An Open Letter on Immigration to President Trump

The letter below, from Faith Leaders for America, is a joint effort of clerics in support of President Trump’s efforts to protect American through wise and judicious legislation.

To read the accompanying article on the FLFA website, please click HERE.

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Dear President Trump and Vice President Pence:

We write on behalf of the millions of Americans – clergy and lay citizens, alike – who deeply appreciate your leadership in working to make our country safe again.  In particular, as faith leaders, we want to thank you for: following a discerning and Biblical approach to the “wise welcome” of foreigners, including refugees; your commitment to border security; and your determination to end the magnet for illegal immigration represented by so-called “sanctuary” cities.  All of these initiatives have firm foundations in Biblical instruction.

Unfortunately, there are some who cite the Bible selectively to suggest that such policies are contrary to America’s faith traditions.  (Among those, it must be noted, are groups that receive very sizeable federal funding to relocate refugees into this country.) We believe that a more accurate understanding requires the “whole counsel of Scripture” approach.

That approach reveals a divine call not to open borders, but to the sensible differentiation between strangers who seek to assimilate – that is, who want to adopt the faith and values of the land to which they are coming – and those who come to do harm and subvert.

For example, we find in Scripture the warm welcome of a foreigner like Ruth, a Moabite woman in distress, who came lawfully as a blessing.  In Ruth 1:6, she declared, “Your people will be my people and your God, my God.”

Likewise in Scripture, we see the example of offering temporary welcome to well-meaning foreigners passing through.

However, in the Bible, we also find instruction for excluding “strangers” who come with sinister motives and no desire to assimilate.  Indeed, we often see the Lord’s stern rebuke for unwise leadership, notably in Isaiah 1: 7: “Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.”

To protect against such dangers, we have the example of Nehemiah who, with patience and determination, led his nation in rebuilding its walls, as well as its faith and culture. He protected the people of Israel against foreign dangers and made possible a time of renewal and flourishing.  And, once Nehemiah finished providing physical protection for the nation, he turned to Ezra, a spiritual leader, to provide moral and spiritual guidance to renew the nation.

In much the same way as most Americans protect those they love by securing the doors and windows of their homes, so we must preclude those who may wish us harm from entering our country.  That is the clear and necessary purpose of your executive order pausing certain immigrants and refugees from coming here until we can determine whether they are strangers who come in love, or with conquest in their hearts.

As religious leaders, we also wish to encourage and commend you as our nation’s president for upholding your primary, divinely directed duty as a “minister of God” in civil government to: pursue justice against the lawbreaker; protect our citizens from those who would bring them harm; and defend the freedoms of individuals, families, and the faith community to fulfill their God-given duties. We thank you for taking seriously your oath to the American people to protect “against all enemies foreign and domestic.” When you do these things, you are on the firmest of moral ground, will see God’s blessings and will heighten the support of the majority of the American people.

We applaud and bless your efforts to heed the whole counsel of Scripture and to protect our people with both compassion and common sense against the dangers of our time.

Sincerely,

* Ministry affiliation and organizational titles for identification purposes only.

Dr. Rick Scarborough

Founder, Vision America,
Keller, TX

Dr. Jerry A. Johnson

President, National Religious Broadcasters,
Washington, D.C.

Bishop Earl Walker “E. W.” Jackson Sr.

Founder, President, S.T.A.N.D. America,
Chesapeake, VA

Rabbi Jonathan Hausman

Hon., Pastor Sam Rohrer

President, American Pastors Network,
Elverson, PA

LTG, Rev. William “Jerry” Boykin

Family Research Council,
Washington, D.C.

Bishop Aubrey Shines

Senior Pastor of Glory to Glory Ministries,
Temple Terrace, FL 

Dr. Jim Garlow

Senior Pastor at Skyline Church,
San Diego, CA

Rev. David Barton

Founder of Wallbuilders,
Aledo, TX

Rev. Phil Cohn

Dr. Rick Joyner

Founder, MorningStar Ministries,
Fort Mill, SC

Dr. James Dobson

Family Talk,
Colorado Springs, CO

Mr. Rich Bott

President & CEO Bott Radio Network,
Overland Park, KS

Dr. Robert Jeffress

Pastor of First Baptist Church,
Dallas, TX

Dr. Paige Patterson

President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,
Fort Worth, TX

Pastor Roger Burks

Church of the Harvest,
Grimsley, TN

Dr. Greg Linnebach

MorningStar Ministries,
Peoria, AZ

Elder George Rasley

Presbyterian Church,
Naples, FL

Pastor Roy L. Roden

Founder, Destiny Eastgate Ministries,
Camden, ME

Pastor Isaac Crockett

Hamburg Bible Church,
Hamburg, PA

Minister Bart Peacher

MorningStar Ministries, It is Time Israel,
Fort Mill, SC

Rev. James McLaughlin

MorningStar Ministries,
Moravian Fals, NC

Dr. John D. Mallonee

Blessed Hope Bible Church,
Liverpool, PA 

Rev. Lloyd C. Phillips

MorningStar Ministries,
Missoula, MT

Minister Thomas Walz

Market Place Ministry,
Lansing, MI

Deacon James R. Bacon

Belmont, NC

Pastor David McClellan

Strong Tower Ministries,
Boise, ID

Pastor Daniel El Kouri

World Alive Church,
Lawton, OK

Pastor Dale Walker

President, Tennessee Pastors Network,
Nashville, TN

Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr.

Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church,
Beltsville, MD

Rev. Sandy Durham

Celebration Ministries International,
Arkansas City, KS

Minister Steven Strzepek

Grace and Truth Ministries,
Westbrook, CT

Pastor Ronnie W. Rogers

Senior Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church,
Norman, OK

Dr. Calvin Wittman

Applewood Baptist Church,
Wheatridge, CO

Senior Pastor Gus Booth

Senior Pastor, Warroad Community Church,
Warroad, MN

Pastor Ronnie Yarber

Gross Road Baptist Church,
Mesquite, TX

Dr. Kirby M. Hill

Southside Baptist Church,
Carthage, TX

Dr. John H Killian

Pastor Maytown Baptist Church,
Mulga, AL  

Pastor Kenneth M. Fryer

Past President, Louisiana Baptist Pastors Conference,
Baton Rouge, LA

Pastor Dwayne Carson

Epic Life Church,
Columbus, OH

 

Dr. Gary Dull

Senior Pastor, Faith Baptist Church
Altoona, PA

Evangelist Dave Kistler

President, Hope Ministries International
Houston, TX

4 replies
  1. Timothy E Holloway DMD
    Timothy E Holloway DMD says:

    Thank you all for your open political support of Biblical immigration policy. It is refreshing and encouraging to see so many prominent leaders in the Christian faith make such a strong and powerful endorsement. Christ is proud of your courageous stand.
    My personal Thank You
    Timothy E Holloway DMD

    Reply
  2. Jason
    Jason says:

    Where are all of Jesus quotes about building walls and excluding strangers? He wasn’t law abiding about it. He was radical. That’s why they wanted to and did kill him. I’d like to see a list of all the pastors you asked to sign this who refused.

    Reply

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