Love as Jesus loves
Over the past several months our immigrant congregations and their communities have been traumatized by the immigration enforcement. We recognize that believers have a wide variety of views on the immigration issue, but as we make room for all of us at the Covenant table, we recognize that we are all called carry one another's burdens (Gal 6:2). Join us as we Love as Jesus Loves...
Four ways you can respond in this moment
PRAYER
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GIVE
We invite you to connect with New Hope Covenant Church in Oakland, CA, who is raising funds that can be used for expenses like groceries, clothing, basic hygiene, etc. These funds will be distributed to immigrant families in need throughout all of our PSWC churches.
GROW
If you would like discipleship resources for better understanding immigration and the biblical basis for our response, check out two ECC resources listed below.
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'Welcoming the Stranger' by Matthew Soerens & Jenny Yang & Leith Anderson
As we seek biblical wisdom on how we engage the topic of immigration, we invite you to participate in a Liturgical Common Read of Welcoming the Stranger. This is an opportunity to move beyond polarized debates and ground our response in Scripture, guided by our historic Covenant questions, “Where is it written?” and “How goes your walk?” This book offers theological insights and real stories that help us understand the people behind a complex issue.
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The Kingdom Mosaic: Life Together Series
Scripture is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. As the hands and feet of Christ, we want to be an authentic signpost of God’s love, mercy, and justice in a world that desperately needs it! In our own strength, we will fail to navigate the complexities of doing life together, but empowered by the Holy Spirit we will flourish, experience shalom, and beloved community. This resource seeks to ground our pursuit of life together in the word of God as we grow into a multi-ethnic denomination.
Read ECC Resolution
The Covenant Church has been actively engaged with immigration for many years. As many of us know, we are an immigrant church. Founded by Swedish immigrants the immigrant story has historically been an integral part of our story.
At our 2014 Covenant Annual Meeting, which serves as the highest governing body of our shared life and ministry, a Resolution on Immigration was introduced and adopted.
We would encourage Covenanters to read and review this resolution, linked below.
2014 Immigration Resolution
Presented by the Central Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church,
adopted by the delegates to the 121st Covenant Annual Meeting.
Biblical Basis for Our Call
We experience the Triune God as a people along the Way—seeking to follow the will of God.
Abraham and Sarah, our forbearers in faith were wandering Arameans, who through faith, became a
“great nation” (Deuteronomy 26:5).
While we live in a different cultural context today, we still live by God’s kingdom ethic to “love
the sojourner as ourselves,” for God’s people were once sojourners in the land of Egypt (Leviticus
19:34; cf. Exodus 23:9)….
Additional ResourcesWednesday Webinar
Tools for meaningful advocacy and support
Please note that policies and circumstances may have changed since the production of this video. The PSWC is actively working to stay informed and will continue updating this page as we learn more. We are committed to providing current information to support our churches.
LMDJ Immersive Experience
A Migrant Journey: Scripture’s Call to Welcome the Stranger Immigration Immersive Discipleship Experience at the southern Tijuana/San Diego U.S. border
Sneha Augusthy tells the immigration story of she and her mother from India and how that story is weaved through several Covenant churches
Phil Anderson (retired North Park Theological Seminary professor) and Danny Martinez (Central Conference Superintendent), LovtheCov podcast episode
”Grateful for the Journey from Dreamer to Advocate”
Milly Silencio, licensed Covenant clergy
How a church stewarded what it was entrusted with to create a welcoming space for refugees
Suggested books for further education
· Soerens, Matthew, and Jenny Hwang Yang. Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018
· González, Karen. The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong. Harvey, ND: Herald Press, 2019
· Wu, Cindy. A Better Country: Embracing the Refugees in Our Midst. Littleton, CO: William Carey Library Pub, 2022
· González, Karen. Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration
· Carroll R., Daniel. Christians at the Border: Immigration, The Church & The Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2013
· Hanson Bourke, Dale. Immigration: Tough Questions, Direct Answers. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014
Digital resources for further study
· Sojourners in a Strange Land: Looking to the Bible to inform our conversation about immigration. Reprinted from the Covenant Companion.
· Evangelical Views on Immigration (A study sponsored by the Evangelical Immigration Table and World Relief)