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Community Unitarian Universalist Church in Plano, Texas, created banners from the messages of love and support sent from other UUs.

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA (ABNS 1/30/25)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) announces an important Justice Dialogue—an information and action virtual event on Wednesday, February 5, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EST to address urgent matters surrounding immigration enforcement. Titled “Care for One Another During Current Immigration Enforcement: Know Your Rights for Yourself and Your Community,” […]

The post ABHMS to Host Vital Immigration Forum February 5 appeared first on ABCUSA.

  REMEMBER HOPE                                                                    It can be difficult to believe in rebuilding When you’re forced to stand and watch Everything you worked so hard to build Be destroyed right in front of you. You might be asking yourself: “How will I manage?” “Where do I start again?” You might even start to think That you’ll never find enough strength to rise ... Read More

26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.     1 Corinthians 12:26 (NIV) Dear American Baptist Family, We are living in turbulent times, and in moments such as these, we are reminded of the power of prayer to strengthen our faith, guide our actions, […]

The post An Invitation to Prayer and Reflection appeared first on ABCUSA.

[Episcopal News Service] The Diocese of Chicago has pledged support for immigrants as a “sanctuary diocese” since 2019. Now, with the Trump administration pursuing a new crackdown on immigration, Episcopalians in northern Illinois are living out that spirit of “sanctuary” in ways as diverse as their diocese. Some congregations in the diocese’s namesake city are considering whether to offer physical sanctuary in their buildings to undocumented immigrants under threat of deportation. The Rev. Sandra Castillo, the Diocese of Chicago’s canon for migration ministries, also is working with community leaders to establish a network of volunteers who can respond as immigrant allies where immigration agents are reported to be making arrests. Episcopalians also are mobilizing to help about three hours away from Chicago in rural northwest Illinois. In Galena, a small city that is known as an enclave of arts and tourism, Grace Episcopal Church invited Castillo to lead a “know your rights” training last month for about 50 people, many of them immigrants working in local service industries. President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise of mass deportations, sent immigration officials to Chicago last week to draw attention to enforcement efforts in the nation’s third-largest city. “It is causing a tremendous amount of anxiety,” Castillo told Episcopal News Service, but Episcopalians across the diocese are eager to support some of their most vulnerable neighbors. “We have the strength we need to protect our immigrant community if we all stand together,” Castillo said. Many Episcopalians across the church are expressing a similar eagerness to respond to the Christian call to “welcome the stranger” while upholding their baptismal vow to respect the dignity of every human being, as federal authorities indicate some immigrants who haven’t been accused of crimes still could be at risk of arrest. On Jan. 28, more than 800 people joined an informational Episcopal Church webinar, during which churchwide leaders discussed the impact and possible responses to Trump administration policies. Several dioceses, like Chicago, already have adopted “sanctuary” policies, while other dioceses and congregations are considering how best to support immigrants in their communities. “The care of migrants is deeply rooted in the biblical mandate to love and serve others, particularly the vulnerable and marginalized,” the Diocese of San Diego said in a Jan. 28 message. The Southern California diocese, which adopted its sanctuary resolution in 2017, provided a summary of information and resources related to the church’s engagement with immigration issues. “The diocese encourages congregations – who are willing – to partner with immigrant rights groups, legal aid providers and national coalitions to defend vulnerable populations,” the message said. “In addition to legal responses, religious communities can mobilize to raise public awareness and lobby for stronger protections.” Other sanctuary dioceses include California, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York and Washington. New York Bishop Matthew Heyd, in an article for the local publication The Spirit, invited all New Yorkers to join The Episcopal Church in responding “with hope, justice and love” to neighbors who feel threatened. “We join with communities of all backgrounds to affirm human dignity as foundational to our shared civic tradition,” Heyd said. “We believe our care reflects God’s unconditional love. As Christians, we are called to build communities of deep belonging, connection and care.” His diocese is organizing a “Call to Courage” interfaith vigil Feb. 12 at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York to “bring together people of all faiths to stand in solidarity and support for those seeking sanctuary.” Los Angeles has been a sanctuary diocese since 2016. Its Sacred Resistance network is promoting training on immigrant rights while also offering guidance to other dioceses and congregations interested in offering sanctuary and other assistance to immigrants. “We’re calling this Sacred Resistance 2.0, in the wake of this election, and we’re building it as we fly, re-engaging partnerships and collaborations and building new ones,” the Rev. Susan Russell, the Los Angeles canon for engagement, said in a diocesan article about ways Episcopalians are responding to the new Trump policies. “We’re one week into this new administration, so we’re still building and trying to understand how much of what was threatened is actually going to happen, how much of what is now being promulgated in the media is actually happening and not just a bluster.” On the campaign trail, Trump regularly amplified racist and xenophobic sentiments to present a dark vision of a broken America. He largely placed the blame on immigrants, including by falsely accusing them of fueling a surge in crime. (Violent crime and property crime rates are far below their 1990s highs, and studies have shown that documented and undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born Americans.) “On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America,” Trump said while campaigning. On Jan. 20, in the hours after his inauguration, Trump proceeded to sign a flurry of executive orders that included measures upending Biden administration policies on both legal and illegal immigration. He declared a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border. He sought to rewrite the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. He suspended the country’s 45-year-old program of refugee resettlement. And his administration ended policies that had protected churches and other “sensitive” areas from immigration raids. The Department of Homeland Security under Trump also said it was stepping up enforcement operations in Chicago and other cities across the country. More than 900 undocumented immigrants a day reportedly have been detained starting Jan. 25, compared to an average of about 300 daily arrests in Biden’s final year. Separately, the administration boasted of a large number of deportations. “In the first week of the Trump Administration, we have fulfilled President Trump’s promise to the American people to arrest and deport violent criminals illegally in the country,” Homeland Security announced Jan. 27, saying it had “removed and returned” 7,300 people. By comparison, the Biden administration reported about 270,00 removals in fiscal […]

Amir Khan, CWS’ Community Engagement Specialist, shares his experience of helping two young Afghan women navigate a harrowing night during the Los Angeles wildfires. This story highlights the challenges refugees face in disaster preparedness and underscores the importance of culturally competent support, as demonstrated by CWS’ inclusive disaster response initiatives.  “You’re safe now.” These are the words that Community Engagement ... Read More

  Trigger Warning: This story includes graphic depictions of violence. Mursal and Ahmad were evacuated from Kabul in August 2021 as the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan. After two months in Qatar, three months on a military base in New Jersey, and another three months in a hotel in Silver Spring, Maryland, they were finally resettled in North Carolina in ... Read More

After fleeing violence in Congo, Hoga and his family endured decades of uncertainty in Tanzania’s Nyarugusu Refugee Camp. Twenty years later, they were finally granted refuge in Tennessee and faced the daunting transition to a new life, filled with both hope and anticipation. Now, the same resettlement pathway that gave them a future is under suspension, leaving thousands of refugees ... Read More

At least 100 people, including eight United Methodists, were killed in fighting in Goma between the Congolese armed forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.

Moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, speaking at the funeral of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, reflected on how much the archbishop was loved in Albania and across the world.