Press Release

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
November 30, 2017
CONTACTS:
Jenny Yang 443.527.8363
Christina Klinepeter 773.724.0605

World Relief Congratulates its Seattle Office on Receiving $25,000 Award
from Starbucks Foundation for Groundbreaking Work with Refugees

BALTIMORE, MD – On November 30th, World Relief’s Seattle office in Kent, Washington was one of 25 finalists awarded $25,000 from the Starbucks Foundation’s Upstander Challenge.  To be eligible for the award from the Starbucks Foundation, charitable organizations had to submit a video highlighting their work and demonstrate how it contributes positively to the community.

The video from World Relief Seattle features many of the various ways in which their office has welcomed nearly 1,000 refugees to Washington since January of this year, such as offering sewing and jewelry-making classes along with summer camps for refugee children. You can view World Relief’s award-winning video here.  

World Relief CEO Tim Breene, applauded this achievement stating, “Having spent time with their dynamic staff over the years, it comes as no surprise that World Relief Seattle would be recognized by the foundation of such a prominent, global business. Their steadfast dedication to the important work we do has surely made America a more gracious and hospitable home for those seeking refuge. I thank the Starbucks Foundation for acknowledging World Relief Seattle’s commitment to welcoming and caring for the world’s most vulnerable people in the great state of Washington.” 

A panel of judges chose the winners based upon inspirational content, community impact, video creativity and social media buzz. The foundation considers an Upstander broadly to be “a person or organization that acts to make positive change.”

World Relief Seattle is the largest refugee resettlement organization in the state of Washington and also serves vulnerable immigrants in Western Washington. The Seattle office has been around for almost four decades, and in that time, has resettled more than 30,000 refugees. In 2016 alone, the office resettled 1,205 refugees, nearly one-third of the amount settled in the entire state, and served over 4,000 vulnerable people in total. World Relief Seattle is also noteworthy in that the majority of their office’s leadership team are refugees and asylees themselves.    

Download the PDF version of this press release.

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
October 25 2017
CONTACTS:
Matt Soerens 920.428.9534
Christina Klinepeter 773.724.0605

New Executive Order Creates Virtual Wall for Vulnerable Refugees

BALTIMORE, MD – The new executive order regarding the future of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program creates a virtual wall that will keep many of the most vulnerable refugees in our world from finding safety in America.  World Relief is deeply concerned for the individuals and families affected by this decision to impose an additional 90-day ban on refugees from 11 countries at the center of the most extreme refugee crisis in human history, and for those families who are now facing an indefinite suspension of the process to be reunited with loved ones.  We grieve the lives that could have been saved but will be lost due to this action.

This order continues the ban on refugees primarily from Muslim-majority countries, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and also stateless Palestinians. This is also a ban on the U.S. providing protection and safety for persecuted Christians. According to Emily Gray, World Relief Sr. Vice President for U.S. Ministries, “In 2017 the U.S. admitted far fewer Christian refugees than in prior years due to the ban on citizens of these countries and the reduction in the overall numbers of refugees allowed to find safety in America.”

The initial 120-day period ordered by the government to review the refugee program ended yesterday.  The stated reason for the initial order was to review procedures and re-open the program. The new order issued Tuesday does not reopen the program for refugees in the hardest hit areas and creates additional bureaucratic hurdles that are a virtual barrier for refugees from any country. The process mandates that refugees provide detailed contact information on family members from whom many have been separated without any contact for years. Many refugees do not know the fate of their family members due to the violence they fled and will not be able to provide this information.  Additionally, effective immediately, refugees must provide 10 years of detailed information on where they have lived for any period of 30 days. According to Gray, “These new requirements will mean that many refugees who had cleared the multi-level, detailed, years-long process of screening and were ready to travel to a new, safe home will be delayed or eliminated from this opportunity. Repeating these detailed processes will also create additional, unnecessary costs.”

“This order is a further abdication of the United States’ position as the global leader in compassion and welcome for the most vulnerable in our world,” said World Relief CEO Tim Breene. As a Christian organization, World Relief calls on our government to reflect the compassion of the American people and to lift the ban on these 11 countries, allow families separated by war and persecution to be reunited and to diligently work to allow refugees who have been cleared to enter the U.S. without delay.

Download the PDF version of this press release.

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
SEPTEMBER 28, 2017
CONTACTS:
Jenny Yang 443.527.8363
Christina Klinepeter 773.724.0605

World Relief Expresses Disappointment at the Reduction in US Refugee Admissions for FY18, Pledges to Continue Working with Churches to Serve Refugees

BALTIMORE, MD –

World Relief is very disappointed by reports that the President will set the maximum number of refugees who could be resettled to the United States in FY2018 at a historically low 45,000. World Relief has urged the administration to allow at least 75,000 refugees to find safety and rebuild their lives in the United States in the new fiscal year that begins on October 1st, 2017. At a time of unprecedented forced displacement, World Relief has worked with hundreds of U.S. churches that are ready and willing to welcome as many refugees as our government will allow.

“The refugee program has been a lifeline of protection for persecuted individuals, in particular, persecuted Christians, around the world. We should take every opportunity to protect them, including through the strategic use of resettlement,” said Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief. “A refugee admissions ceiling of 45,000 is extremely troubling, especially as the persecution of many religious minorities, including Christians, is on the rise globally,” said Arbeiter. “World Relief is grateful for the President’s strong statements of commitment to stand with persecuted Christians and we had hoped he would set a refugee ceiling that would allow more—not fewer—persecuted Christians along with other persecuted religious minorities to find safety and rebuild their lives in the U.S.” 

Historically, the average annual refugee admissions ceiling since 1980 has been 95,000, with Republican Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush setting their own respective refugee admissions ceilings as high as 140,000 (FY1982) and 142,000 (FY1993) respectively. Since 2001, the average refugee admissions ceiling has been 81,000.

Arbeiter continued, “Setting the refugee admissions ceiling at 45,000 will have devastating consequences in some of the most fragile regions around the world. Our allies in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia in particular work in partnership with the United States to assist and protect refugees from despotic regimes and horrific terrorism. The United States should lead a more robust refugee response especially as there are more refugees in the world now than ever in recorded history.”

CEO of World Relief Tim Breene said, “The United States setting the refugee ceiling at historically low levels is profoundly worrying and disturbing. We are better than this. As Christians, we believe that all people are made in the image of God and that we are called to welcome the stranger. These beliefs are also enshrined in the history and traditions of the USA which have made America great.”

Of the world’s 22.5 million refugees, the UN estimates that 1.2 million are in critical need of resettlement in 2018 because they face extreme vulnerabilities or family reunification needs. With a maximum of 45,000 being resettled in FY18, the U.S. will welcome, at most, two-tenths of one percent of the world’s refugees and less than 4% of those who are in urgent need of resettlement. 72% of refugees that came to the U.S. in 2016 were women and children. “Refugees are widows, orphans, and victims of rape, torture, religious persecution, and political oppression,” said Arbeiter, “They flee the very regimes and terror the U.S. is fighting against. These are individuals whom God specifically calls us in Scripture to care for and serve.”

“Such a severely limited refugee ceiling for FY18 will have ripple effects all around the world and keep refugees who have nowhere to go in constant risk,” said Breene. “This will affect those desperately fleeing persecution and violence, women and children who have experienced unimaginable atrocity, and our allies who have supported our armed forces and foreign policy agenda. In our nearly forty years of welcoming refugees, we have seen the mutual transformation that happens as refugees integrate into the fabric of the United States. We have seen the lives of volunteers and of local churches enriched as they serve and learn from resilient new neighbors. We have witnessed local economies thrive because of refugees’ entrepreneurialism. Hundreds of churches in the U.S. are eager and willing to welcome and serve refugees in partnership with the U.S. government, and a dramatically reduced refugee ceiling will limit their ability to live out their faith in this way. We’re deeply saddened by such a low ceiling and urge the President to use refugee resettlement as a foreign policy tool to promote our values abroad, while also providing refuge for those fleeing persecution to rebuild their lives in the U.S.”

Download the PDF version of this press release.

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
SEPTEMBER 5, 2017
CONTACTS:
Jenny Yang | 443.527.8363
Matthew Soerens | 920.428.9534
 

World Relief Urges Congress to Pass Legislative Solution for Dreamers
In Light of Termination of DACA

BALTIMORE, MD – Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which since 2012 has allowed approximately 800,000 young people who came to the United States as children to obtain employment authorization and a reprieve from the threat of deportation.

Last week, World Relief urged President Trump to refrain from rescinding the DACA program, at least until such time as Congress has passed a legislative solution addressing the plight of these individuals. We have further renewed our call upon Congress to expeditiously pass a bill such as the DREAM Act or the BRIDGE Act, both of which have been introduced with bipartisan cosponsors in the current Congress.

According to the Department of Justice announcement today, the administration will not consider new applications for DACA dated after Sept. 5. Those with DACA due to expire between today and March 5, 2018 can apply for a two-year renewal by October 5. For others, DACA could end as early as March 6, 2018.

“The termination of DACA places more urgency on Congress to pass a legislative solution for Dreamers,” said Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief. “We are deeply concerned for individuals whose status will expire in March and in subsequent months, and we believe it’s incumbent upon our Congressional leaders to act as soon as possible.”

“These Dreamers have willingly worked with the government in good faith in order to pursue their dreams living in the United States, the only home many of them have ever known,” continued Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. “The decision to end DACA puts them in a more precarious situation, but we hope Congress will prioritize a legislative solution that will allow these Dreamers to flourish in our country.”

“We will receive any and all applications in order to support DACA recipients as much as possible,” said Courtney Tudi, immigrant legal services director for World Relief, who supports local World Relief offices and a network of local churches in providing authorized, affordable immigration legal services. “We will also continue to support any churches and local ministries as they serve immigrants in their local communities.”

Evangelical leaders, many of whom have individuals with DACA within their congregations, have also spoken up in recent days, urging Congress to act, including Bill and Lynne Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, Erwin McManus of Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, CA, Dave Gibbons, Founder, Newsong Church in Santa Ana, CA, Felix Cabrera of Iglesia Bautista Central in Oklahoma City, OK, Thabiti Anyabwile of Anacostia River Church in Washington, DC, and Eugene Cho of Quest Church in Seattle, WA. Their full statements can be found here.

World Relief also joined a letter with leaders from the National Association of Evangelicals, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the Wesleyan Church, and Korean Churches for Community Development—all of which collectively form the leadership of the Evangelical Immigration Table—in sending letters to President Trump and Congressional leaders urging them to protect those with DACA status and to work together toward a legislative solution. These national leaders are echoing the sentiment of hundreds of local evangelical leaders on the ground. An open sign-on letter created by the Evangelical Immigration Table, of which World Relief is a member, gathered nearly 1,000 signers in a few days from pastors and church leaders in 45 states supporting Dreamers.

These pleas from local and national leaders echo the views of most evangelical Christians ‘in the pews.’ Polling by the Public Religion Research Institute finds that a majority of both white evangelical Protestants and non-white Protestants support granting permanent legal status to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children if they attend college or serve in the military, the basic premise of the DREAM Act.

Download the PDF version of this press release. 

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
AUGUST 31, 2017
CONTACT:
The KAIROS Company for World Relief
MediaInquiries@theKcompany.co
434.426.5310

World Relief Calls for ‘21 Days of Peace’ in Lead Up to United Nations’
International Day of Peace on September 21

Launching on September 1, the 21-Day Resource Will Serve as a Tangible Guide Reflecting on Personal, Community, and Global Peace.
 

BALTIMORE, MD – Global humanitarian and development organization World Relief is calling the church to personal reflection in the lead up to the United Nations’ International Day of Peace on September 21. On September 1, World Relief released the first of three weekly guides titled, 21 Days of Peace, a resource for personal reflection centered on the idea of peace and the power it has to change hearts, communities and ultimately, the world.

21 Days of Peace is organized into three parts, one for each week:

• Week One – Personal Peace
• Week Two – Peace Within Communities
• Week Three – Global Peace

“21 Days of Peace is a way to highlight the need for peace within ourselves first and foremost, and then to give people tangible advice and resources on how to bring peace to others,” says Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief.

“This campaign gives people a way to connect with what’s happening on a global scale, understanding that in areas of conflict and fragility, the church needs to be peace makers in a volatile world,” continued Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief.

Each day’s reflection also invites the reader into different modes of reflection, including Bible readings, written journaling, and simple action steps.

“There are a lot of things in the news, in our families and in our daily lives that create stress and rob us of peace, and then as a result, prevent us from being agents of peace in the world,” adds Arbeiter. “As a Christian organization, we believe it when Christ said, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.’ But what does that mean tangibly? How do we build a culture of peace? Sometimes it’s as simple as having someone point us in the right direction with a prayer, a Bible verse, or a small, intentional act of kindness that makes all the difference in that person’s life. That’s what the 21 Days of Peace is designed to do.”

“We have seen the church rise up in times of intense conflict to bring communities together to be peace makers—it’s what Jesus calls us to do. We hope this 21-day exercise will reinvigorate the church’s commitment to be peace makers in a broken world,” said Jenny Yang, Senior Vice President of Advocacy at World Relief.

To download the 21 Days of Peace guide, visit worldrelief.org/21Days.

Download the PDF version of this press release 

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
AUGUST 31, 2017
CONTACTS:
Jenny Yang | 443.527.8363
Matthew Soerens | 920.428.9534

Evangelical Pastors Urge President, Congress to Protect ‘Dreamers’
 

BALTIMORE, MD – Recent news reports suggest that President Trump is considering the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which since 2012 has allowed approximately 800,000 young people who came to the United States as children to obtain employment authorization and a reprieve from the threat of deportation.

Earlier this week, World Relief urged President Trump to refrain from rescinding the DACA program, at least until such time as Congress has passed a legislative solution addressing the plight of these individuals. We have further renewed our call upon Congress to expeditiously pass a bill such as the DREAM Act or the BRIDGE Act, both of which have been introduced with bipartisan cosponsors in the current Congress.

Evangelical leaders, many of whom have individuals with DACA within their congregations, have also spoken up in recent days— including the following leaders:

Lynne Hybels, Advocate for Global Engagement, Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, IL

“Our church is deeply invested in serving the immigrant community in the Chicagoland area. We’ve hosted workshops helping dozens of brave young people to apply for the DACA program. We’ve witnessed firsthand the hope that the DACA program has brought to individuals who have wanted nothing more than the chance to pursue an education and lead a productive life, just as our own children have done. To end the program now, without action from Congress first, would be devastating—for them and for the communities that benefit from their work, ingenuity, and courage.”

Erwin McManus, Founder, MOSAIC, Los Angeles, CA

“The roughly 800,000 people who have benefitted from the DACA program—more of whom live in in my city of Los Angeles than anywhere else in the country—are American in every way except on paper. They are not to be feared but embraced as immigrants who define the American spirit. We are a nation of immigrants. We are a nation defined by openness and inclusion. We are big enough to rise above this challenge and choose the path that elevates the best in all of us.”

Dave Gibbons, Founder, Newsong Church, Santa Ana, CA

“The God we know in the Scriptures lovingly focuses on those who are vulnerable, the hurting and the immigrants. Symbiotic with our love for God is our love for the outsider. I urge our elected officials will not only find a permanent generous solution for ‘Dreamers,’ young people who came or were brought as children to the country, but also for the broader immigrant community, who contribute so much to our country economically, culturally, and spiritually.”

Rev. Félix Cabrera, Lead Pastor, Iglesia Bautista Central, Oklahoma City, OK, and Co-Founder, Hispanic Baptist Pastors Alliance

“To end the DACA program now would be immoral, violating the trust of young immigrants, including those within my congregation and many other Hispanic Southern Baptists throughout the country, who trusted the federal government when it asked them to register and provide their personal information. It would also be economically disastrous, forcing the laying off of hundreds of thousands of trained employees, leaving both their employers and the employees in an incredibly difficult spot. It could trigger a domino effect that harms many citizens (as well as the Dreamers and their families), when those who have lost their jobs would struggle to pay rent or a mortgage payment, miss car payments, be forced to withdraw from college or graduate school, and have trouble providing basic food and clothing for their families. Rather than taking another step that will exacerbate ethnic and political divisions in our nation, I pray that President Trump and Congressional Leaders from both parties will work together to pass legislation to protect Dreamers, and in the process help to unify our nation.”

Thabiti Anyabwile, Pastor, Anacostia River Church, Washington, DC

“My church family includes a good number of first and second-generation immigrants. They make our church and community stronger, just as immigrants make our nation stronger. Perhaps that’s why the Bible instructs us to be sure to take care of the ‘strangers and sojourners’ in our communities, remembering that we too were aliens and strangers at one time. While immigration policy overall is tremendously complex, one particular question—what should happen with individuals who came as children to the country, who have already been granted work authorization—is something I believe we can answer fairly easily. We should do all that we can to provide opportunity for these children to flourish in our country. Scripture commands us to have a particular concern for those who are vulnerable, and immigrants are repeatedly mentioned as a group of people who fit into that category. I hope that our elected officials will find a permanent solution for Dreamers, young people who came or were brought as children to the country, and the broader immigrant community.”

Eugene Cho, Pastor, Quest Church, Seattle, WA

“As an American citizen and a Christian pastor, I am deeply concerned about the possible termination of the DACA program. This will impact nearly 800,000 individuals and countless more when you consider their respective families. I personally know some of these young people and I can attest to the many ways they deeply contribute to their communities, neighborhoods, cities, and nation. Jesus reserved some of his strongest words of rebuke for those who caused a stumbling block for children. To prevent individuals who were brought to this country as kids, through no decision of their own, from working, pursuing education, and contributing to the full extent of their God-given potential is not only short-sighted, it’s also unjust. I join countless others in asking for a legislative solution to help Dreamers reach their full potential.”

This week, World Relief president Scott Arbeiter also joined leaders from the National Association of Evangelicals, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the Wesleyan Church, and Korean Churches for Community Development—all of which collectively form the leadership of the Evangelical Immigration Table—in sending letters to President Trump and Congressional leaders urging them to protect those with DACA status and to work together toward a legislative solution.

These pleas from local and national leaders echo the views of most evangelical Christians ‘in the pews.’ Polling by the Public Religion Research Institute finds that a majority of both white evangelical Protestants and non-white Protestants support granting permanent legal status to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children if they attend college or serve in the military, the basic premise of the DREAM Act.

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
AUGUST 29, 2017
CONTACTS:
Jenny Yang | 443.527.8363
Matthew Soerens | 920.428.9534

 World Relief Urges Swift Congressional Action to Protect Individuals with DACA Status
 

BALTIMORE, MD – Recent news reports suggest that President Trump is seriously considering the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which since 2012 has allowed approximately 800,000 young people who came to the United States as children to obtain employment authorization and a reprieve from the threat of deportation.

We have witnessed first-hand the transformation in these young people’s lives as they have been given the opportunity to work lawfully, which they have used to advance their educations, to help provide for their families, and to serve their local churches and the broader community.

World Relief has a long history of serving and advocating for vulnerable immigrants and refugees. Along with our local church partners, we have assisted thousands of individuals in applying for or renewing their DACA designation through provision of affordable Immigration Legal Services. World Relief believes that such a designation has afforded hard working, decent young people an opportunity to live their lives with a level of security and opportunity that allows them to flourish. Such a designation is needed to ensure these young people can continue to pursue their dreams even as Congress comes up with a more comprehensive solution.

Like many other employers throughout the country, World Relief has also been richly blessed by several staff members whose work authorization is contingent upon the DACA program. Along with many businesses and organizations, our ministry would be harmed if we were no longer able to employ these superb individuals in whom we have invested training and staff development resources.

As such, we are deeply troubled by the news that the program may be rescinded, and we urge President Trump to keep the program in place at least until such time as Congress passes a legislative solution to the legal status challenges faced by these individuals.

We urge Members of Congress to expeditiously pass such legislation, which enjoys broad bipartisan support in various polls. Most Americans agree that a young person who was brought to the United States as a young child—who has otherwise abided by the law, has applied themselves at school, and who voluntarily provided their information to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at our federal government’s invitation to initially apply for DACA—should maintain the opportunity to work, pay taxes, and contribute. It would be unjust to punish these individuals for a decision made, in most cases, by their parents.

Members of Congress in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have already introduced bipartisan legislation including the DREAM Act and the BRIDGE Act that would sustain, at least on an interim basis, these individuals’ employment authorization and protection from deportation. We applaud these efforts, and urge all Members of Congress to quickly pass one of these bills without delay.

“As followers of Jesus, we believe that advocating for this legislation is an important way to tangibly love our neighbors and to stand in solidarity with the many in the U.S. whose livelihoods depend upon this program,” said World Relief president Scott Arbeiter. “To end the DACA program at this point, without a legislative solution, would be unjust and cruel,” added World Relief CEO Tim Breene, “We urge those in positions of authority to do all they can to stand with these young people who have contributed so much to our country and have the God-given potential to contribute so much more if we, as a society, will allow them.”

As our nation faces a series of trials—including a devastating hurricane in Texas, the aftermath of violence perpetrated by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, and now the possibility of hundreds of thousands of young people being put at risk if the DACA program is terminated—World Relief calls upon Christians everywhere to pray for our nation. In obedience to Scripture, we pray in particular for those entrusted to positions of political leadership, that all who call this country home, including those who are most vulnerable, “may live peaceful and quiet lives” (1 Timothy 2:2).

Download the PDF version of this press release

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
AUGUST 17, 2017
CONTACTS:
Jenny Yang | 443.527.8363
Christina Klinepeter | 773.724.0605
 

Standing Against Hate and Bigotry, World Relief President Pens Letter
of Repentance and Calls Churches to Act with Moral Clarity and Courage
 

BALTIMORE, MD – Today n the Washington Post, Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief, issued an open letter of repentance regarding the vile acts of hatred and terrorism Charlottesville and our greater nation experienced this past weekend.

“As a white evangelical leader, I have said too little on racism. I ask forgiveness. This malignant racism has lingered far too long. In white churches across America, we have told ourselves that we have made great strides, but this has proven untrue,” said Scott Arbeiter in the letter. “As white Christian leaders and pastors, we must also acknowledge our unintended but clear complicity in this.”

As an organization that embraces and promotes diversity and service to all, World Relief grieves the affront that racism is to the dignity of all. For over 70 years, World Relief has empowered the church to serve the most vulnerable with passion and a sense of deep privilege. World Relief renews that commitment today recognizing the challenge is greater in the United States than previously understood. Arbeiter continued, “We will do so in our practical ministry and through our relationships. We will do so in our advocacy for just laws and our rejection of unjust systems that perpetuate poverty, exclusion and bigotry. And we will do so in our partnership with thousands of pastors in our network and beyond, calling them to also act with renewed moral clarity and courage.”

Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief, adds, “The foundation of our work throughout the world is a belief in the dignity of each person as made in the image of God. Our defense of this dignity is not new. Rather, this letter reflects the long-held values of our World Relief staff as lived out in practical ways over many decades. However, in this moment of national consequence we wanted to go on record and declare once again who we are.”

Download the PDF version of this press release

Read the open letter on the Washington Post site

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
AUGUST 3, 2017
CONTACTS:
Jenny Yang | 443.527.8363
Christina Klinepeter | 773.724.0605

World Relief Calls on Congress to Support Broad Immigration Reform, Believes RAISE Act Diminishes Core Strength of U.S. Immigration

BALTIMORE, MD – World Relief calls on Congress to support immigration reform but raises concerns about the RAISE Act, believing it will limit the positive impact that immigrants have on the U.S. economy, create significant hardships for immigrant families and hinder the U.S. response to the global refugee crisis.
 
“We must consider both the economic and social capital that immigrants bring when they come to the United States,” said Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. “The notion of severely limiting legal immigration goes against the historic American values of freedom and opportunity. We’re pro-security, pro-economy, pro-family. This bill, however, significantly undermines the value that immigrants bring to the U.S. economy, hinders the reunification of families in the United States and limits the U.S. response to the global refugee crisis—the largest humanitarian crisis of our time—for years to come,” continued Breene.

Known as the RAISE Act (Reforming American Immigration for a Stronger Economy), the bill purports to return immigration to historic levels; however, given the increase in the population of the United States, the bill actually reduces immigration to 0.14%, which is far below our historic average level of immigration at 0.45%, as averaged over 150 years, according to the Cato Institute. According to the American Action Forum, while the bill purports to facilitate economic growth, this act will result in a sharp decrease in the labor force most leading economists believe is needed to increase our economic production. Additionally, the bill would limit green cards for family reunification to about 50% of those allowed today and eliminate the Diversity Visa Lottery.

The bill proposes to limit refugee admissions into the United States to 50,000 per year and replaces the current process of Presidential Determination in which the President sets the refugee ceiling after consultations with Congress. “Limiting the refugee admissions ceiling permanently to 50,000 abdicates our responsibility to those fleeing violence and persecution. Setting a statutory limit inhibits the flexibility required to determine the refugee ceiling based on global refugee trends and U.S. foreign policy interests,” said Emily Gray, Senior Vice President of U.S. Ministries at World Relief. Nearly 70% of the refugee resettlement work of World Relief is in reuniting families. “The refugee resettlement program is a vital public-private partnership through which World Relief has welcomed over 250,000 refugees since its inception in 1980, in partnership with the local church.”

“We hope this bill will initiate conversations in Congress to enact immigration reform that recognizes the many contributions that immigrants have made to our nation and that promotes U.S. leadership in protecting the lives of the most vulnerable,” continued Tim Breene. “We support bipartisan efforts to reform the broken immigration system that goes beyond border protection alone and addresses the current problems of our immigration system, by looking at root causes of immigration, developing workable solutions and providing dignified relief to the millions of immigrants who are contributing to our communities.”

As an evangelical Christian organization, World Relief has worked with local churches for over 30 years to serve and love their immigrant neighbors. Through this work, World Relief has witnessed thousands of evangelical churches who are actively reaching out and welcoming their immigrant neighbors as an expression of their faith. “When a nation of immigrants and refugees forsakes its past, it gives up its future. We cannot lose the heart of compassion that gave so many of our own grandparents hope and refuge. The world needs American leadership; America needs the dignity, beauty and ingenuity of the peoples of the world. This is not a conversation about us versus them,” said Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief.

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World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
JULY 31, 2017
CONTACTS:
Jenny Yang | 443.527.8363
Christina Klinepeter | 872.888.9797

World Relief Responds to New Report on Refugee Crisis
Released by Human Rights First

BALTIMORE, MD – The United States’ position of leadership in the response to the global refugee crisis has dramatically eroded in the past six months according to a new report released by Human Rights First, a leading non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization. As a result of changes in U.S. policy, global refugee resettlement is now predicted to fall by 30-40% in 2017 as compared to 2016. The refugees most affected by this decline are women and children, including those who have suffered sexual and gender-based violence, as well as survivors of torture.

“In addition to women and children, the decision of the United States to allow fewer refugees also means that the U.S. will accept the lowest number of refugees who have been persecuted for their Christian faith in a decade,” says Emily Gray, World Relief’s Senior Vice President for U.S. Ministries. This is in spite of many calls from Christian leaders, including those in evangelical traditions, for the U.S. to increase the numbers of refugees allowed to enter the U.S. “What these leaders understand,” according to Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief, “is that we must appropriately balance security and compassion. This report clearly shows that we are not achieving that balance, and that people are suffering as a result.” 

“The current U.S. policies renege on promises the U.S. has made to those who have served with our military and with U.S. companies working in places like Iraq and Syria,” said Gray. 

The Human Rights First report highlights the example that in the first 5 months of the Trump Administration, there has been a 64% decrease in refugees who fled into Jordan, being permanently resettled to another country. “Through our work in Jordan, we see very directly the impact of the refugee crisis there, and these actions by the administration are compounding the struggles of refugees who are trying to find safety in countries that are already struggling,” reports World Relief CEO Tim Breene. As refugees reach above 23 million worldwide, the vast majority are hosted inside the world’s poorest countries, creating conditions that can rapidly deteriorate and lead to further strife, violence and displacement.

“The United States needs to reaffirm our commitment to not only supporting refugees in countries of first asylum, but also continuing our welcome of them,” said Scott Arbeiter, President of World Relief.

Download the PDF version of this press release

###

World Relief is a global humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding and has offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services.

Website | worldrelief.org  Twitter | @WorldRelief