroon, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo are held in immigration detention centers because they put their trust in the United States as a place of safety, only to be denied due process and ordered deported.
The Office of Public Witness is asking Presbyterians to take a few minutes before the Labor Day weekend to contact their congressional delegation about upcoming consultations over how many refugees can enter the country during the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
In the coming days, Presbyterians have multiple ways to show their support for refugees in the United States and abroad, including attending a virtual town hall on Thursday.
Refugees waiting for the possibility of resettlement go through an exhausting, disconcerting process that can take many years to navigate, usually while waiting in a dangerous place.
