Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UMNS
Immigration Rally
Participants in a May 13 immigration rally outside the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore.
I have been a daily reader of United Methodist news and Twitter for several years, and the response to US President Trump's temporary ban on migrants and refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries was one of the most prolific responses to an event I have yet seen by United Methodists. While responses ranged from individual tweets to blog posts to official statements, I thought it may be useful to compile a list of official statements by bishops and denominational agencies, which appears below. Readers who are aware of statements not included in the list are encouraged to share them in the comments section.
UMNS news story summarizing United Methodist responses as of Jan. 30
General Board of Church and Society statement standing with immigrants and refugees
Global Ministries statement on "Ministry with Migrants and Refugees"
United Methodist Women statement opposing refugee ban
General Commission on Religion and Race statement on "Welcoming Immigrants"
National Justice for Our Neighbors (NJFON), a United Methodist-sponsored program, statement on "Still Standing with our Immigrant Neighbors"
Episcopal statements:
- From the Northeast Jurisdiction College of Bishops
- From all of the bishops in Texas
- From Bruce Ough, President of the Council of Bishops and resident bishop of the Minnesota and Dakotas Annual Conferences
- From David Bard, of the Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences
- From Thomas Bickerton, of the New York Annual Conference
- From Sally Dyck, of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference
- From Latrelle Easterling, of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference
- From Peggy Johnson, of the Eastern Pennsylvania and Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conferences
- From Bill McAlilly, of the Tennessee and Memphis Annual Conferences
- From Julius Trimble, of the Indiana Annual Conference
Other US annual conferences reprinted Bishop Ough's statement or published information about United Methodist views on immigration without releasing an episcopal statement.
Several United Methodist leaders also signed joint statements with other faith leaders, including the following:
- A letter supporting refugee resettlement from the Interfaith Immigration Coalition
- Two statements signed by Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar, of the New England Annual Conference
A United Methodist layman, Dr. David W. Scott serves as director of mission theology for the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries in Atlanta. He volunteers as the curator of the collaborative blog, UM & Global, on behalf of United Methodist Professors of Mission, from which this post is republished with the author's permission.