Dear Friends,
Together, we commemorated World Refugee Day on June 20. As congregations and as individuals, we shared our commitment to welcome the stranger in our midst through service, accompaniment and advocacy.
World Refugee Day also allowed us, in Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori’s words, “to celebrate the resilience and success of the former refugees who bless (our) communities with the riches of their earned wisdom, energy and spirit.”
While World Refugee Day has passed, Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) offers an on-going opportunity to make a meaningful difference in a refugee’s life and be invigorated and enriched throughout the year. In recent weeks, we’ve shared three stories of Episcopalians helping refugees get a successful start:
- Jeanne Avery found herself engaging more and more deeply with the refugee community in Syracuse, N.Y. She volunteers with refugee students in Syracuse schools, assists new arrivals with transportation and community orientation, and is on the EMM affiliate’s advisory board.
- Panke Miller is a ministry coordinator at St. Luke’s in Atlanta. Through parish co-sponsorship, the church and its parishioners work together to welcome and support refugee families in a congregational ministry and partnership with the local EMM affiliate.
- Caroline Kibler and Gail Reid of St. Michael's in Austin, Texas joined with their church in helping an Iraqi refugee family. They grew to understand the greatest support they could offer was being present as the family navigated their path to self-sufficiency, rather than simply doing things for them. This “ministry of presence” helped Caroline and Gail form a much stronger bond with the family than they imaged possible, and the family in turn received the gifts of friendship and acceptance.
These are just a few of the ways Episcopalians can help refugees according to each person’s gifts and capabilities.
As we observe our 25th anniversary, EMM is grateful for the profound support of congregations and Episcopalians everywhere. Even as we recommit to helping thousands of refugees this year and in the future, we are continually challenged by the reality that there’s a lot of work still to do. We welcome your interest and value your support -- whether you are new to our ministry or years ago helped other refugees and are considering becoming involved once again.
If you haven’t already, please take a minute to learn about opportunities to help refugees by volunteering, extending congregational support or offering prayers at www.episcopalchurch.org/emm.
Together, we can live out our call to “welcome the stranger” every day.
Peace,
Deborah Stein
Director, Episcopal Migration Ministries
