Love in Action: Episcopal Churches Welcome Refugees

LOVE IN ACTION
Episcopal Churches Welcome Refugees

Introductions
LOVE IN ACTION

• Technical issues? Use questions pane to contact Claudia Carrete or
email questions to Kendall Martin, kmartin@episcopalchurch.org
• Webinar will be available on-demand: www.vimeo.com/EMMRefugees
• Live tweeting via @EMMRefugees, @TheEPPN
• #StandToSupportRefugees #LoveInAction
• You are muted
• Use question function to submit questions; introduce yourself.
• Submit questions throughout webinar; we will answer at the end.
• Post-webinar follow-up.
LOVE IN ACTION

• Framing the Conversation
• Panelists
• West Virginia Interfaith Refugee Ministry, Diocese of West Virginia
• Refugee Community Center, Allentown, Diocese of Bethlehem
• Northern Virginia Friends of Refugees, Diocese of Virginia
• Dialogue: Q&A
• Follow-Up
• Stand to Support Refugees Campaign
• Resources from Today’s Presentation
• Virtual Round Table – limited seats!
• Contact Information
LOVE IN ACTION

Prerequisite for today’s webinar:
The Episcopal Church Welcomes Refugees
February 1, 2017
www.vimeo.com/emmrefugees
LOVE IN ACTION

On Monday, March 3, President Trump rescinded his January 27 executive order on refugees
and replaced it with a new one. The executive order, among other things, institutes the
following:
• Implements, at a minimum a 90-day ban of people from Syria, Iran, Somalia, Sudan,
Libya, and Yemen with some exceptions such as green card holders from those countries or
dual nationals
• Implements, at a minimum a 120-day suspension of the entire refugee resettlement
program
• Decreases arrivals of refugees to the U.S. in fiscal year 2017 from an expected 110,000 to
50,000
• Directs a new role for states and localities regarding placement and resettlement of
refugees
• Mandates a review and additional security vetting procedures for refugees, immigrants,
nonimmigrants
Maintaining our national security and welcoming those fleeing persecution are not mutually
exclusive.
advocacy.episcopalchurch.org
LOVE IN ACTION

LOVE IN ACTION
WVIRM is an interfaith
organization of community
members
WVIRM’s mission is striving
to improve the lives of
refugees

LOVE IN ACTION
WVIRM: Who are we?

LOVE IN ACTION
Our Beginnings
• Many of us first
met during an EMM
Webinar we
watched at St.
John’s Episcopal
Church in October
2015.
• Here we are
meeting with
elected officials at
St. John’s in
December 2015

LOVE IN ACTION
EMM’s Newest Resettlement
Partner: The US State
Department has approved an
EMM partnership with WV
Episcopal Diocese, with
advisory and volunteer help
from WVIRM, to resettle
approx. 100 refugees per year
(about 30 families) in
Charleston, WV starting in
2017.

LOVE IN ACTION
Our Community Action & Fundraising

LOVE IN ACTION
Our Community & Political Education/Activism Efforts

LOVE IN ACTION
What does the future hold for WVIRM?

LOVE IN ACTION
A Love That
Grows
In the
Neighborhood
Refugee Community Center
Episcopal Church of the Mediator
Allentown, PA • Diocese of Bethlehem

LOVE IN ACTION
Northern Virginia
(NoVa)
Friends of Refugees

LOVE IN ACTION
 Who is St. George’s / NoVa Friends of Refugees?
 What have we accomplished and what are our plans ahead?
 What were our lessons learned?

LOVE IN ACTION
Who is St. George’s Episcopal Church?
• Based in Arlington, VA with over
100 years of history
• Mid-size church with 525
members and 200+ regular
worshippers
• Highly-educated congregation
consists of mid-career to senior
professionals with ties to the
federal government
• Mostly middle-age to retirees but
seeing a growing 20s and 30s
group
We are a church of intellectual and
busy people!

LOVE IN ACTION
The Genesis of NoVa Friends of Refugees
• Saw a need to respond and counter the
hateful rhetoric during Presidential
campaign
• Hosted a 3-part refugee educational
forum to inform the community about
the issue and how to get involved
• Attended by ~170 ppl from the Greater DC
region
• Interfaith gathering of Christians, Muslims,
and Jews
• Model replicated by at least one church
• 2 local newspapers coverage (Sun Gazette
and Falls Church News Press)

LOVE IN ACTION
 Who is St. George’s Episcopal Church/ NoVa Friends of Refugees?
 What have we accomplished and our plans ahead?
 What were lessons learned?

LOVE IN ACTION
NoVa Friends of Refugees Today
Vision: To make every refugee feel welcome and every resident a welcoming
friend to them
Key Info:
• Has 280 members (and growing!) from across the US and UK
• A robust network of faith communities (23), gov’t agencies (9), NGOs (22), local
businesses (7), and refugee leaders and individuals
• Share advocacy info, news on refugees, organize events, and connect members with
engagement, volunteer and opportunities to interact with refugees

LOVE IN ACTION
Advocacy
Community
Events
Life Skills Program
Our Plans for 2017 • 2x4 Fight for Refugee
Advocacy Challenge
• Call representative four
times in 2 months
• Adopted by EMM to push
out to all
• Raise Your Voice! Advocacy
Workshop & Refugee
Volunteer Fair (3/18) in
Arlington VA!
• Visit representatives TBD
• ESL and/or
Employment programs
• Support NGOs to
enhance existing life
skills programs
• Identify/create
opportunities for
members to get
involved (e.g., mock
interviews, sponsor
employment program
participants)
• World Culture/Food
Festival
• Around Crop Walk
(Oct) to amplify
issue
• Showcase talents of
refugees and provide
interaction
opportunities
• Engage media and
raise awareness

LOVE IN ACTION
 Who is St. George’s Episcopal Church/ NoVa Friends of Refugees?
 What have we accomplished and what are our plans ahead?
 What were our lessons learned?

LOVE IN ACTION
Insights and Lessons Learned
 Successful refugee integration depends on a
welcoming community
 A welcoming community = good soil: We chose to fertilize and
work on the soil
 Our belief is that attitude of a community can be changed
through advocacy, awareness building and engagement
 Advocacy: Staying quiet and focus on helping the refugees is
no longer an option; We must be vocal with elected officials!
 Sustainable program needs to be balanced and a good fit
for the community
 Type of engagement (e.g., help that fit the gifts of your
congregation/ community)
 Length of engagement (e.g., have something for those with lots of
time and those with limited time)
 Partner with others & share: to scale is to partner with
others and the broader faith community; willing to share what
we’ve learned and accomplished

LOVE IN ACTION
How Churches Can Get Started
Partner with Us to Start a Movement!
 Partner to organize & build a welcoming community
 Email Wendy Chan (wendy.chan.wg08@Wharton.upenn.edu)
Do It Yourself!
 Educate the congregation & feature refugee speakers
 Film: Salam Neighbor
 Invite experts and refugee speakers
 Start a book club: A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea – Melissa Fleming & others
 Contact refugee-focused organizations for sponsorship & volunteering opportunities
 9 Resettlement agencies (CWS, ECDC, USCCB/Catholic Charities, EMM/Episcopal Church,
IRC, LIRS/Lutherans, USCRI, World Relief, HIAS)
 Other refugees/ immigrant-focused organizations, e.g., No One Left Behind – SIV, Upwardly
Global – skilled refugee employment, Just Neighbors – legal services
 Fundraising for refugees
 Global – UNHCR, MSF, SOS Children’s Village, Save the Children, CWS, IRC
 US resettlement agencies/local organizations (see above)
Join NoVa Friends of Refugees!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/novafriendsofrefugees/
Google Group: email Wendy Chan (wendy.chan.wg08@Wharton.upenn.edu)

LOVE IN ACTION
Conclusion
"The world is moved along, not only by the
mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the
aggregate of tiny pushes of each honest
worker."
- Helen Keller

Post your questions
in the chat box
LOVE IN ACTION

Support the work of
Episcopal Migration Ministries
LOVE IN ACTION
Bit.ly/EMMDonation | www.episcopalmigrationministries.org

Join the
Episcopal Public Policy Network
LOVE IN ACTION

Virtual Round Tables
Only 10 seats available per “table”
All times Eastern
• West Virginia Interfaith Refugee Ministry: Wednesday, March 15, 6-7pm
• Northern Virginia Friends of Refugees: Thursday, March 16, 6-7pm
• Refugee Community Center, Allentown: Thursday, March 23, 2-3pm
Sign-ups will be in your follow-up email
If you are not able to get a seat at a table, but would like to listen to the recording of a conversation,
please email Allison – aduvall@episcopalchurch.org to request the recording.
LOVE IN ACTION

Future “Love in Action” Offerings
LOVE IN ACTION
We’d love to hear your
Love in Action story.
Share it with us at
bit.ly/YourWelcomeStory.

Claudia Carrete
Program Specialist – Family Reunification
ccarrete@episcopalchuch.org
Allison Duvall
Manager for Church Relations & Engagement
aduvall@episcopalchurch.org
Kendall Martin
Manager for Communications
kmartin@episcopalchurch.org
Lacy Broemel
Refugee & Immigration Policy Analyst
Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations
lbroemel@episcopalchurch.org
LOVE IN ACTION

episcopalmigrationministries.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EMMRefugees
Twitter: @EMMRefugees
Video: www.vimeo.com/EMMRefugees
Episcopal Public Policy Network
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheEPPN
Twitter: @TheEPPN
LOVE IN ACTION

Love in Action: Episcopal Churches Welcome Refugees

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (20)

Similar to Love in Action: Episcopal Churches Welcome Refugees

Similar to Love in Action: Episcopal Churches Welcome Refugees (20)

More from Episcopal Migration Ministries

More from Episcopal Migration Ministries (13)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Love in Action: Episcopal Churches Welcome Refugees

Editor's Notes