Tennessee Evangelical Statement on Refugees & Immigration
Stand with Christians across Tennessee urging state leaders to uphold policies rooted in the biblical principles of compassion, justice and hospitality.
Why a Statement from Tennessee Evangelical Christians?
As evangelical Christians in Tennessee, we are called to reflect Christ’s love through our words, actions, and public witness. The Tennessee Evangelical Statement on Refugees & Immigration offers an opportunity to affirm our shared biblical convictions—upholding the dignity of every person, protecting family unity, safeguarding religious liberty and extending hospitality to the stranger.
Rooted in Scripture, this statement invites our leaders to consider policies shaped by compassion, justice, and respect for human life. We encourage you to read and sign the statement—joining with others across our state who are committed to honoring Christ by advocating for immigration policies that reflect the heart of the Gospel.
Tennessee Evangelical Statement on Refugees & Immigration
As evangelical Christians throughout the State of Tennessee, our views on the complex issues of refugees and immigration are rooted in our commitment to the authority of Scripture over all of our lives. While immigration is certainly an important political issue, for us it is first and foremost a biblical issue with significant ramifications for the mission of the church in our state and around the world. We wish to be clear about the biblical principles that guide us, so that immigrants in our state – many of whom are brothers and sisters in Christ, all of whom are neighbors whom Jesus commands us to love (Luke 10:27) – know we stand with them. We urge fellow believers of any background to prayerfully consider and apply these biblical principles, so that elected governmental leaders at the federal, state and local level may also prudentially reflect these biblical principles.
Recognizing Human Dignity
Christians believe that each human being has been fearfully and wonderfully made in the Image of God (Psalm 139: 14, Gen 1:27), regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, age or stage of development, legal status or any other factor. This conviction compels us to treat and speak of all people with respect and civility and to reject dehumanizing rhetoric – whether of immigrants or of those who may disagree with our approach to immigration issues. Since we are made in the image of our Creator, each person – including immigrants – also has potential to create and contribute, and we acknowledge with gratitude the many ways that immigrants contribute to our state, including $4.4 billion in taxes paid annually by Tennessee immigrants in recent years.
Demonstrating Compassion and Hospitality
Throughout the Old Testament, immigrants are recognized alongside orphans and widows as uniquely vulnerable to injustice; God makes clear his own love for these people (Deuteronomy 10:18, Psalm 146:9) and compels his people to love and protect them (Deuteronomy 10:19, Jeremiah 22:3, Zechariah 7:9-10, Malachi 3:5), which has both individual and societal ramifications (Deuteronomy 24:19-22). The New Testament repeatedly calls followers of Jesus to “practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13) – literally to practice loving strangers – and suggests that by doing so we may be welcoming an angel (Hebrew 13:2) or Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:31-45).
Respect for the Rule of Law and Governmental Authority
While the Church’s role in showing love and compassion and proclaiming the gospel is clear, the government also has a vital and distinct role that the Scriptures affirm as God-ordained (Romans 13:1-5). We affirm the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens, which includes ensuring secure borders and deporting individuals convicted of violent crimes who present a threat to public safety. Such enforcement of law should always respect due process, to ensure that the governmental rulers “are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad” (Romans 13:3 CSB).
Protecting Family Unity and the Wellbeing of Children
Even before God established governments, he instituted the family, at the very beginning of Creation (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6), which is why nine out of ten evangelical Christians tell Lifeway Research that immigration policies should respect the unity of the immediate family. Except under rare extenuating circumstances to protect public safety, we should not separate husbands and wives – separating what God has joined together – nor children from their parents, whom God has designated for their nurture and protection. An estimated 70,000 U.S. citizen minor children in Tennessee live with at least one family member who could be at risk of deportation; except when these individuals have been found to present a credible public safety threat, we believe that these immigrant parents should have the opportunity to make amends for any violation of an immigration law through more humane forms of restitution, such as by paying a fine, and then be allowed to stay lawfully with their families. Jesus makes clear that children hold a special priority in God’s kingdom (Mark 10:13-15, Matthew 18:10) and sternly warns against causing children to stumble (Matthew 18:6). Our policies should prioritize the wellbeing of children and should not penalize children – regardless of their legal status – for decisions they had no say in as minors, ensuring them access to education and opportunity.
Preserving Religious Liberty
In order for the church to faithfully obey biblical commandments, it is vital that the government respect religious liberty. Government should not impose barriers or restrictions on churches or other institutions or individuals motivated by their religious beliefs, including those who provide spiritual and material support for immigrants, regardless of their legal status. Religious liberty should be respected for all, including for those of other religious traditions. Only in such an environment can we proclaim the hope of the gospel without hindrance (Acts 28:31) and be confident that those who hear are free to either receive or reject it, without governmental interference or coercion. Our commitment to religious freedom also compels us to welcome those denied religious liberty in other countries, which is why we urge Tennessee to continue to welcome refugees, lawfully admitted immigrants who fled a threat of persecution abroad for reasons including their faith in Jesus.
Conclusion
We are thankful for our state and our country, which allow us to live out these biblically-rooted convictions, to disciple those under our spiritual care, and to encourage our governing authorities to reflect them as well, while acknowledging that Christians equally committed to the authority of the Scriptures may come to differing conclusions on the specific applications of these principles. We pray that our state will honor God as we engage both the challenges and opportunities associated with refugees and immigration.
*Organizational affiliations are mentioned for identification purposes only.
Organizational and institutional affiliation is included for identification purposes only:
Alphabetical Order
Rev. Nic Allen, Pastor, Rolling Hills Community Church, Nashville, TN
Rev. Chris Bennett, Lead Pastor, Renewal Church, Memphis, TN
Dr. Rick Bennett, Executive Director, Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Maryville, TN
David Best, President, Towel & Basin, Nashville, TN
John Chumley, Pastor, Comunidad en Cristo Baptist Church, Memphis, TN
Dr. JP Conway, Senior Pastor, Acklen Avenue Church of Christ, Nashville, TN
Dr. Stephen Cook, Senior Pastor, Second Baptist Church, Memphis, TN
Steve Corbett, Author, Assistant Professor, Covenant College, Chattanooga, TN
Rev. Kevin Cox, Missions Pastor, Mosaic Church, Memphis, TN
Ramiro Cruz, Senior Pastor, Mosaico Church, Smyrna, TN
Dr. Jennifer Dyer, The 2030 Collaborative, Nashville, TN
Michael Erre, Pastor, Journey Church, Voxology Podcast, Brentwood, TN
Dr. Brian Fikkert, Author, When Helping Hurts, Chattanooga, TN
Eddie Foster, Missions Director (Retired), Second Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
Rev. Micah Fries, Director, Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, Chattanooga, TN
Rev. Wes Gristy, Senior Pastor, All Saints Anglican Church, Jackson TN
Rev. Stacey Harwell-Dye, Reverend, West End UMC, Nashville, TN
Natalie Hennessy, Executive Director, The Aloe Family, Nashville, TN
Sarah Herrick, Missions Pastor, Cross Point Church, Nashville, TN
Rev. Daniel Johnson, Assistant Pastor, Second Baptist Church, Memphis, TN
Doug Jones, Reverend, Nextwave Missions, Franklin, TN
Dr. Leon Jones Jr., Pastor, The Dwelling Place Church, Memphis, TN
David Jordan, CEO, Agape Child & Family Services, Memphis, TN
Carmen LaBerge, Author, Faith Radio/NW Media, Nashville, TN
Dr. Todd Lake, Vice President, Belmont University, Brentwood, TN
Susie Lind, Pastor, Journey Church, Antioch, TN
Dr. Larry Lloyd, CEO, Leadership Foundations, Memphis, TN
Dr. Sean Lucas, Independent Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
David McNeely, Reverend, Ekklesia Church, Knoxville, TN
Rev. Daniel Mitchell, Pastor, New City Fellowship East Lake, Chattanooga, N
Dr. Carlos Moran, Director of Hispanic Ministries, Cleveland, TN
Dr. Scott Morris, Church Health, Memphis, TN
Chad Mosteller, Pastor, Ethos Church, Nashville, TN
Donna Pack, Director, Connecting Kindness, Nashville, TN
Katie Richards, CEO, Siloam Health, Nashville, TN
Ariyana Rimson, Director, Fellowship Memphis Church, Memphis, TN
Dr. George Robertson, Second Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
David Rogers, Director of Spiritual Care, Siloam Health, Nashville, TN
Doug Rominger, Pastor, Church of the City Downtown, Nashville, TN
Wesley Selecman, Missions Pastor, Harvest Church, Collierville, TN
Jonathan Sheahen, CEO, UrbanPromise, Nashville, TN
Shawna Sheahen, Executive Director, UrbanPromise, Nashville, TN
Rev. John Mark Smith, Priest, Immanuel Anglican Church, Columbia, TN
Dr. Rufus Smith, Senior Pastor, Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Cordova, TN
Margaret Jane Strelecki, Director, Path United, Franklin, TN
Rev. Ben Winkler, Assistant Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian, Memphis, TN
Dr. Jeremy Wright, Pastor, Restoration Fellowship, Memphis, TN
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which was established with strong bipartisan support in 1980, is a vital legal pathway to safety for refugees. For decades, this program has offered people facing persecution because of their religious beliefs, political opinions, race or other grounds protected under the law the opportunity to begin their lives anew and enjoy the freedoms we value in safety.
According to World Relief’s recent report with our partners at Open Doors U.S., over 122 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes, including at least 365 million Christians live under the threat of persecution and discrimination. As defenders of international religious liberty, we are concerned by an attempt to suspend refugee resettlement. Refugee resettlement has played a vital role in protecting Christian brothers and sisters from persecution and death, along with those persecuted for other reasons.
World Relief has partnered with the federal government and with thousands of local churches since 1979 to help resettle refugees in the U.S. as a part of our command to care for those fleeing crises. One way we can do so is to faithfully steward the voices God has entrusted us with by advocating for a robust U.S. refugee resettlement program so that our fellow believers may find safe harbor to practice their faith.
Why Advocate?
At World Relief, our commitment to advocate on behalf of the poor and oppressed is based on the example of Jesus. We believe that such advocacy is an important witness to a watching world about the character of Jesus.
We consider it an essential task to engage and challenge the church, reminding leaders and congregations alike that our Christian faith should compel us to seek justice and mercy for the vulnerable and suffering.
So whatever the changes to policy, our calling and our commitment to advocate on behalf of the orphan, the widow and the stranger among us will not.
Will you join us?