NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Twenty-five years ago, 25 million people in the world were forcibly displaced. Today, nearly 120 million people (5x's in 2 decades) must leave their homes due to persecution for faith, political opinion, or their ethnicity. Since the 1980's, the Refugee Resettlement Program has allowed those seeking refuge entry into the US to become productive citizens. But 2025 saw sweeping changes to US policy and cuts to federally funded programs that help those persecuted resettle in the US.
For decades, churches and other institutions in the United States have been at the forefront responding to refugees. For over 80 years, across 100 countries World Relief has partnered with churches to respond to the world's greatest crises. VP of Advocacy and Policy of World Relief Matthew Soerens says churches and most Americans want to help but policy is not allowing them to help. "This is a federal program, so it's set at the federal level by government. We had polling as recently as last year that found that , just looking at evangelical Christians, about 70% says that they believe the US has a moral responsibility to receive refugees." Soerens believes institutions and churches in the US must fight for this complicated situation. " For us at World Relief, we think it's really vital that the church does engage in part because this is actually an issue that the Bible speaks to so frequently. And we don't think we have the option to just ignore something that's a biblical mandate."
"Seeking Refuge- The Human Face of the Global Refugee Crisis" a book by Matthew Soerens lays out 3 things you can do: 1) Advocate- reach out to Congressional offices and say "Hey, we actually think the US should continue to be a beacon of refuge for people fleeing persecution." 2) Pray- praying for refugees who are in a very vulnerable situation. 3) Act- Be a part of our work at World Relief welcoming people into the United States and other countries whenever we can.
WorldRelief.org