Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

 

Scripture calls people of faith to provide refuge:

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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.
Leviticus 19:34

A Statement of Shared Values about Immigration & Refugees: Scripture and tradition call us to welcome the immigrant and the stranger. Abraham and Sarah’s travels in Genesis, including their hospitality to three strangers by the oaks of Mamre, and the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt in the Gospel of Matthew remind us that God protects those who seek safety in foreign lands.
 

Working for Justice Now

 

After a hiatus due covid and recent changes in the El Corazón ministry the time seems right to revive and recreate SJE's Immigrant Justice Team. The Immigration Justice Team meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. We are regular discussing the needs of migrants in the greater Grand Haven community and West Michigan and how our parish can respond to those needs.

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The Immigrant Relief Fund

This fund was established at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing that many immigrants in our area did not have access to the same resources as other residents. Through the generous support of individuals, corporations, and foundations, in the first year of existence we processed over 180 applications for assistance with household and legal needs, giving nearly $72,000 in aid to area immigrants. You can click here to give to the immigrant relief fund or you can click here to apply for assistance. 

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Sanctuary Church Status

The parish of St. John's Episcopal Church unanimously approved the following Resolution regarding Sanctuary Church status at a Special Parish Meeting on August 10, 2025:

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Whereas, the General Convention of The Episcopal Church has repeatedly affirmed the dignity and humanity of all immigrants and refugees, regardless of their legal status, and has called upon congregations to offer pastoral care and advocacy on their behalf (see, e.g., Resolution 2009-B006, Resolution 2018-C009, and Resolution 2022-D031;

 

Whereas, the 79th General Convention (2018) explicitly encouraged congregations to “congregations become places of welcome, refuge, healing, and other forms of material and pastoral support for those targeted for deportation due to immigration status or some perceived status of difference,” including by discerning whether to become sanctuary congregations offering physical shelter to individuals under threat of deportation (Resolution 2018-C009);

 

Whereas, the 80th General Convention (2022) reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to supporting immigrants and asylum seekers, and to opposing unjust deportations and detentions, especially those that break up families or return individuals to places that create physical or emotional danger (Resolution 2022-D031);

 

Whereas, we believe that our baptismal covenant to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being” calls us to act with compassion, courage, and solidarity in the face of unjust immigration policies;

 

Whereas, Indivisible Grand Haven is forming a Sanctuary Network of organizations, households, and congregations that will collaborate to support and protect immigrants in our community who are at risk of deportation;

 

Therefore, be it

 

Resolved, that St. John’s Episcopal Church, Grand Haven, endorses the Sanctuary Network being created by Indivisible Grand Haven and affirms our commitment to standing with and supporting immigrants and asylum seekers in our local community and we commit to sharing this Network with members and friends of our parish who may be able to provide Sanctuary to immigrants under threat of deportation; and be it further

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Resolved, that after consultation with the diocesan chancellor, consideration of the teachings of Holy Scripture, and discernment of the call of the Holy Spirit, St. John’s Episcopal Church declares itself a Sanctuary Church and formally join the New Sanctuary Coalition, affirm our commitment to offering temporary refuge to immigrants under imminent threat of deportation; and we direct the Vestry, Rector, and other parish leaders to take all necessary steps to prepare our congregation—spiritually, logistically, and legally—to provide such sanctuary in faithful response to the Gospel. To assist in that work, they call upon the Parish Leadership to partner with another sanctuary church to mentor us in this process.

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Join the work!

This important work and ministry is led by our Immigrant Justice Team, a group that meets regularly at the parish to plan events for advocacy, relief, education, and support of all immigrants. If you'd like to be added to their email list, just contact our Parish Administrator, Dr. Peter Kurdziel at pkurdziel@sjegh.com. We also have a one-page flyer with more resources on the Sanctuary Movement and its history that you can download online here. 

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We stand together to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
 

1 John 4:20