WHY WE STAND WITH REFUGEES
1. IT'S BIBLICAL
Throughout the Bible, we are repeatedly told that God loves and cares for foreigners, and that he expects his people also do so. Jesus himself was a refugee, forced to flee the genocidal government of King Herod; he says that when we welcome a stranger, we welcome him. “The Lord watches over the foreigner, and sustains the fatherless and the widow” (Psalm 146:9 NIV). Refugees are uniquely vulnerable individuals who have fled persecution. Our biblical faith compels us to respond to their plight with compassion and hospitality.
2. IT'S FOUNDATIONAL
World Relief began in 1944 as the War Relief Commission, the rebuilding response of churches throughout the United States to a war in Europe that had fueled an enormous refugee crisis. Since the late 1970s, World Relief has empowered local churches to resettle more than 250,000 refugees within the U.S. Facing the greatest global refugee crisis since World War II, it’s time for the Church to rise up once again.
3. IT'S SUSTAINABLE
Refugees are not just vulnerable: they are also resilient and resourceful. While they may have needs up front, refugees have a long-term positive impact on the economies of the nations that receive them. They also bless the Church in the receiving country: many bring with them a vibrant, tested faith in Christ, and many more might encounter Jesus for the first time as they are welcomed by local churches.