The Episcopal Church condemns Gov. Abbott’s decision to reject refugee resettlement in 2020. Texas has long served as a strong partner in the work of welcoming some of the most vulnerable individuals in the world to peace, safety, and a bright future. Texas Episcopalians have also given generously of their time, talents, and treasure to help our refugee brothers and sisters rebuild their lives in the Lone Star State.
Texans have long been known for their southern hospitality and generosity of spirit. Additionally, many Texans are people of strong faith who take seriously the Gospel call to welcome the stranger and to help those who are fleeing religious persecution and violence. The Episcopal community in Texas shares these values. Through Refugee Services of Texas (RST) and Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IMGH), both affiliates of Episcopal Migration Ministries, our church serves refugees, asylees, individuals with Special Immigrant Visas, Cuban-Haitian entrants, Central American minors, survivors of human trafficking, and other vulnerable populations. In addition, RST and IMGH work to facilitate partnerships with host communities to build a welcoming environment.
Refugees bring immense value to communities throughout Texas. They have invigorated the economy, brought innovation to small towns, and made communities stronger through their contributions to public life and cultural institutions. Refugees in Texas are students, entrepreneurs, dedicated employees, customers, elected officials, and community leaders – just like us. They are us.
The Episcopal Church urges Gov. Abbott to reconsider his decision and express support for continuing Texas’s long tradition of welcoming refugees. Refugee resettlement embodies the Texan spirit and our faithful commitment to assisting the least among us. We encourage all people to stand in the breach for our refugee brothers and sisters who seek a haven of peace and renewal in the United States.
I bet if the Episcopal Church were the ones paying the huge bill for the refugees they would agree with Governor Abbott. This was a great decision by Governor Abbott who is a man of deep faith. Texas has done its part and has accepted more refugees than any other state. Let the other states do their part now.
The mullahs of the world have a deep hatred for all things including their own people. The bishops of the US have an academic distain for America. I might suggest that when toasting we include the old ‘confusion to our enemies’. However, that would be redundant.
This was condemned by all Texas Catholic bishops as well (Abbot is Catholic). I honestly don’t understand how you could, with a straight face, be an elected official that makes great claims to his faith, but then ignores his church’s social teaching as well as his head pastors and even the pope when it come to this moral issue.
Well you see, it’s not just a moral issue. It is a political issue, and Americans are tired of hundreds of thousands of immigrants legal and illegal being imported by Democrats to replace the American voters who will no longer vote democrat.
I would heartily disagree. In my own corner of Christiandom (reformed world), John Calvin made Geneva an extremely welcoming place for refugees. It goes against explicit commands of God to lack compassion on the sojourner, especially when we live in such an extremely rich nation with far more wealth and land compared to ancient Israel or Reformation Geneva.
I suppose it all depends on your definition of “refugee”
Since you asked…
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.
Two-thirds of all refugees worldwide come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia.
https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee/
For the most part, that definition doesn’t apply to this article. The vast majority of people crossing our southern border are coming here for the American dream. I can’t blame them, but that doesn’t mean they’re refugees.
No, you got it backwards. This is exactly the definition that applies to the governor’s letter which was in response to a Trump executive order, now suspended by a district judge in Maryland, which allowed states to refuse to accept these refugees. The executive order had nothing to with the southern border, nor did the governor’s letter. Three faith based refugee resettlement organizations challenged Trump’s order as illegal. The judge agreed that it is likely to be stuck down.
Hmmm…. where is the statement by TEC demanding that TEC use some of its 20 billion dollar property portfolio or equal sized cash assets to provide housing for immigrants and refugees?
Trinity Wall Street alone holds over 6 billion in property (some of it once upon a time low income or rent controlled housing) that must throw off at least $300,000,000 in profit every year (in the current economy, if their real estate holdings were not making at least 5%, they would fire their investment managers). That would go a long way toward housing refugees.
And yes, there are many individual parishes doing just that, but it is a drop in the bucket for a national church with such vast wealth.
But better, from their point of view, to put the onus of paying for refugee resettlement on the Texas tax payer than the wealthiest church, per capita membership, in the world. And then shame the tax payers who do not want to shoulder the burden.