Join Christian Leaders Responding to the Refugee and Muslim Ban
Dear President Trump & Congress:
As Christians rejecting refugees is un-Christian and a rejection of the values of our faith
You cannot reject refugees and call yourself a Christian.
As Christians, we follow Jesus as our example who told his followers, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing….Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” The book of Leviticus in the Old Testament gives further guidance: "The alien resides with you in your land; you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself."
As Americans, we have always been a country that welcomes the refugee. Inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty are these words, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Vetting refugees according to their faith is a violation of the fundamental American value of religious liberty.Welcoming the stranger among us is a cornerstone of our Christian faith, and at the core of our nation’s values. Christians and our churches have been welcoming refugees for 2,000 years, and we are committed to the mission set out for us in the Bible which guides our lives. Our faith does not tell us to welcome only “Christian refugees”. We are commanded to welcome the stranger among us and care for all those who are hurting.
We stand ready to welcome those who are seeking refuge and we call upon you to recognize the human dignity of our brothers and sisters in need by rejecting and reversing this executive order.
Rejecting refugees is un-Christian and a rejection of the values of our faith.
Add Your Name to the Christian open letter to President Trump & Congress:
191 people of faith & church leaders opposing policies that turn out back on refugees:
Rev. Jim Sessions, United Methodist Church (Knoxville, TN)
Pastor Enoch Fuzz, Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church (Nashville, TN)
Rev. Marcia Free, Uinted Church of Christ Minister/Chaplain Retired (Knoxville, TN)
Rev. Dr. Sandra Winter, Presbyterian Church (USA) (Chattanooga, TN)
Pastor William Berger, Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church (Franklin, TN)
Minister Kathleen Mckevitt, Unity Church (Hollister, ID)
Russell Meyer, Executive Director Florida Council of Churches (Tampa, FL)
Kathleen Shields, St. Johns Episcopal Church (Colorado)
Rev. Dr. Israel Alvaran, United Methodist Church (San Francisco, CA)
Rano Singh Sidhu, Punjabi Seva (Arizona)
Joan Brown, Exec Dor New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light (NM)
Rev. Rebecca David Hensley, United Methodist Church, North Texas Conference (Dallas, TX)
Rev. Elizabeth LaBella-Foster, United Methodist Church (Leesburg, VA)
Minister Jason Redick, Holy Covenant UMC (Carrollton, TX)
The Rev. Steve Oreskovich, Episcopal Church (Florence, MT)
Clark Sherman (Priest), Episcopal Church (Bozeman, MT)
Katherlyn Geter, Mt. Canaan (Chattanooga, TN)
Director Michael Adee, Global Faith & Justice Project (Santa Fe, NM)
Rev Margaret E Howland, Presbyterian Church (USA) (Orlando, FL)
Sr. Minister Dr. Derek Penwell, Douglass Blvd. Christian Church (Louisville, KY)
Pastor Sharon Kutz-Mellem, Presbyterian Church USA (Prospect, KY)
Rev. Cathy Hoop, University Presbyterian Church (Brentwood, AL)
Arnold Johnston, Presbyterian Church (USA) (Louisville, KY)
Rev. Mary Louise McCullough, Second Presbyterian Church (Nashville, TN)
Derwent Suthers, St. Andrews (Rio Rica, AZ)
Rev. Caroline Noll, First United Methodist Church (Garland, TX)
Pastor William Humes, Coventryville United Methodist Church (Pottstown, PA)
Pastor Les Chandler, Grace United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
Senior Pastor Brent Barry, NorthPark Presbyterian Church (Dallas, TX)
Rev. Beth Rakestraw, Divine Peace MCC (MI)
Rev. Ben David Hensley, Associate Pastor, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
Rev. Dr. Donna McNiel, New Mexico Conference of Churches (Albuquerque, NM)
Rev. Thomas Gildemeister, (Nashville, TN)
Senior Pastor Eric Folkerth, Northaven UMC (Dallas, TX)
Rev. Timothy Boeglin, Central United Methodist Church (Brownwood, TX)
Julie Spurlin-Hane, United Methodist Church - MI
Minister Philip Dieke, United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
Senior Minister Christine Ng, Central Congregational Church (Dallas, TX)
Russell Floyd, United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
Rev. Diana Holbert (Dallas, TX)
Amy Harris Medlam, United Church of Christ (Bethany, OK)
Rev. Renee Geiger, ELCA (Lutheran), (Bellmead, AZ)
Rev. Criag Geiger, ELCA Lutheran (Tucson, AZ)
Priest Frank Bergen, Episcopal Church of St. Matthew (Tucson, AZ)
Senior Pastor Mitchell Boone, White Rock UMC (Dallas, TX)
Senior Pastor Carol Sparks, Holy Covenant UMC (Carrollton, TX)
Church Elder Greg Gardner, Woodland Presbyterian Church (Nashville, TN)
Debra Vela , Candidate to Holy Orders , San Francisco de Asis Iglesia Episcopal (Mesquite, TX)
Senior Pastor, Wes Magruder, United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
Father Patrick Bell, St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Coeur D'Alene, ID)
Steven Yurosko, Episcopal Church (Polson, MT)
Rev. Dr. Christy Thomas, United Methodist Church (Frisco, TX)
Pastor Joseph Stabile, Cochran Chapel UMC (Richardson, TX)
Minister Terry Heislen, First United Methodist Church (Plano, TX)
Pastor Dawn Anderson, Highland Park United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
Pastor Sara Kolenda, Franklin Forks United Methodist (PA)
Rev. Jonathan Grace (Carrollton, TX)
Minister Suzanne Cate (Granbury, TX)
Pastor, Rev. Kathy Mclean-Davis, First United Methodist Church (Trenton, TX)
Reverend Carol Montgomery, North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
Rev. Michael Mansfield (Lexington, KY)
Rev. Dr. Keith A. Jenkins, Texas Annual Conference, UMC (Houston, TX)
Hind Jarrah, Texas Muslim Womens Foundation Executive Director (McKinney, TX)
Rev. Katie Shockley, Community United Methodist Church (Lavon, TX)
Sally Climer, Kessler Park United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
Jennifer Dunn, The Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan (Knoxville, TN)
Rev. Daniel Kanter, Sr. Minister First Unitarian Church of Dallas (Dallas, TX)
Joe Stobaugh, Grace Avenue UMC Executive Minister of Wirship and Arts (Frisco, TX)
Rev. Gregory Ryan, Oakland Christian United Church of Christ (Suffolk, VA)
Pastor Bernice Powell Jackson, First United Church of Tampa (Tampa, FL)
Rev. John A. Bell, Lakewood Methodist (St Petersburg, FL)
Rev. Terri Grotzinger, Episcopal Church (Missoula, MT)
Rev. William Baumgarten, Kalispell Episcopal Church (Kalispell, MT)
Gary W. Hawk, United Church of Christ (Missoula, MT)
Rev. Wally Butts, First United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)