Message from Bishop Lucinda on Episcopal Migration Ministries
Dear Beloved of El Camino Real,
I hope that we are all doing well this Spring. The staff and I look forward to being with many of you this coming weekend at Spring Renewal.
You may know that our Presiding Bishop, Sean Rowe, issued a letter yesterday regarding the resettling of Afrikaners (white Africans) from South Africa. Click HERE to read the letter.
Many have expressed support for his stance; some have expressed confusion, while others were dismayed. I reached out to our Presiding Bishop yesterday to ask for more information, and his staff replied promptly. Additionally, I contacted The Rev. Wilma Jakobsen, who is South African and a former rector in this diocese, for her perspective. Finally, I have learned from the Episcopal Migration Ministries about their “take” on this decision.
This decision by The Episcopal Church is nuanced, which makes it complex to work through and requires that we become informed. We are called by Matthew 25 to “welcome the stranger,” which is language we often use when speaking of refugee populations. In the case of South Africa, however, attributing refugee status to this group of Afrikaners is questionable, especially when our government has denied the same status to people from war-torn countries and people who are subject to horrible persecution. It is not clear that these criteria for refugee status apply to this group. The FAQ section from the Episcopal Church website speaks specifically to the work of refugee resettlement and this situation in particular. Click HERE to read the FAQ Section.
A valid social media post from South Africa states:
“There is no white genocide in South Africa. White South Africans are 7% of the population and own 75% of the land, and on average are at least 20% wealthier than black South Africans.” The Rev. Wilma Jakobsen
The Episcopal Church has long stood against the apartheid situation in South Africa. General Convention resolutions dating back to 1976 denounce apartheid and call on our church to commit to work with racial reconciliation. The Episcopal Church staff writes: “We were also active in supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa that sought to promote healing among people of all races in South Africa. That body was led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was the head of our sister church in South Africa. Today, our ties with our fellow Anglicans in South Africa are deep. A number of dioceses have active partnerships and relationships with Anglicans in South Africa, and we are in conversation with our colleagues in that church as we navigate this situation.”
The Rev. Lester Mackenzie, from South Africa, serves on the Presiding Bishop’s staff as Chief of Mission Program for The Episcopal Church. He wrote of his experience of the current relationship between The Episcopal Church and The Anglican Church of South Africa, and our ongoing commitment to racial reconciliation, ‘Sawubona:’ I See You – The Episcopal Church
Episcopal Migration Ministries is deeply affected by the loss of funding from governmental agencies to support EMM’s work with refugees. However, EMM fully supports the difficult decision made in partnership with our Presiding Bishop, and they will continue to work tirelessly with all of us to resettle refugees and protect the most vulnerable among us. Here is an important statement from the Rev. Sarah Shipman about the situation with the Afrikaners and our church’s response: Click HERE to read the letter from The Rev. Sarah Shipman, Director of Episcopal Migration Ministries.
I hope this information is helpful to further conversation for our prayers are more full when we are informed. Let us hold this situation and all affected in prayer.
Faithfully,
