Refugees: The Church Speaks page

God's Word consistently directs the people of God to be welcoming toward the strangers in their midst and to extend special care to those most vulnerable in society. For more than 50 years, the CRC has responded to God's call by assisting thousands of refugees resettling in North America.
 

An Immigrant Church

The CRC’s dedication to serving recent arrivals, their children, and their growing communities also stems out of the denomination’s history as an immigrant church. The CRC was founded by and grew from successive waves of Dutch immigrants in the 19th century, and after the Second World War, it welcomed a large number of Dutch immigrants into its Canadian communities. In the context of Christian faith and fellowship that many felt called to welcome these strangers by providing employment, cultural orientation, and social support. As a result, CRC congregations in Canada grew by leaps and bounds, particularly from 1951-1953.

The denomination again responded to God’s call in the 1960s when Cuban refugees began to arrive in the United States in the aftermath of the Castro revolution. In fact, the first works of CRWRC included sponsoring and supporting Cuban refugee families in Miami. Many refugee families were sponsored by CRC families and became part of our communities and congregations. Because of CRC members' willingness to embrace those who were in need of social, financial, and spiritual support, and because of those refugee families’ willingness to contribute their unique culture and strengths to their new communities, the CRC is a stronger, more diverse, and more vibrant community today.

The CRCNA again "welcomed the stranger" in the 1970s during a large influx of Southeast Asian refugees from war-torn countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. In the 1980s and 1990s, West African immigrants began to arrive, seeking asylum from political upheaval and violence in their home countries. Today, the Pacific Hanmi classis continues to welcome more and more new immigrant families from Korea. Over and over, it seems that God has called upon members of CRC churches to respond to the needs of these new strangers in our midst. Because of this unique call, the CRC has grown, changed, and strengthened to become who it is today.

Synodical Statements

Following God's call to welcome the the stranger by assisting refugees has been consistently practiced by the CRC over the decades. The theological underpinnings of this calling to welcome various kinds of immigrants were articulated in the 2010 report to Synod on “the issue of migration of workers as it relates to the church’s ministries of inclusion, compassion, and hospitality” (Acts of Synod 2007, p. 596).

In response to the report, Synod adopted thirteen recommendations on areas including education and awareness, ministry of mercy and compassion, and justice and advocacy.  

In this vein, Synod calls CRC churches to take action in a variety of ways:

EDUCATE

Christians should engage in thoughtful study and discussion of the economic, political, social, and spiritual issues involved in the church’s ministry with immigrant people. This can include the study of the 2010 Synodical Migration Report.

SHOW COMPASSION

Following our Scriptural calling to welcome the stranger, we demonstrate Christ’s love to the marginalized, offering assistance for needy immigrants and for their children in terms of financial assistance, food, clothing, and shelter.

ADVOCATE

We advocate for reforms to our immigration laws in the United States and Canada so that they may be fair, just, and equitable for immigrants, particularly for vulnerable populations such as refugees.

Stories of Refugees and the CRC

Refugee sponsorship by CRC churches provides crucial support for refugees new to North America. But involvement in refugee ministries results in changed lives for not only for the refugees but also for the church members involved.

Below are some amazing stories of  and growth--how the refugees found and caring and supportive community in the CRC, and how they enriched and transformed the lives of their hosts in turn.

The Thach Family
A letter of gratitude from the Thach family to their host church--First CRC of Freemont, MI--and their request to become members of that congregation.

Benjamin Osei
The story of a refugee from Sierre Leone who gave back to his new community in Canada by volunteering with teens in Toronto's Jane-Finch neighborhood. When he received a deportation notice, the CRC community across Canada advocated on his behalf and the case gained national media attention.

Phun Khuah Lian
A simple e-mail brings justice for 1,000 Burmese refugees who escaped to Guam, but were stuck waiting for an U.S. immigration interview for up to 10 years, dependant on the good will of the Guamese for food and shelter, jobless, and powerless to pursue a new life.

Riad Il Khawaja
CRWRC helps resettle the family of a bio-medical engineer and hospital administrator in Gaza, who became refugees due to the Israeli attacks in January 2009.

James and Otis Pewee
The Pewee brothers survived the vicious civil war in Liberia but had incredible difficulty seeking sanctuary in Canada. Providentially, they received support of Maranatha CRC in St. Catharines, where their brother Dongo was interning as a pastor.

Robart Farho
CRWRC resettles Iraqi refugee Robart Farho and his family in Toronto from Damascus, Syria, where they had been in living in extreme difficulty for several years after fleeing from the war in Iraq.

Phon Sinbondit
Through resettlement in the U.S., Laotian camp survivor and refugee Phon Sinbondit becomes a Christian and later devotes his life to church planting.

Laotian Refugees Start and Join Churches
The story of how Laotian refugees and North Americans begin to see themselves as brothers and sisters at God’s table.

Alberta Church Revived by Refugees
The sponsorship of one Karen family from Burma turned Maranatha CRC in Edmonton, Alberta into a church enriched by many Karen refugees.