Berkley Center

The Episcopal Church has actively participated in refugee resettlement since the 1940s, and Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) became a refugee resettlement agency, working in public-private partnership with the federal government on the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, in 1988. In the last 30 years alone, the Episcopal Church has resettled more than 95,000 refugees

The Episcopal Church continues the work of welcome, despite the Trump administration's continuous drastic policy changes that are dismantling the nation's refugee resettlement infrastructure. While EMM awaits word of whether it will receive a contract with the U.S. State Department to continue its refugee resettlement work, EMM has emphasized its community and church engagement work, most notably through its Love God, Love Neighbor initiative. 

With the severe decrease in the number of refugee arrivals, opportunities for congregations and faith communities to work directly with newly arriving refugee families have also dwindled. And yet, there has been an increase in interest and desire to welcome refugees among both faith communities and the general public. Once the program became a political target subject to rhetorical and policy attacks, the public stepped up in huge numbers and wanted to help and support this humanitarian program. 

EMM’s response to this imbalance—increased interest in welcoming refugees while arrivals have been severely cut back—was to train, equip, and empower members of faith communities to take a more active role in community organizing, changing public perception of refugees and immigrants, and participating in political advocacy. The Love God, Love Neighbor training program gives participants a global overview of the forced migration crisis, a survey of U.S. immigration history, and training in the principles of asset-based community development, positive and values-based messaging, and faith-based advocacy. 

The initial four Love God, Love Neighbor trainings were funded by a grant. EMM is now actively seeking partners to host new Love God, Love Neighbor events across the country. If your community, congregation, judicatory, or ecumenical/interfaith group would like to explore hosting a Love God, Love Neighbor event, please contact Episcopal Migration Ministries.