VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (ABP) — More than two dozen national and regional leaders of American Baptist Churches USA signed a letter supporting immigration reform that reflects "mercy and justice rooted in God's love."
"We do not claim any superior understanding of the issue or what the gospel demands of us," the letter, dated May 14, acknowledged. "We know there are differing perspectives in our denominational family." One purpose behind the letter, the signers said, "is to encourage brothers and sisters in the faith to share those different perspectives so that our conversation and our responses in word and deed can be richer and more representative."
The letter, product of a May 6 gathering at the ABCUSA Mission Center in Valley Forge, Pa., to discuss how American Baptists might engage the issue of immigration and immigration reform, said participants are not of one mind about the details of immigration reform.
"We know that any reform must consider such widespread concerns as national security, appropriate means of border control and the impact on our economic and social welfare systems," it said.
At the same time the leaders said "there is broad agreement" supporting immigration-reform legislation that "is consistent with humanitarian values, supports families, provides a pathway to citizenship for immigrant workers already in the U.S., expands legal avenues for workers to enter the U.S. with their rights and due process fully protected and examines solutions to address the root causes of migration."
The leaders said American Baptists have been at the forefront of welcoming immigrants since the turn of the 20th century. As a result, no single racial/ethnic group holds majority membership any longer in the denomination.
"Consequently, in congregation after congregation, we have undocumented persons worshiping with us as beloved brothers and sisters in Christ," the letter said. "This very personal face of the undocumented in our midst reminds us that they are part of the dialogue and not just an object of it."
Signers to the letter include Roy Medley, general secretary of American Baptist Churches USA; Sumner Grant, executive director of the ABC Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board; Reid Trulson, executive director of American Baptist International Ministries and Aidsand Wright-Riggins, executive director of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.