by Luke Nelessen, World Relief Wisconsin Advocacy Coordinator
At World Relief, our mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. In all our work, it’s important to us as an organization that we truly partner with the church; we don’t want to just do things on behalf of the church. That’s one reason I’m grateful for the words of Wisconsin pastors calling our government to respect the rights of refugees. I’m struck by the way these leaders speak both with boldness and thoughtfulness. Amidst lots of discouraging news, their willingness to use their voice on behalf of the vulnerable is a great encouragement to me.
Barrett Marcantel, Senior Pastor at Hingham Church
“To extend refugees welcome and confer legal status upon them, only to pull the rug out arbitrarily, makes a mockery of what we stand for as Americans. And it goes against my greater allegiance to Christ and his kingdom, which compels me to love the stranger. I am for border security. I am for proper vetting and naturalization procedures. But I oppose the inhuman treatment of those who have sought refuge under our banner, were accepted, and then are detained and treated like criminals. Injustice to any group results in injustice for all once that door is opened. It is for this reason that I encourage our state representatives to oppose the detention of lawfully received and designated refugees. If our government has received them, then we have an obligation to care for and respect them with the rights and privileges we have conferred upon them. How we treat the most vulnerable among us says a lot about the character of our nation.”
Travis Albrecht, Lead Pastor, Valleybrook Church
“The church is called to hold high the dignity of every human being, whether immigrants, refugees, law enforcement officers, protesters, and those simply trying to live peaceably in their communities. As followers of Jesus, we stand against violence, we grieve with those who grieve, and we affirm the value of every human life. The Bible affirms a proper exercise of governmental authority. We believe lawfulness matters and that the government has authority to maintain order and protect the common good. At the same time, when government, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), exercises power without regard for human dignity and due process, we stand against those instances. A biblical view holds both a just governing authority and the church’s call to love and uphold the dignity of every person.”