friday reflection 7 july 2017

Be a community of love, hospitality and fellowship for Sanctuary Congregations.

While the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin has not authorized its congregations to provide physical sanctuary, congregations can support those congregations of denominations and faiths who have declared themselves to be sanctuary congregations. If your congregation is linked with Faith in the Valley or another interfaith group, you may already be aware of nearby congregations that have discerned the call to provide sanctuary. In Fresno, for example, “sanctuary congregations” include Wesley United Methodist, First Congregational Church (“Big Red”), the Unitarian Universalist Church and Carter Memorial African Methodist Episcopalian Church. In January, 2017, the governing council of bishops directed that all African Methodist Episcopal churches in the nation would be sanctuary churches.

Local congregations can also provide support to sanctuary congregations through offering love, hospitality and fellowship for Sanctuary Congregations through tangible resources to Sanctuary Congregations. Ways to do this include:

• Monetary aid
  
  
• Food, clothing, toiletries
  
• Health and medical support
  
• Legal support through partnering with other organizations offering trainings workshops such as "Know Your Rights," "Family Preparedness," and "Accompaniment."
  
• Entertainment, toys, reading materials, etc.
  
• Prayer vigils
  
• Public declarations of physical, spiritual, moral, and financial support.
  
• Rapid response and support in situations of public need, i.e. press conferences, raids, protests, etc. (See June 17 Friday Reflection on “Option 6.”)
  

It is also helpful to advocate for justice on your local, state and national level, as the Episcopal Church does on a national basis coordinated by its Office of Governmental Affairs (see June 30, 2017 Friday Reflection on The Episcopal Church and Sanctuary). As Episcopalians involved in our communities and government, we can establish relationships with local city governments and police departments, and visit or call our legislative representatives and government officials to advocate on action items.

Helpful Information:

• Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice: http://imirj.org/faith-community-resources and http://imirj.org/resources-for-sanctuary-supporters
  
• Sacred Resistance, Diocese of Los Angeles: http://www.lasacredresistance.org/
  
• Sanctuary, not Deportation: http://www.sanctuarynotdeportation.org/
  

Organizations that may help with legal processes:

• National Day Laborer Organizing Network - www.ndlon.org/en/
  
• ACLU of Northern California - https://www.aclunc.org/
  
• National Immigration Law Center - www.nilc.org
  
• Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) - www.carecen-la.org
  
• Bet Tzedek Legal Service - www.bettzedek.org
  

If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Deacon Nancy