Immigration Resource Team
Immigration Resource Team ends its work
Ohio Conference would like to express its appreciation for the work completed by the Immigration Resource Team (IRT) from 2018 to 2022. This resource team was convened to investigate, evaluate and help congregations implement the resolution on immigration which delegates affirmed in 2019. This group created a list of immigration resources as well as a biblical guide to immigration. In…
Join the conversation about immigration
The Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team has begun a series of posts about immigration on the Ohio Conference Facebook page. The most recent post, dated Feb. 9, explores the concept of compassion as it relates to immigrants. You are invited to join the conversation about immigration. See the team’s posts on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OhioConferenceMCUSA.
Immigration Resource List is updated
Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team would like to remind everyone that there are many opportunities to share God’s love, hope, and peace. Are you looking for ideas about how you can share God’s love with immigrants? The Immigration Resource Team has updated its Immigration Resource List, which features books, websites, organizations, and films, as well as contact information for people who have…
Immigration guide focuses on scriptures
Have you explored “A Biblical Guide to Immigration” yet? This past summer, the Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team released this guide, which includes a compilation of scriptures related to immigration. This resource is suitable for both personal and congregational use. A copy of this guide is available at https://bit.ly/BiblicalGuideToImmigration and on the “Immigration” page of the Ohio Conference website: https://ohiomennoniteconference.org/resources/immigration.
Immigration Resource Team shares resources
The Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team is continuing its work of raising awareness and sharing resources related to immigration. Scripture resource This summer, the Immigration Resource Team released a resource titled “A Biblical Guide to Immigration.” This guide, which includes a compilation of scriptures related to immigration, is suitable for both personal and congregational use. “A Biblical Guide to Immigration”…
Scripture resource focuses on immigration
The Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team has compiled a list of scriptures related to immigration for personal and congregational use. “A Biblical Guide to Immigration” includes scriptures grouped by topic. It is intended for use in sermons and in Sunday school classes or for personal reflection. Download the Guide
Showing God’s love to immigrants: Will you join us?
The Immigration Resource Team of Ohio Conference is aware of many immigrants seeking asylum at our southern border. We ask: “How can we here in Ohio show them God’s welcoming love?” We remember the amazing way a dozen or so Ohio Conference churches came together to assemble 175 immigration welcome kits in the fall of 2019. Covid-19 precautions prevent this…
Call for immigration reform renewed
A note from the Immigration Resource Team: The Evangelical Immigration Table soon will be introducing a series of policy recommendations for the new Congress and new presidential administration. These recommendations will be guided by biblical principles, but one core element of those proposals will be renewing a call for an earned legalization process for undocumented immigrants based on the principle…
Immigration Resource Team recommends resources
The Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team would like to remind everyone that there are many opportunities to share God’s love, hope, and peace. Are you looking for ideas about how you can share God’s love with immigrants? The Immigration Resource Team has compiled an Immigration Resource List which features books, websites, organizations, and films, as well as contact information for people…
Immigration Resource Team recommends book
An update from the Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team: Please keep in your prayers our many immigrant neighbors who are at greater risk of infection with COVID-19 — those in crowded detention centers, meat packing plants, etc. Consider a donation to Open Arms Hispanic Ministry or Brazo en Brazo, who are working directly with this population. Here is a must-read,…
Engaging immigration: Some action steps
A few thoughts from the Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team: Are you aware that a significant number of immigrants living in Ohio (and the rest of this country) face a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 because of their work in meat processing plants and other factories? Don’t forget to pray for them. There’s plenty of time left this summer for…
New members join Immigration Resource Team
The Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team has added two new members from western Ohio, Megan Bettelon and Krisha Pagniano. Below they share some information about themselves and their interest in immigration: Megan Bettelon: I’ve been a lifelong attendee of Huber Mennonite Church in New Carlisle. I am a social worker and currently work in a school setting. Growing up in…
June 21 is World Refugee Sunday
June 21 has been designated as World Refugee Sunday. The Immigration Resource Team of the Ohio Conference is encouraging congregations to highlight World Refugee Sunday during their worship services on June 21, perhaps by mentioning it in any sharing or announcement time and including it in the pastoral prayer. The following links have numerous excellent ideas for observing World Refugee…
Christians at the Border looks at immigration through the lens of scripture
By Greg Bowman Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible, 2nd Edition (2013) by M. Daniel Carroll R. This author makes a profoundly simple — but perversely challenging — request: Christians, please base your attitudes about immigration on the clear teaching in the Bible — in both testaments — before considering cultural, economic, and legal arguments. He…
Delegate News — Winter 2020 #2
Dear Ohio Conference Pastors and Delegates: It is now almost 10 months since we passed a resolution on immigration at our 2019 Annual Conference Assembly. Since then, our Team has been given the mandate to “…investigate, evaluate, and help congregations implement the resolution.” Toward this goal, we are asking for a few minutes of your time to complete a brief…
Immigration Resource Team seeks your stories
From the Immigration Resource Team: It has been eight months since Annual Conference Assembly, when delegates overwhelmingly passed a resolution on immigration. That resolution contained both individual and congregational components, along with suggestions for contacting elected representatives on state and national levels. Delegates agreed to “encourage our churches….to pray for the Spirit’s leading in seeking to minister to the needs…
Immigration Resource Team seeks information
From the Immigration Resource Team: It’s been about four months since Annual Conference Assembly 2019, when delegates passed a resolution on immigration. Time for a checkup! We’re wondering what’s happening in Ohio Conference congregations. Did delegates do a good job informing their churches about the various components of the resolution? Are churches praying regularly for the needs of immigrants and…
Delegates approve immigration resolution
Delegates overwhelmingly affirmed a resolution on immigration at the 2019 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) of the Ohio Conference. Those gathered at Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron March 8-9 numbered 204, including delegates from 38 congregations. Ninety-five percent of the delegates affirmed the immigration resolution, which calls for individuals to become better informed about the issues surrounding immigration, as well as…
Immigration — Welcoming the Stranger, Part II
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Thomas Dunn and Bill Seymour talk about immigration with two members of the Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team, Hannah Troyer of Summit Mennonite Church; and Kelsey Troyer of Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville. Bill and Thomas talk with Hannah and Kelsey about how the resource team worked to develop…