By adoption of Calendar Item 972 on page 355 of the Daily Christian Advocate by the 1992 General Conference, the General Council on Ministries was asked to continue its role of coordination of the interagency response to the refugee and immigration crisis, with the General Board of Global Ministries given primary responsibility for this effort in cooperation with the General Board of Church and Society.
Implementation
GCOM supported the following recommendations from the Interboard Task Force on Refugee/Immigration Concerns:
The production of an updated publication of "To Love the Sojourner" and that the GBCS, UMCOR, GBGM share in the cost of this updating and distribution; and the establishment of a "United Methodist Refugee and Immigration Network." GCOM recommended that GBGM assume primary responsibility for the development and maintenance of the network working cooperatively with the GBCS.
During the quadrennium, GCOM carried out its coordination role through participation on the Joint Panel on International Affairs, a coordinating body for related work of GBCS and GBGM. Both a staff member and a Council member were assigned to participate on the Panel and provide updates on the work of the Panel and Inter-Board Task Force on Refugee/Immigration Concerns to the GCOM.
At the beginning of the quadrennium, UMCOR established a network of refugee coordinators in each annual conference who received training in 1993. The coordinators received periodic updates on refugee concerns and information on legislative advocacy efforts. UMCOR also worked ecumenically through Church World Service on a legislative advocacy campaign.
The publication "To Love the Sojourner" was a response to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and since that time immigration concerns have escalated and immigration policies have changed throughout the world. Because of this fluctuation, it has not been advantageous to republish that document.
The GBCS will be bringing a resolution to General Conference regarding United States immigration policies with a focus on Proposition #187, and GBGM will be recommending the adoption of a resolution on the world-wide refugee crisis. Both of these resolutions may need to be modified during General Conference due to the ongoing world-wide changes and constitutional challenges to state and national immigration policies e.g., Proposition #187. GBGM and GBCS are closely monitoring these actions.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21698-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference