A Call to Faithfulness
A statement from the Village Church Social Justice Committee to members and friends of Village Church.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
According to Scripture, that phrase “Sisters and Brothers in Christ” is universal. There is no “us” and no “them.” In the eyes of God, we are one. That truth is the basis upon which this letter is written.
Our faith teaches us that vulnerable individuals are people to love and not fear. It is unsettling to hear the frightening rhetoric regarding the status of immigrants which fills today’s news. Talk of deportation, separation of families, mass arrests and internment camps dishonor human dignity and God’s call in Scripture: we are instructed to “treat strangers as native-born and loved as oneself” (Leviticus 19:33-34), “welcome the stranger and provide for the hungry, the thirsty, and clothe those in need” ( Matthew 25). For there is no mistaking Jesus’ intent when he said, “Just as you did it to the least of these, you did for me” (Matthew 25).
Village Church, alongside the Presbyterian Church (USA), has consistently supported the rights of immigrants. We are all encouraged to speak up for immigrant’s rights, to oppose the separation of families, and to establish justice for the wrongful detention of non-citizens. We will not sit idly by when such oppression contradicts our Christian beliefs. We cannot, for our faith urges us to remember how many of our own ancestors were once foreigners in a strange land, and that the greatest commandment includes a call to love our neighbor as ourselves.
In the coming months our church’s Social Justice Ministry will be sponsoring events to inform, educate, and encourage each of us to express our faith through action. There will be classes, conversation sessions, fellowship opportunities with migrants, and additional proposals before you. We encourage you to stand with us, to pay attention to the news, to pray for our immigrant neighbors, and the public officials who oversee their future, and to engage with us in discerning God’s will in these troubling times.
May each of us broaden our witness of God’s universal love.
The Social Justice Ministry of Village Presbyterian Church
Becky Anderson, Elaine Dalgleish, Charlotte Davison, Carol Lynne Ellis, Jeff Ellis, Jim Ensz, Vicki Ensz, Julie Foster, Jim Galliher, Carol Gee, John Hall, Rev. Chad Herring, John Lehoczky, Mary Lehoczky, Pam Logan, Judy Manka, Debby McDonald, Jay McKell, Kathleen Morrow, Janice Newberry, Terri Piazza, Patty Ritter, Patty Slentz-Howard, Samm Skare, Linda Stevens, Michelle Stowers, Bob Walsh