GREENVILLE COMMUNITY CHURCH
BE IT RESOLVED: The Board of Elders of Greenville Community Church of Scarsdale, New York affirms a position of welcome and hospitality to all immigrants and refugees, and advocates for policies that keep such families intact.
WHEREAS: Several Scriptural references towards immigrants and refugees affirm this position:
• “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34, NRSV)
• For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:17-19, NRSV)
WHEREAS: The people of God were warned not to oppress the foreigners among them, knowing full well that those foreigners would not have been followers of God and the Israelite faith:
• “You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9, NRSV)
• “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:5, NRSV)
WHEREAS: Jesus himself warns against the mistreatment of those in need:
• “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” (Matthew 25:45, NRSV)
THEREFORE: the Board of Elders of Greenville Community Church challenges the current anti-Muslim, anti-family, anti-immigration, and anti-refugee rhetoric heard in the media from various speakers, including from members of the Trump administration, and from several religious groups, particularly in light of the forced separation policies currently being enacted at our borders. We understand that discussions regarding immigration, refugee welcome, race, and the Islamic faith are complex and may stir passionate emotions. While we acknowledge that we do not have all the answers to these difficult questions, we resolve that we, as leaders of Greenville Community Church, will seek to “do justice and love mercy” and point the way in promoting a posture of welcome to immigrants, refugees, and any persons who face oppression on the basis of their race, ethnicity, immigration status, or refugee status.
Adopted by the Board of Elders of Greenville Community Church on July 1, 2018.