I
do not have the final copy of the Immigration memorial but from Norman Wilson I
got this and below it is a cut-pasted copy of the memorial BEFORE it was
changed as follows (from Norman Wilson):
n
I do not have the wording of the amendment they
made to the action step of the fourth principle entitled “The Submission
Principle.” I think it was an appropriate
clarification, strengthening the idea of submitting to the laws of the land unless
they are contrary to God’s word as considered by the church body (or something
like that).
n
The only other amendment to the memorial was in
the action step of the first principle entitled “The Creation Principle,” as
follows: the word “gender” was inserted after “…class, nationality,” so that it
would read “…regardless of race, class, nationality, gender, or legal
status.”
n
The vote was 307 in favor and 12 against.
-----------------------
MEMORIAL 367
2
3 POSITION STATEMENT ON IMMIGRATION
4
5 Preamble
6
7 The Wesleyan Church is inspired by a
God-given vision of equipping and empowering believers,
8 leaders and churches for
“Fulfilling the Great Commission in the spirit of
the Great Commandment.”
9 Focused on this vision,
our mission is to exalt Jesus Christ by…
10 · Evangelizing the lost;
11 · Discipling the believers;
12 · Equipping the Church; and
13 · Ministering to society.
14 This vision and mission are nourished by “spiritual
DNA” from The Wesleyan Church’s origins in
15 historic Methodism and
the American holiness and revival movements. We proudly claim our place among
16 an earnest corps of
disciples God is raising up to spread hope and holiness everywhere, proclaiming
full
17 salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
18 Early strategies, from circuit-riding preachers, protracted
meetings and camp meetings, to the
19 Underground Railroad and
the abolition of slavery, reveal the success of our forebears in balancing
20 passionate evangelism
and discipleship with godly concern for social reform. These have long since
yielded
21 to new ministry methods,
necessitated by changing times and circumstances. Like our forebears, God calls
22 us today to engage in
promoting both personal holiness and social holiness. New issues of justice,
23 compassion, and human need require us to respond
boldly and wisely.
24 Immigration is a
contemporary issue that beckons Wesleyans to act as agents of Spirit-filled
25 outreach and compassion
in North American society. The
26 nations made up of
immigrants and their descendants. Men, women and their
families seeking a better way
27 of life, religious
freedom, political asylum, opportunity to pursue great dreams and experience
new
28 beginnings have
contributed to the prosperity and diversity that make our nations strong.
29 According to the
Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration Statistics, as of January
1,
30 2006, there were 17.6 million legally resident immigrants and an
estimated 11.6 million unauthorized
31 immigrants in the
32 aliens among the
unauthorized population. Data from Statistics Canada based on 2006 census
figures
33 showed the proportion of
the Canadian population born outside the country was at its highest ratio in 75
34 years—some 6.2 million foreign-born persons now represent 22.2% of
35 just five years ago).
36 Jesus said, “From
everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded” (Luke
37 is blessing The Wesleyan Church in many ways to be a voice and
force for the gospel among immigrant
38 persons. We celebrate
the increasing cultural and ethnic diversity of the North American Wesleyan
family.
39 We yearn for denominational demographics to reflect the cultural
mosaic of American and Canadian society
40 as a visible testimony
of the success of our commitment to make disciples of all peoples. Ten years
ago,
41 133 out of 1,671 Wesleyan congregations in the
42 White. In 2007, 221 out
of 1,691 churches were non-White—a 66% increase. By far, the fastest growing
43 segment of the North
American Church in the last decade has been Hispanics and Latinos. Many of our
44 newest Wesleyans are
recent immigrants.
45 We are grateful for the steady leadership of Wesleyan districts
and local churches that are setting
46 the pace for dynamic ministries of evangelism, church growth,
church multiplication and ministries of
47 compassion that include
newcomers and strangers as our neighbors. Yet, we recognize there is much more
48 that we can and must do
as Christ’s messengers of hope and as examples of holy living.
102
1 God is mindful of all
people and concerned for their needs. Many immigrants face serious
2 hardships—family separation and loneliness, financial distress,
language barriers, exploitation, prejudice or
3 racism, personal safety
issues, social isolation, lack of food or shelter, problems adapting or
assimilating into
4 a new culture,
insecurity and fear (especially for those who do not have proper
documentation). More
5 urgently, they are
persons in need of the grace of God and the knowledge of Christ that leads to
salvation.
6 The Church as “the body of Christ” is the ongoing incarnation of
His love and life. We represent Him
7 when we give “cups of cold water in Jesus’ name” to persons who
have fled countries of origin in which they
8 suffered persecution,
poverty, or political oppression. We model His compassion when we offer charity
and
9 hospitality to strangers
He sovereignly brings to our shores to offer talents,
skills and labor that can
10 contribute positively to
our society. We are His servants when we aid newcomers and their families in
11 dealing with the
enormous challenges they face in assimilating into North American society—such
as
12 language learning,
friendship building, finding medical care, making economic adjustments, and
meeting
13 legal requirements.
While respecting those whom God has ordained to govern and protect society and
14 submitting to their authority (so long as it does not violate the
laws of God), we are the Lord’s voice to speak
15 out prophetically
against injustice and unrighteousness towards the weak. We must treat all
persons with
16 dignity, including those who have entered the
country illegally or who entered legally but are now out of
17 status with immigration authorities.
18 The responsibility of the Body of Christ to bear His message and
to minister to all people rests in the
19 hands of individual
believers and congregations. As we wrestle with and respond to the challenges
of
20 immigration in our local communities and lands, we do so in full
awareness that, as citizens of the Kingdom
21 of God, we ourselves are
strangers and sojourners in the world in which we presently dwell. Therefore,
22 Wesleyans everywhere are
called to recognize and respond to the purposes of God among all peoples within
23 their spheres of influence and to accomplish the redemptive and
restorative purposes of Jesus Christ on their
24 behalf. Trusting in the enabling power of the Holy
Spirit, we embrace the following eight biblical
25 principles to inform and guide The
26
27 Kingdom Values Regarding Christians and Immigration:
28 Eight Biblical Principles to
Guide Wesleyan Responses
29
30 1. The Creation Principle: All persons are created
equal and are of equal worth in their Creator’s eyes.
31 Each individual possesses fundamental rights to live and be respected as a human person of intrinsic worth
32 and dignity. These
rights are derived from one’s creation in the image of
God and from the vicarious death
33 of Jesus Christ for all
humanity.
34
35 26Then God said,
"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the
fish of the sea
36 and the birds of the air,
over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move
along the
37 ground. 27So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he
38 created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in
number; fill the earth and
39 subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air
and over every living creature that moves on
40 the
ground." (Genesis 1:26-28)
41
42 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
43 (Galatians
44
45 Action Step:
Understanding that all are made in the image of God, as Wesleyans we will seek
to treat all
46 people humanely and with
dignity, regardless of race, class, nationality, or legal status.
47
48
103
1 2. The Great Commandment Principle: Christ commands us to
love God with all our heart and soul and
2 mind and our neighbors
as ourselves. This commandment sums up the entire Law and the Prophets,
3 requiring us to live in
perfect love with God and our neighbor, which is holiness. We are to love our
neighbor
4 unconditionally
regardless of race, class, nationality or legal status in our land.
5
6 37Jesus
replied: "’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.'
7 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second
is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
8 40All the Law and
the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)
9
10 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your
neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)
11
12 22But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness
and
13 self-control. Against such things there
is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
14
15 The King will reply, “I tell
you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you
16 did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
17
18 8Whoever
does not love does not know God, because God is love…. 20If anyone says,
"I love God," yet
19 hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his
brother, whom he has seen, cannot love
20 God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:8, 20)
21
22 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is
written: "Be holy, because I am holy.
23 (1 Peter
24
25 Action Step: As
Wesleyans, we will give of ourselves in wholehearted love to others without
intolerance,
26 judgment, favoritism or
disrespect, and in spite of who they are or what they have done to live among
us.
27
28 3. The Sovereignty Principle: God is sovereignly
at work to establish His kingdom in heaven and on
29 earth. He determines the times and places where the
peoples of the nations should live so that people will
30 seek Him and perhaps
reach out for Him and find Him. No one can ultimately succeed in thwarting God’s
31 work. God can bring good
from the fallen intentions and actions of humanity and save many lives. Our
32 responsibility as His
people is to recognize His hand at work and cooperate with Him in ways that
build up
33 His kingdom in heaven and on earth.
34 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the
whole earth; and he determined
35 the times set for them and the exact places where they should
live. 27God did this so
that men would seek
36 him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not
far from each one of us. 28 “For in him we
37 live and move and have our
being.” As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.” (Acts
38
39 9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no
one could count, from every nation,
40 tribe, people
and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were
wearing white
41 robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried
out in a loud voice: “Salvation
42 belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11All the angels
were standing around the
43 throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They
fell down on their faces before the throne
44 and worshiped God, 12saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and
power and
45 strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:9-12)
46
47
48
104
1 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the
powers of heaven and
2 the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:35)
3
4 You intended to harm me, but
God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of
5 many lives. (Genesis 50:20)
6
7 Action Step: As
Wesleyans, we view immigration as an aspect of God’s larger plan to bring
salvation to
8 the world. Immigration can be used through God’s wisdom to introduce many to Jesus
who might not
9 otherwise hear the
gospel message.
10
11 4. The Submission Principle: Christians possess dual citizenship, one
heavenly and the other earthly.
12 Christians should
respect and submit to the laws of the land, except when they are in
contradiction to biblical
13 principles. When there
is a conflict between the heavenly and earthly citizenships as to specific
claims,
14 Christians have a moral duty and right to seek a change in the law
and to act so as to maintain a clear
15 conscience before God.
16
17 1Everyone
must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority
except that which God
18 has established. The authorities that exist have
been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels
19 against the authority is
rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring
judgment on
20 themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who
do wrong. Do you want to be
21 free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he
will commend you. 4For he is God's
22 servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be
afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is
23 God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the
wrongdoer. 5Therefore,
it is necessary to submit
24 to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but
also because of conscience. 6This is also why
25 you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give
their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone
26 what you owe him: If you owe
taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor,
27 then honor. (Romans 13:1-7)
28
29 For I
myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go,”
and he goes; and that
30 one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he
does it. (Matthew
8:9)
31
32 “Caesar's,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar
what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.”
33 (Matthew 22:21)
34
35 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority
instituted among men: whether to the king, as the
36 supreme authority.
(1 Peter 2:13)
37
38 16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend
39 ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are
thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to
40 save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to
41 know, O king,
that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have
set up.” (Daniel
3:16-
42 18)
43
44 19But Peter and
John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey
you rather than
45 God. 20For we cannot
help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)
46
47 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather
than men!” (Acts 5:29)
48
105
1 Action Step: As
Wesleyans, we will exercise awareness of the laws as they pertain to
immigration and will
2 endeavor to obey them,
unless they are contrary to God’s Word. We support the rights of those who
engage
3 in civil disobedience against harsh and unjust laws, policies and
measures on the basis of biblical principles.
4
5 5. The
Hospitality Principle: Christ’s love compels us to be kind and compassionate and to
offer
6 hospitality, especially
to those in need, including strangers, widows, orphans, aliens and immigrants
7 regardless of their
legal status.
8 29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is
my neighbor?" 30In reply Jesus said: "A
9 man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into
the hands of robbers. They stripped him of
10 his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going
down the same
11 road, and when he saw the
man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the
12 place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan,
as he traveled, came where the man
13 was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him
and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil
14 and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day
15 he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look
after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I
16 will reimburse you for any
extra expense you may have.' 36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor
17 to
the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37The expert in
the law replied, "The one who had mercy on
18 him." Jesus told him, "Go and do
likewise.” (Luke 10:29-37)
19 18He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the
alien, giving him food and clothing.
20 19And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were
aliens in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19)
21
22 So in everything, do to
others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the
23 Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
24
25 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little
ones because he is my disciple, I tell you
26 the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. (Matthew 10:42)
27
28 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1
Peter 4:9)
29
30 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:13)
31
32 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is
this: to look after orphans and widows in their
33 distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
34
35 Action Step: As
Wesleyans, we will encourage one another to engage in acts of kindness and
compassion
36 (e.g., providing food, shelter, clothing, and other resources)
toward immigrants who are in need regardless of
37 their immigration status
(documented or undocumented).
38
39 6. The Great Commission Principle: Jesus Christ brings Good
News and has commissioned us to make
40 disciples of all
peoples, including citizens and aliens alike. We are called
to follow His example and carry on
41 His ministry, declaring Good News to the poor, proclaiming freedom
for prisoners, recovery of sight for the
42 blind, release to the
oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor.
43
44 18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach
good news to the poor. He has
45 sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of
sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
46 19to proclaim the
year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)
47
106
1 19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son
2 and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with
3 you
always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
4
5 1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the
6 people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of
the law and the Pharisees
7 brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before
the group 4and said to
Jesus, "Teacher,
8 this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law
Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now
9 what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for
accusing him. But
10 Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his
finger. 7When they kept on
questioning him, he
11 straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is
without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
12 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9At this, those
who heard began to go away one at a time,
13 the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman
still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and
14 asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned
you?" 11"No
one, sir," she said. "Then neither
15 do I condemn you," Jesus
declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:1-11)
16
17 37Then he said to
his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the
workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of
the
18 harvest, therefore, to send
out workers into his harvest field." (Matthew 9:37-38)
19
20 Action Step: As
Wesleyans, we will unashamedly engage in both evangelizing and discipling
immigrants
21 in our communities,
training and appointing immigrant persons as pastors, lay leaders and workers,
with
22 respect for applicable
employment laws as we do.
23
24 7. The Grace Principle: All have sinned and deserve God’s judgment and
punishment. Yet, He is a
25 merciful God and seeks
to reconcile us to Himself by grace. God’s grace is a model for our own human
26 relationships,
compelling us to respond with grace to those who have sinned. We are called to seek
27 reconciliation wherever possible, by standing against extreme and
harsh measures and calling for
28 appropriately balanced
measures that restore one to a right relationship with God and with one’s
neighbors.
29
30 1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should
restore him gently. But watch yourself,
31 or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way
you will fulfill the law of Christ.
32 (Galatians 6:1-2)
33
34 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish
35 but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
36
37 It is because of him that you
are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our
38 righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians
1:30)
39
40 In
him we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's
41 grace. (Ephesians 1:7)
42
43 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone,
the new has come! 18All this is from
44 God, who reconciled us to
himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19that God was
45 reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's
sins against them. And he has committed to us
46 the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his
47 appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be
reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin
48 to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness
of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
107
1 35For I was hungry
and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to
drink, I
2 was a stranger and you
invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
after
3 me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37"Then
the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see
4 you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to
drink? 38When did we see
you a stranger and
5 invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see
you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
6 40"The
King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers of mine, you
7 did for me.' 41"Then
he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the
eternal fire
8 prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry
and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and
9 you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did
not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did
10 not clothe me, I was sick and
in prison and you did not look after me.' 44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when
11 did we see you hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help
you?'
12 45"He
will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least
of these, you did not do for
13 me.’ 46"Then
they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal
life." (Matthew 25:35-46)
14
15 Action Step: As
Wesleyans, we will show Gods grace by accepting those less fortunate than us.
We will
16 seek to have a welcoming heart to those that are strangers in our
land, showing them acts of kindness and
17 doing our part to
understand other people’s cultures to better serve them through Gods love.
18
19 8. The Justice Principle: God’s people are called
to seek justice for all persons proactively by calling for
20 just, fair, reasonable,
and humane laws and serving as advocates and defenders for those who are
21 powerless,
disenfranchised, and marginalized. Special attention ought to be given to protect the welfare of
22 children and innocent
dependents of foreigners, regardless of their legal status.
23
24 33 When an alien lives with you in your land, do not
mistreat him. 34 The alien living with you must be treated
25 as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were
aliens in
26 (Leviticus
27
28 3Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the
poor and oppressed. 4 Rescue the
29 weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalms 82:3-4)
30
31 The people of the land
practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and
mistreat
32 the alien, denying them justice. (Ezekiel 22:29)
33
34 He has showed you, O man,
what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love
35 mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
36
37 Action Step: As Wesleyans, we oppose and condemn all unjust and
harsh laws, policies and measures
38 directed against
immigrants among us, whether documented or undocumented. We will act as
advocates for
39 just and humane policies
for all people by all levels of government and in all parts of society.
40
41
42 COMMITTEE ON MEMORIALS
43 Ronald D. Kelly,
Secretary