Dear Friends,
Some of you may have heard that the Episcopal Church has refused to help resettle white South Africans who have been brought to this country as refugees.
As always, the issue is more complicated than it seems. First, some background: the United States, along with many other countries, participates in refugee resettlement through the work of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which works to resettle those who have fled their country due to war or persecution. Most refugees—settled in asylum countries, often in camps—wait for years to be vetted for medical conditions, security clearances, and more. Once they are approved for resettlement in the U.S., they are handed off to a resettlement agency inside our country that helps our new neighbors settle into homes, get medical services, enroll children in school, and find jobs. The U. S. Government largely funds the work of these groups, often run by religious organizations. Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) is one of those organizations and has resettled over 100,000 refugees in its 40 year history.
When I was in seminary we met with the Executive Director of the local resettlement agency who said that refugee resettlement was one of the best-kept secrets of our government. He argued that it was a moral good that was also safe and cost-effective; after all, refugees are carefully scrutinized and must repay the cost of their travel and, often, other resettlement costs.
During my time as a priest, I have always had an association with the local resettlement agency, sometimes Episcopalian, sometimes Lutheran. Here at All Saints we have helped resettle families through Exodus World Service many times over, whether accompanying a family over time or just helping to set up a new apartment for a family. It is humbling to see the courage of a family leaving a home they love due to fear and violence in order to start over in a country often entirely different than their own.
On his first day in office, the President signed an Executive Order suspending all refugee resettlement. In the past few days, a process reopened to resettle only a small group of white South Africans, whom the President claims are victims of genocide, a claim unsupported by any evidence. The Federal Government asked EMM to help resettle these white South Africans.
Sean Rowe, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, after consultation with the Anglican Province of South African, decided to end our relationship with the government to resettle refugees. As Bishop Rowe wrote in a letter to the church, our church cannot participate in a process where “one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years.”
This is a long letter, but I wanted to write to you about this issue because it highlights the question Christians must always ask: what does our faith require of us? In this case, those who follow Jesus must say “no” to taking government funds, which means EMM employees will be let go and part of an agency that has done great good will, for now, be closed. EMM will continue to help recently resettled refugees and other migrants, but this is a blow.
We live in a precarious time when the Gospel itself is being distorted, as basic Christian values of righteousness and mercy are being attacked. Following Jesus and his way of grace, love, and mercy is not easy and, often, not clear, but this time, I think we got it right.
See you in church!
Faithfully, Suzanne+