Christian Charity
On $1 Billion Federal Gravy Train Leads Political Call to ‘Care Sacrificially
for the Refugee’
by
Michael Patrick Leahy 18 Dec 2015
World Relief, one of five Christian charities among
the top nine voluntary agencies (VOLAGs) receiving $1 billion a year
in payments from the federal government as part of the U.S. Refugee
Resettlement program, is leading a political charge calling on American
taxpayers to “care sacrificially for the refugee.”
Two
top executives at World Relief, Stephan Bauman, President & CEO of and
Jenny Yang, Vice President of Advocacy & Policy, were among a dozen members
of a drafting coalition of the recently organized “Great Commandment and Great
Commission Summit” that issued a
statement titled “Christian Declaration on Caring for Refugees: An
Evangelical Response” on Thursday.
“We
acknowledge that there are genuine security concerns and encourage governments
to be stewards of safety, but we also observe that choosing to come to North
America as refugees would be among the least effective ways for those who
intend to do us harm,” (emphasis added) the statement claimed, in part.
The
questionable claim that Muslim refugees from countries such as Syria
and Somalia, where jihadism is rampant would find entering the United States as
refugees “least effective” is at the core of the political controversy
surrounding the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program.
As
Breitbart News reported
previously:
Of
the 100,000 refugees resettled in the United States in 2014 under the Refugee
Resettlement program, an estimated 40 percent were Muslims.
In
FY 2015, the State Department, through the Bureau of Population, Refugees and
Migration and the Office of Refugee Resettlement, spent more than $1 billion on
these programs, which settled international refugees “vetted” by the United Nations
High Commission on International Refugees
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The federal government
spent hundreds of millions of dollars more than that on refugees, however. The
Department of Health and Human Services also provided a number of
“entitlements” to these refugees.
Much
of this $1 billion in annual revenue goes to voluntary agencies (VOLAGs),
several of which are Christian non-profits, such as Catholic Charities, Lutheran Immigration
and Refugee Service, World Relief Corporation, Church World Service, and
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Service of the Episcopal Church of the USA. (also referred to as Episcopal
Migration Ministries), who are contracted on behalf of the government to help
these refugees get settled in their new homes in America.
Five
of the top nine VOLAGs are Christian non-profits. The other four are Hebrew
Immigrant Aid Society, International Rescue Committee, US Committee
for Refugees and Immigrants, and the Ethiopian Community Development Council.
Thursday’s
announcement was just the latest in a steady public relations effort
launched by “non-profit” agencies whose primary interest is now to keep the
federal government gravy train rolling into their bank accounts.
As
Breitbart News reported previously,
many of the supporters of this political call to action are the same leaders
who stepped up to participate in the George Soros backed
Evangalical Immigration Table and its efforts in 2013 to support amnesty
for illegal aliens through the “Gang of Eight” bill that ultimately failed in
the Senate.
You
can read the full statement, “Christian Declaration on Caring for Refugees: An
Evangelical Response,” here:
Affirmations
Impacting
nearly 60 million people, the global refugee emergency is a humanitarian crisis
of unprecedented size. Never have so many people been recorded as being
displaced, put in danger, and sent on the move. In Syria alone, more than 13
million children and their parents need humanitarian aid. Nearly 4.4 million
have been forced to flee to neighboring countries for safety.
Moments like these are when Christians cannot remain silent and still. In light of this crisis, we commit ourselves and our churches to actively care for and minister to global refugees with mercy and compassion, both here and abroad, based on God’s compelling concern for all people in need and especially refugees.
In light of these concerns, we affirm the following:
Refugees possess the image of God and, as such, are infinitely valuable to God and to us.
We are commanded to love our neighbor, and it is our privilege to love refugees.
As Christians, we must care sacrificially for the refugee, the foreigner, and the stranger.
We will motivate and prepare our churches and movements to care for refugees.
We will not be motivated by fear but by love for God and others.
Christians are called to grace-filled and humble speech about this issue.
In light of these Christian principles, we cannot allow voices of fear to dominate.
Instead, we commit to actions of love and compassion for refugees who have been admitted into our nation(s) in refugee status.
We acknowledge that there are genuine security concerns and encourage governments to be stewards of safety, but we also observe that choosing to come to North America as refugees would be among the least effective ways for those who intend to do us harm.
So, as governments oversee matters of security, we will care for the hurting, calling Christians to embrace refugees through their denomination, congregation or other non-profits by providing for immediate and long-term needs, such as housing, food, clothing, employment, English language classes, and schooling for children.
We distinguish that the refugees fleeing this violence are not our enemies; they are victims. We call for Christians to support ministries showing the love of Jesus to the most vulnerable, those in desperate need, and the hurting. This is what Jesus did; He came to the hurting and brought peace to those in despair.
Critical moments like these are opportunities for us to be like Jesus, showing and sharing His love to the hurting and the vulnerable in the midst of this global crisis. Thus we declare that we care, we are responding because our allegiance is to Jesus, and we seek to be more like Him, emulating His compassionate care for the most vulnerable.
Moments like these are when Christians cannot remain silent and still. In light of this crisis, we commit ourselves and our churches to actively care for and minister to global refugees with mercy and compassion, both here and abroad, based on God’s compelling concern for all people in need and especially refugees.
In light of these concerns, we affirm the following:
Refugees possess the image of God and, as such, are infinitely valuable to God and to us.
We are commanded to love our neighbor, and it is our privilege to love refugees.
As Christians, we must care sacrificially for the refugee, the foreigner, and the stranger.
We will motivate and prepare our churches and movements to care for refugees.
We will not be motivated by fear but by love for God and others.
Christians are called to grace-filled and humble speech about this issue.
In light of these Christian principles, we cannot allow voices of fear to dominate.
Instead, we commit to actions of love and compassion for refugees who have been admitted into our nation(s) in refugee status.
We acknowledge that there are genuine security concerns and encourage governments to be stewards of safety, but we also observe that choosing to come to North America as refugees would be among the least effective ways for those who intend to do us harm.
So, as governments oversee matters of security, we will care for the hurting, calling Christians to embrace refugees through their denomination, congregation or other non-profits by providing for immediate and long-term needs, such as housing, food, clothing, employment, English language classes, and schooling for children.
We distinguish that the refugees fleeing this violence are not our enemies; they are victims. We call for Christians to support ministries showing the love of Jesus to the most vulnerable, those in desperate need, and the hurting. This is what Jesus did; He came to the hurting and brought peace to those in despair.
Critical moments like these are opportunities for us to be like Jesus, showing and sharing His love to the hurting and the vulnerable in the midst of this global crisis. Thus we declare that we care, we are responding because our allegiance is to Jesus, and we seek to be more like Him, emulating His compassionate care for the most vulnerable.
The
Great Commandment and Great Commission (GC2) Summit appears to have been
hastily organized, a response, perhaps, to GOP Presidential front runner Donald
Trump’s call for a temporary ban on all Muslim immigration to the United States
on national security grounds in light of the recent Islamist terrorist attacks in
Paris and San Bernardino, California.
“The
Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College (BGCE) and the
Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College (HDI) have announced a
partnership with LifeWay Research for a GC2 Summit, leading the conversation on
engaging refugee communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ,” according to the
Great Commandment and Great Commission Summit website.
The
first part of the summit was held on Thursday and was, in effect, an
“invitation only” planning session for the “evangelical leaders” politically
supporting the continuation of the controversial U.S. Refugee Resettlement
Program.
The
second part of the session will be held on January 20, and is
designed to transform local Churches into political activists promoting the
U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program:
The
GC2 Summit will feature a number of key speakers and collaborators from the Evangelical
community and who specialize in ministry to refugees. The GC2 Summit will occur
in two parts, with the first gathering occurring on Thursday, December 17, 2015
and the second gathering occurring on Wednesday, January 20, 2016. Both events
are open to the public and will take place on the campus of Wheaton College.
GC2
is a moniker that reflects an Evangelical commitment to the Great Commission
and the Great Commandment. The intent of the gatherings is to reflect on and
develop behaviors in light of both the Great Commission and the Great
Commandment.
The
gathering on December 17, 2015, is an invite-only meeting, comprised of
denominational, network and non-profit leadership who are committed to leading
organizations who deal with refugees. The event will feature speakers and
presentations and culminate in the presentation of a document outlining agreed
upon biblical standards and principles that should guide an Evangelical
Christian understanding of how to engage the refugee community.
The
gathering on January 20, 2016, will focus on equipping Christians and churches
to connect with and serve refugees and refugee communities both domestically
and internationally. This event will feature top speakers in the field who use
biblical principles to help Christians and churches better understand their
responsibility to show and share the love of Jesus Christ to refugees and their
communities.
The
other members of the drafting coalition included Ed Stetzer, Executive Director
of LifeWay Research, Rich Stearns, President of World Vision, Jo Anne Lyon,
General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, Frank Page, CEO of the
Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, Alton Garrison,
Assistant General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Jamie Aten, Director
of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute, Sue Elworth, Vice President of
Development, Marketing & Communications of the Willow Creek Association,
Paul Ericksen, Interim Executive Director of The Billy Graham Center for
Evangelism, Amanda Bowman, Director of Church Mobilization of World
Vision,Micah Fries, Vice President of LifeWay Research.
As
these non-profits groups continue to mobilize Christians to support the
continued federal funding of the financial programs from which they benefit
immensely, the issue is likely to become an even greater lightning rod in the
2016 Presidential campaign.
United Nations
High Commission
Angelina Jolie is
a goodwill ambassador for the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a co-founder for the Jolie/Pitt Foundation, and was a
director at the Millennium Promise.
Open
Society Foundations was a funder for Doctors
Without Borders, Amnesty
International, and the Human Rights
Watch.
George Soros is the
founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations, a director emeritus at Refugees International, was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society, and a benefactor at the Human Rights Watch.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Millennium Promise,
Refugees International, Amnesty International, the Human Rights Watch, and the International
Rescue Committee.
John C. Danforth
is a director at Refugees International,
an ordained minister for the Episcopal
Church, and was a United Nations
U.S. ambassador.
Bashar al-Assad
supporting the Syrian Electronic Army
hacker group, is the president of Syria,
and permitted the rise in Syria of
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Gara LaMarche was
an associate director for the Human
Rights Watch, a VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations, and a
director at the White House Project.
Daisy Khan was a
director at the White House Project,
and is an executive director for the American
Society for Muslim Advancement.
American
Society for Muslim Advancement is a sponsor for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow.
Alwaleed
Bin Talal Foundation was a funder for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow, and the Islamic Development Bank.
Alwaleed bin
Talal is the founder of the Alwaleed
Bin Talal Foundation, and a benefactor for the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.
Prince
Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding was a center
at Georgetown University.
Madeleine K.
Albright is a professor at Georgetown
University, an overseer at the International
Rescue Committee, and was a United
Nations U.S. ambassador.
Henry A. Kissinger is an overseer at the International
Rescue Committee, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg
(think tank), Michael R. Bloomberg’s
friend, Francis L. Kellogg was his special
assistant, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Francis L.
Kellogg was Henry A. Kissinger’s
special assistant, and an executive committee chairman for the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees.
Michael R.
Bloomberg is a friend of Henry A.
Kissinger, and was an advocate for the ONE
Campaign.
International
Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE
Campaign.
Condoleezza Rice is an overseer at the International
Rescue Committee, was a director at the ONE Campaign, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant
(think tank).
Michelle Obama was
an advocate for the ONE Campaign.
World Relief is
a partner with the ONE Campaign.
World Vision is
a partner with the ONE Campaign.
Episcopal
Relief and Development is a partner with the ONE Campaign.
Lutheran
World Relief is a partner with the ONE
Campaign.
United
Nations Foundation is a partner with the Lutheran World Relief, the People
of the United Methodist Church, and the ONE Campaign.
Kofi A. Annan is a
director at the United Nations
Foundation, an overseer at the International
Rescue Committee, the chairman for The
Elders, and was the secretary general for the United Nations.
International
Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE
Campaign.
Jimmy Carter is a
member of The Elders, an honorary
co-chair for the Commission on
Presidential Debates, and was an honorary co-chairman for the Millennium Promise.
John C. Danforth
is a director at the Commission on
Presidential Debates, a director at Refugees
International, an ordained minister for the Episcopal Church, and was a United
Nations U.S. ambassador.
Angelina Jolie was
a director at the Millennium Promise,
is a co-founder for the Jolie/Pitt
Foundation, and a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Millennium Promise.
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and is the
founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations.
Open
Society Foundations was a funder for Doctors
Without Borders.
Jolie/Pitt
Foundation was a funder for Doctors
Without Borders.
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