Evangelical leaders ask biblical immigration solutions of presidential candidates

By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press:

GREENVILLE, S.C. (BP) – The Evangelical Immigration Table and World Relief issued a letter Jan. 11 to U.S. presidential candidates urging them to consider biblical principles when drafting solutions to the immigration crisis.

The groups announced the letter, signed by more than 500 evangelical Christians, in a press call featuring leaders from Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in advance of the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucuses. Concurrently, the groups issued the “I Was a Stranger” Challenge, a 40-day Scripture reading and prayer guide designed to lead candidates and the Christian public to view immigration matters through a godly heart.

Biblical immigration policies would be nonpartisan and embrace a respect for both the law and immigrants, who are made in God’s image. Biblically based policies would promote family unity, civility and order, panelists said, and would avoid harsh, unbiblical language.

Anthony Beam served as a panelist in his capacity as a policy consultant for the South Carolina Baptist Convention and senior director of Church and Community Engagement and Public Affairs at North Greenville University.

Despite varying views, Christians should find some agreement among themselves in solving the complicated issue of immigration, Beam said, because any solution we choose should be grounded in God’s Word.

“God’s Word affirms the role of government in maintaining order and security, which is why evangelicals tend to insist on secure boarders,” said Beam, an Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission trustee, “but it also affirms the dignity of each person as being made in the image of God.”

While the imago Dei is often cited in pro-life circles, Beam pointed out its application in all considerations of life, including immigration, immigrants and their families.

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