The Southern Baptist Convention took a vote that has largely gone unnoticed but is critical to recognize in today’s political climate. Roughly 12,000 Christians nearly unanimously voted to pass a resolution “On Wisely Engaging Immigration” that affirms the importance of both restoring order to the border while also ensuring that migrants and asylum seekers are treated with greater compassion.
This recent resolution stands in stark contrast to a common mischaracterization that evangelical Christians are hostile to immigrants. The reality is that a significant majority of evangelicals affirm the value and dignity of immigrants and take a nuanced approach to immigration policy, compelled by their faith to value both compassion and order – and leaders in North Carolina and around the country should pay attention.
A recent survey conducted by Lifeway Research reveals that evangelicals do not view border security and mercy for immigrants as mutually exclusive. In fact, 90% of evangelicals support immigration policies that reflect a respect for the God-given dignity of migrants and 92% support immigration legislation that respects the rule of law.
This evangelical desire for common sense immigration reform was reflected in the consensus at the Southern Baptist Convention affirming both the importance of family unity and the necessity of upholding the rule of law. Motivated by a conviction that our nation’s immigration system should prioritize both welcome and order, members of the Southern Baptist Convention affirmed the necessity of strengthening border security. But at the same time, they don’t want to see border security measures destroy family unity or sacrifice compassion toward vulnerable immigrants seeking freedom and safety in the United States.
As an immigrant myself, I know firsthand how instilling compassion into our nation’s immigration system can make a difference between migrants having the opportunity to build a better life in the United States or having to hide in the shadows as I once did.
I was brought to America as a young child and have considered this country my home for nearly my entire life. However, it did not legally become my home until my teenage years when my father obtained a U visa – available to him only because he assisted law enforcement after he was a victim of a serious crime – that enabled me to finally become a lawful resident and, eventually, a naturalized citizen.
Until I gained legal status, I lived in a constant state of fear that I would be separated from my family and forced to leave the place I called my home. Today, countless immigrants feel the exact same way I once did. A lack of legal pathways to citizenship for those brought to the United States as children, along with an ongoing backlog of asylum cases leaves many in an ongoing state of limbo and uncertainty.
Today, I have the privilege of getting to live out the better life my family wanted for me when they first brought me to the United States, and to minister to others as a leader at Life Church, a North Carolina Baptist church living out our mission of pursuing God’s kingdom “in Charlotte as it is in heaven.” I want every immigrant who – like me – loves this country and desires to contribute to their community to have the opportunities that I’ve had.
Thankfully, numerous leaders across the political spectrum are showing the political will to provide solutions for the border and increase opportunities and protections for vulnerable immigrants. The Dignity Act, introduced just last month, pairs border security improvements and funding with reforms to the visa system, a path to citizenship for Dreamers, and a broader earned legalization process with the payment of a fine as restitution for other undocumented immigrants, all elements that Lifeway Research’s study finds are broadly supported by evangelical Christians.
However, in order for this proposed bill to actually pass, more leaders must come to the table to support it. I urge North Carolina’s congressional delegation to get the Dignity Act across the finish line.
Evangelicals like me will continue both in prayer for the passage of this bill and in proclamation of the need for immigration reform that both strengthens the border and creates avenues of greater compassion for the vulnerable migrants in our communities.
It’s time for our nation’s leaders to stop placing blame on the other party for the dysfunction of our nation’s immigration system and instead work together to provide the real solutions our country needs. Supporting the Dignity Act is an excellent way to do that.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Jonathan Perez Bernal serves as director of justice and mercy at Life Church in Charlotte, N.C.)
