Part of the message of Easter includes Good Friday, and the fact that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ suffered so that we might have salvation. Those who are disciples of Jesus Christ are now the Body of Christ, and when one part of Christ’s body suffers, Scripture tells us, every part suffers with it (1 Corinthians 12:26). This is why we as Wesleyans have been are sensitive to the matter of immigrants among us who are impacted by our immigration system. It is not a mere political issue, instead, it is part of the Body of Christ that is suffering, and we all suffer with it.
Earlier this week, our General Superintendent, Dr. Jo Anne Lyon was invited to the Oval Office to discuss Immigration reform with the President and a handful of other religious leaders. Her viewpoint and that of the Wesleyan church is that “we have an urgency to see these laws changed, but regardless of what our government does with our laws the gospel must be preached. We need an urgency to see the laws reformed, and I challenge you to communicate to your representatives like I was able to do with the President. At the same time we need an urgency to see people come to Christ in the middle of this broken world.”
As Dr. Lyon did her part, you can do your part in the following three ways to follow in her footsteps:
#1 Commit to Pray for Reform.
If you haven’t done so, go to the Evangelical Immigration Table website and sign up under the video to #PrayForReform!
#2 Connect directly with the office of your Representative in the US Government.
Phone calls do this best, and our Representatives are very attentive to how many calls they get from their constituents. Call 866-877-5552 to be connected to your Representative or to leave a message. You can also discover what local events are happening by your Representative now in your area while they are on recess and participate in those to share your take on this important issue.
#3 Go to the Pastors for Reform event on Tuesday, April 29.
During this event, evangelical pastors from across our nation will gather to bring a unified voice to Washington, D.C., urging our lawmakers to enact immigration reforms this year. This day includes worshiping & praying together in the morning, with breakout session by state delegations and an opportunity to meet with members of Congress. Many Wesleyan Pastors are already planning to be there and Dr. Lyon is urging you to prayerfully consider attending this event.
If you have interest in this please email immigration@wesleyan.org and we will help get you signed up. I am holding a conference call with all Wesleyan Pastors looking to attend this event to help give you more information on what this time will look like and how you can approach it best.
You can register yourself for Pastors for Reform on April 29 in Washington, DC, by clicking here.
Believing in you…
-David Drury
PS: If you are looking for other ways to lend your voice to those of our brothers and sisters facing challenging immigration circumstances you can join in with social media by taking part in our ThunderClap. With just a few clicks, you and hundreds of other believers across the country can simultaneously share a message of support for immigration reform on April 29 by using social media. Joining is incredibly easy and free: just click here and choose to support with the social media platform you already use, and then follow the prompts to add your support.
*Photo Credit: By Mjw23 via Wikimedia Commons
