Jeremy L. Berg

I am part of a multiethnic, transnational body of believers called the Church of Jesus Christ. I was baptized into this new family, and I don’t get to choose and select who my new siblings in Christ are. The waters of baptism are more binding than the blood running through my veins and any artificial national borders established by Man. Jesus said this spiritual family takes priority over even biological family (Matthew 12:48-50), and “when one part of the body hurts, we (should) all hurt” (1 Cor. 12:26-27).

I am also part of a body of believers that make up the Evangelical Covenant Church, some 800+ local congregations of believers. We are an immigrant church founded by Swedish immigrants in the 1880s. We have become an immigrant church again over the past few decades, as we have welcomed many Asian, African American, Hispanic brothers and sisters, etc. (and new churches) into our mosaic. This growing diversity has enriched us immensely, and tears often run down my cheeks at larger gatherings of our denomination when we get to sing worship songs and pray in multiple languages. A little echo of Pentecost in Acts 2, and a little foretaste of Heaven in Revelation 7.

Taking Jesus, the Bible and the Christian faith seriously should place one at odds with many of the ‘nationalist’ and anti-immigrant impulses on the rise right now. Note: I am 100% for immigration reform, securing the border, and getting rid of violent criminals. I am against mass deportations, separation of families, and cutting off funding for Christin non-profits such as World Relief doing refugee resettlement for at-risk Afghan soldiers who served alongside our military overseas, and now are hunted fugitives.

These are times for nuanced discussion on the complexities of these issues. These are times for educating yourself on these issues from reputable sources. This is not a time to be animated by fear-mongering partisan rhetoric and led astray by simplistic memes and partisan media outlets — both on the Left and Right.

This is a time to look to experts at World Relief, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), and other trusted Christian organizations whose leaders have devoted their lives to knowing the ins and outs of these difficult issues. It’s time to trust your pastor’s understanding of the Scriptures and Christian teaching over, say, J.D. Vance’s latest tweet. Here’s a trustworthy podcast episode by Dispatch Faith I listened to exploring these issues from a balanced point of view.

I have contacted the offices of my senators and the President and Vice President on some of the recent executive orders, and added my signature to letters representing other concerned Evangelical Christians with the help of my friend Rev. Steve Eng at NAE. You can join me and Take Action as well here. It only takes 30 seconds to fill out the form if you feel so led.

My Facebook feed right now is full of clergy friends speaking out, quoting Scripture and pleading with the masses to side with Jesus and Biblical truth over other political agendas. Many clergy have considered quitting in the past few years, dispirited that so many their sheep give more weight to the opinion of political talking heads on TV or Twitter over their own biblically-grounded teaching and opinion.

I hope Evangelicals will give more weight to the words of pastors and bishops quoting Jesus, than politicians misquoting Scripture and leading people astray. Note also this cheap strategy being employed: Any Christian leader speaking out who is not aligned with MAGA world will be labeled “woke” and quickly dismissed as impure and illegitimate faith, including moderate conservative Bible-believing Born Again Evangelical pastors like me! (We’ve seen this movie before in 1930s Germany; it ends badly.) Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matt 6:24). Many peoples’ true devotion is being revealed right now. Take heed!

Reminder: None of this is said from a partisan point of view. I’m not a Democrat. I’m not a Republican. I’m not a “woke” leftist. I’m not a Maga conservative. I am a pastor soaked in the Scriptures, an imperfect practitioner of the Way of Jesus, a professor of Biblical studies, and ordained minister who has been “solemnly and publicly set apart” to serve the multiethnic Body of Christ “with the love and authority of Jesus Christ.”

Finally, and the main reason for this post today, I wanted to share a word from our Conference Superintendent, Rev. Kara Stromberg, along with some helpful Covenant resources to consider.

Grace and peace, JB

In times where this world seems a bit much, I often think of Mother Teresa’s famous quote:  “Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other–that man, that woman, that child is my brother or my sister.” The Apostle Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 12:26-27 that we are all part of the body of Christ. When one part hurts, we all hurt. Right now, our body is hurting, as immigrants in the Latino community and beyond are struggling to make sense of recent policy changes that are creating fear and uncertainty. As a Conference and Denomination founded by immigrants, we have long stood alongside those on the margins. These days are a time to remember that we belong to one another. The complexities of immigration are deep and divisive, but I hope we can see the humanity in one another and agree that God’s children deserve respect and honor. Many have asked “what can we do?” I’d like to encourage us toward three things: PRAY. Scripture promises us that when two or three are gathered together in the Lord’s name, the Lord is present among us, and that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. May God’s Church be reminded that our primary task is prayer, and may our congregations be communities that are known for our conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit. We can pray specifically that the Lord will bring comfort to those living in fear, that the Church can be unified and know how to respond, and that our leaders can find a way forward that is both charitable and prudent.  LEARN. Educate yourself on the issues at hand, including knowing your rights and the rights of immigrants. There is much to wade through online but the American Federation of Teachers, National Immigration Law Center, and Immigrant Connection are practical and helpful places to start.  The Covenant Church is offering two events through our partner institutions:Centro Hispano de Estudios Teologicos (CHET) is hosting an online information session this Saturday, Feb 1 at Noon on the latest enforcement policies and how churches can faithfully respond. The event will be in Spanish, with English translation. Register here.North Park Theological Seminary is hosting a symposium on hospitality and immigration Feb 14-15 in person and online. How can Christians embody the biblical call to hospitality for immigrants? Register here. Additionally, Welcoming the Stranger, written by World Relief Immigration experts, Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang, is an accessible and helpful resource for Christians to understand the issues around immigration and to respond in compassionate, sensible and concrete ways.  REACH OUT. Connect with those in your church and community, or in neighboring churches and communities. Inquire if there are ways you can be helpful or if there are ways you can meet needs. Arrive Ministries is a regional ministry that works with many churches and is connected to Transform MN. Arrive has a long track record of doing good work with refugees and immigrants.  Additionally, the Conference and Denomination both have a growing list of resources, including legal contacts for those are in need of help navigating the immigration process or drafting paperwork. Friends, let’s remember that we belong to one another. Know I’m trusting in our Good Shepherd to lead us through these days, Rev. Kara Stromberg, Superintedent