Torch, Spring/Summer 2012

• The Gospel tells us that our response to the most vulnerable among us is a response to Jesus Himself (Matt. 25:40). • The Bible denounces the exploitation of workers and the mistreatment of the poor (Isa. 3:15, Amos 4:1, James 5:4). • The United States of America is increasingly diverse in terms of ethnicity, language, and culture. • Approximately 12–15 million undocumented immigrants live and work within our borders. • The relative invisibility of the immigrant population can lead to detrimental consequences in terms of health, education, and well-being, especially of children. • Romans 13:1–7 teaches us that the rule of law is an indispensable part of civil society and that Christians are under biblical mandate to respect the divinely ordained institution of government and its just laws, that government has a duty to fulfill its ordained mandate, and that Christians have a right to expect the government to fulfill its ordained mandate to enforce those laws. • The governing authorities of a nation have the right and responsibility to maintain borders to protect the security of their citizens. • Undocumented immigrants are in violation of the law of the land. • Many of these persons, desiring a better future for themselves and their families, are fleeing brutal economic and political situations. • The issue of immigration has prompted often-rancorous debate in the American public square. Now be it resolved that: • The messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, June 14–15, 2011, call on our churches to be the presence of Christ, in both proclamation and ministry, to all persons, regardless of country of origin or immigration status. • We declare that any form of nativism, mistreatment, or exploitation is inconsistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. • We deplore any bigotry or harassment against any persons, regardless of their country of origin or legal status. • We ask our governing authorities to prioritize efforts to secure the borders and to hold businesses accountable for hiring practices as they relate to immigration status. • We ask our governing authorities to implement, with the borders secured, a just and compassionate path to legal status, with appropriate restitutionary measures, for those undocumented immigrants already living in our country. • This resolution is not to be construed as support for amnesty for any undocumented immigrant. • We pray for our churches to demonstrate the reconciliation of the Kingdom both in the verbal witness of our Gospel and in the visible makeup of our congregations. • We affirm that while Southern Baptists, like other Americans, might disagree on how to achieve just and humane public policy objectives related to immigration, we agree that, when it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to His church, the message, in every language and to every person, is “whosoever will may come.” Dr. Richard Land is president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. He received his A.B. from Princeton University, his D.Phil. from Oxford University, and his Th.M. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. View a video of his complete remarks at the G92 conference at cedarville.edu/G92 . 16 TORCH | Spring-Summer 2012