In light of recent events involving the deportation and fears of our immigrant brothers and sisters throughout the state, the NC Council of Churches’ annual Faith & Immigration Summit will focus on the topic of sanctuary this year. Our families, friends, neighbors and co-workers are terrified about being detained and deported; profiled because of their religion, race or political beliefs; losing their health coverage; and facing hate and discrimination. Learn why congregations across the region and country are choosing to support and provide sanctuary, what it means in practice, and how…
Sanctuary Matters: Testimony and Best Practices
Sanctuary Matters: Testimony and Best Practices: A Weekend of Reflection & Training September 16, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 17 United Church of Chapel Hill 1321 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Chapel Hill In light of recent events involving the deportation and fears of our immigrant brothers and sisters throughout the state, the NC Council of Churches’ annual Faith & Immigration Summit will focus on the topic of sanctuary this year. Our families, friends, neighbors and co-workers are terrified about being detained and deported; profiled because of their religion, race or…
Opposing the RAISE Act
Two weeks ago, the President endorsed a new bill in the Senate designed to cut legal immigration levels in half over a decade, a potentially extreme change to policies that have been in place for more than half a century in our country. The RAISE (Reforming Immigration for Strong Employment) Act would reduce the annual distribution of green cards awarding permanent legal residence to just over 500,000, a decrease of more than 1 million. These cuts would include reductions to family-based immigration programs, eliminating the ability of United States citizens…
Supporting Young Immigrants’ Dreams
Five years ago, President Obama created the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program to enable young people brought to this country as children to come out of the shadows and live their lives fully. This entailed granting them the ability to obtain a driver’s license, get a job, or pursue higher education. This newfound sense of security was transformative for the lives of thousands of young people and for their potential contributions to this country. Now, the DACA program has come under threat of repeal by the Trump Administration. If DACA is…
The President’s New Policies are Bad for Cuba and the Church
I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit Cuba on two occasions: the first in 2000 on a mission trip with a Baptist church and the second last September with a Witness for Peace delegation. On both visits, I have witnessed Cuban people suffering because of the U.S. embargo combined with stifled dissent and socialist economics. Basic goods are unattainable. The cars in Cuba, which are vintage remnants from the mid-1900’s and are beloved by tourists, have been kept running by savvy Cubans who are surviving under an economic…
NC Council of Churches Places Welcome Billboard Along I-40
For at least the next month, drivers along I-40 West between Statesville and Hickory will see an important reminder of God’s directive to be a welcoming presence to the most vulnerable among us. The NC Council of Churches has purchased a billboard near Exit 132 that quotes Leviticus 19:34, “Welcome the stranger for you were once a stranger.” “Some travelers on this section of the highway may have already noticed a billboard with an unwelcoming message,” said the Rev. Jennifer Copeland, the Council’s Executive Director. “We want to remind folks…
Let Us Show Love and Compassion on World Refugee Day
First celebrated in 2001, World Refugee Day is held annually on June 20. The day marks a worldwide effort to raise awareness of the plight of refugees and recognize the contributions of forcibly displaced people. The annual commemoration is designated to honor “the strength, courage and resilience of refugees.” It is marked by events in more than 100 countries; in Raleigh it will include the screening of a documentary about Kenyan refugees, to be held at the Cameron Village Library at 6 p.m., sponsored by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Many people are not aware of World…
Sanctuary as a Sacred Act
Photo courtesy of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Under President Trump’s recent executive orders, many people’s lives have changed, especially the lives of those who have come to North Carolina from other countries or who have family members who do not have proper documentation. People are afraid to leave their homes to go to work, church, or the doctor. Children are afraid that their parents won’t be there when they get home. Victims of crimes are afraid to call the police. Our neighbors are living in a state of constant…
We Are Love Warriors
The exhilaration of Easter is fading into memory, and we are left with more routine matters. Unfortunately, the matters that are becoming more and more commonplace have frightening implications: tweets, threats, tapes, etc. All should be sobering to us. We need to be taking these things seriously, but sometimes it feels like we can’t take them seriously because they are so ridiculous, yet also so pervasive. We feel like we are going crazy. This month is National Mental Health month, and I doubt that I am the only one who has…
The Plank in Your Eye
As followers of the Prince of Peace, Christians are not always particularly peaceful people, which is what makes North Carolina’s return to the national stage as a foothold for intolerance both unsurprising and deeply troubling. The ease with which a Christian group would condemn another religion denies our own legacy as well as the work we still need to do. For any Christian who needs help seeing past the plank in their own eye, some of our faithful friends have put together an excellent starting place. In addition, a piece…
2018 Budget Proposal is the Antithesis of our Call
Plenty of analysis is already happening around the 2018 budget proposal out of the White House. The Washington Post provides two helpful graphics here and here. More is being written than most of us can fully absorb, but Politico offers a key observation: On close reading, the budget is less a credible attempt to eliminate, or even pay down, the U.S. debt and more an ideological policy agenda disguised as a program of fiscal responsibility. If the proposal is, as such plans are often described, a place to begin discussion…
Raleigh Report — April 26, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director [The deadlines for the introduction of most new bills have now passed, and we are in Crossover Week. By the end of the week, most non-money bills (i.e., not taxes, fees, or appropriations) must have passed one house in order to remain alive for this session. There are exceptions, and those exceptions can sometimes be used creatively by legislative leaders to keep bills alive. For more information on bills, including committee referrals and re-referrals, texts of bills, procedural histories, and recorded votes, go to…
Raleigh Report — April 21, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director [For the latest committee referrals and re-referrals, go to the General Assembly website www.ncleg.net. There you can also find the texts of bills, procedural histories, and recorded votes.] Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXES H 727, Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, would add a lengthy and detailed amendment to the state constitution, subject to voter approval. The heart of the amendment is that the state’s budget could not increase each year more than the national inflation rate plus the state’s population growth rate. A larger…
SB 145 Debate Not in Accordance with Matthew 25
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee of the North Carolina General Assembly discussed SB 145, an anti-immigrant bill that would expand the 287g program, thereby allowing local law enforcement to act as ICE officials and forcing NC university system institutions to disclose a student’s immigration status if required by a state or federal agency. It would also revoke the exception that allows law enforcement officers to accept a community ID such as the FaithAction ID and withhold state funding from cities or counties that adopt a so-called “sanctuary” policy or ordinance regarding undocumented immigrants in any…
Raleigh Report — April 10, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Bills are being introduced at a rapid pace as the Senate’s deadline for new bills has passed and the House’s deadline on non-money approaches. This Raleigh Report and another one later in the week will try to catch up with the flood of bills. Newly Introduced Bills CHILDREN AND FAMILIES S 439, Eliminate NC Pre-K Waitlist Statewide, would appropriate $36 million over the next two fiscal years to eliminate the waiting list for the NC Pre-Kindergarten Program (formerly known as More at Four). Introduced…