Posted on 02/08/2025 7:12:17 AM PST by DoodleBob
THE effects of President Donald Trump’s orders halting the United States’ refugee-assistance and overseas-aid programmes are already being felt, as charities lay off staff and slash support services.
Episcopal Migration Ministries, an arm of the Episcopal Church in the US, which had a contract with the US government to help to settle refugees, is making 22 staff redundant after the new President’s first-day executive order halting the country’s refugee-resettlement programme.
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Dr Sean Rowe, announced the “painful” decision. Writing to church leaders, he said: “These departing employees have every reason to be angry, frustrated and frightened at this end of the work to which they have devoted their energy in recent years. I am also grieving the loss of this refugee resettlement ministry and the end of this season of our ministry.
“Please know, however, that an end of federal funding for Episcopal Migration Ministries does not mean an end to the Episcopal Church’s commitment to stand with migrants and with our congregations who serve vulnerable immigrants and refugees. As Christians, our faith is shaped by the biblical story of people whom God led into foreign countries to escape oppression, and no change in political fortunes can dissuade us from answering God’s call to welcome the stranger.”
A statement from Episcopal Migration ministries said: “The end of federal funding for Episcopal Migration Ministries does not mean an end for EMM — or to The Episcopal Church’s commitment to stand with migrants. We are working now to provide support and resources to dioceses and congregations involved in migrant ministry and to learn from local diocesan leaders how we can continue to partner in this vital ministry.”
Episcopal Migration Ministries was one of ten agencies with government contracts to resettle refugees.
Other agencies are left scrambling for donations to carry on their work. One, Church World Service (CWS), urged its supporters to make donations to allow some of its work to continue. “The refugees we serve every day deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives in dignity and become thriving members of our communities. Since World War Two, the refugee resettlement program has received overwhelming bipartisan support and has been an important tool in enhancing our nation’s international standing and national security,” Erol Kekic, of CWS, said.
“This administration is turning its back not only on our proud history, but on many of the families that they now call allies — including Afghans and Ukrainians we have promised to stand behind — and who are vital members of our communities.”
Bethany Christian Services, which also had a federal contract to support resettlement, issued a statement in which it said that it “appreciated the President’s commitment to our country’s safety”, but added: “Providing protection to those seeking safety is one of our nation’s proudest and longest standing traditions.
“The temporary suspension of refugee resettlement efforts will cause significant impact to vulnerable men, women, and children legally seeking safety and hope in our nation.”
It also pledged to continue to work with President Trump’s administration to try to resume the resettlement programme and advise on “long-term solutions”.
“We are living in the largest refugee crisis the world has ever experienced. In times of uncertainty, our Christian faith will serve as a source of strength and inspiration. . . Our faith calls us to be a beacon of hope and love, especially to our staff and clients. Bethany will continue to demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus to refugees through exceptional programming.
“Now, more than ever, we call upon Christian communities across the nation to band together and support the growing needs facing children and families. This is an opportunity to invest in charitable giving so that Bethany Christian Services can continue to provide the critical services our clients desperately need, delivered with the excellence for which Bethany is renowned.”
The new administration has also announced a funding freeze on almost all foreign aid. As a result, Cristosal, a charity that is linked to the Episcopal Church and works to defend human rights in Central America, has been forced to terminate its programme and cut staff. It provided support for 1600 people who had been internally displaced.
Founded by clergy in El Salvador and the US, it also works in Guatemala and Honduras. The director, Noah Bullock, told the Episcopal News Service: “The work of a human-rights organisation is a partnership between courageous victims seeking justice, defending rights, and rebuilding lives, and the committed professionals who accompany them often at great risk to themselves. Laying off human rights defenders is uniquely painful, because both victims and defenders are left unprotected.”
The charity gets some funding from private donors, including the Rockefeller Foundation and individual Episcopal churches, and hopes to continue to offer legal representation for victims of violence and corruption.
It looks like organized Christianity is making a killing by ‘assisting’ those ‘migrants’.
I’ve said this before.
Most people have no idea how expensive running a church is.
Unless you have rich members, every month is a struggle to pay all the bills.
I suspect that many of them have struck a deal with the gov to keep afloat.
Has been for a while. Catholic Charities, etc.
They all need to be defunded.
I have been reading about Church sponsored NGO’s for years.
My conclusion:
1. Mainline churches have been losing members for 60 years. But the mainline church seminaries keep graduating theologians with no churches to preach in. So they create these ‘humanitarian’ NGO’s to employ seminary graduates.
2. Mainstream media newspapers have had declining circulations for at least 25 years. But the Journalism Schools keep graduating journalists with no newspapers to employ them. So the Church Humanitarian NGO’s hire these Journalists to write the grants to get money from the Federal Government.
To keep afloat?
No, pretty sure all they care about is the 13 silver coins.
You’re right, I’m sure, but I draw the line at aiding and abetting ‘unlawful entrants’.
These various human trafficking organizations may use names that sound somewhat like they are Christian, but I don’t believe for a second that they have anything to do with Christ. Further, most of them, I would postulate, are anti-Christian as well as anti-American.
Excellent perspective on the scams being run on the American taxpayers.
Many “church” agencies get big bucks from the federal government to bring illegal aliens to the USA.
Often, they use the “refugee” scam to attempt to gain amnesty.
I’m not Episcopalian, but I believe this organization is linked to Rev. Mariann Budde, the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington who “trashed” Trump on Inauguration Day.
Incorrect.
The program is a program of the national Episcopal Church which the Bishop of Washington is not in charge of. The only real connection is that the Diocese of Washington is one of about 150 dioceses across the country under the rubric of the Episcopal Church in America and the Cathedral in Washington is is designated as the National Cathedral which is an informal designation.
The program described above is run by the national arm of the church.
Also it was the day after Inauguration Day.
“EMM budget figures for 2024 are not available yet, but in 2023 it earned $53 million from various taxpayer-funded government programs to resettle 3,600 individuals.”
Trump declares his EO, and a week later, they’re collapsing and firing all their staff
Shows exactly what they were all about
“I suspect that many of them have struck a deal with the gov to keep afloat.”
Progressives fund churches resettling migrants. The same liberals condemn prayer in school, education vouchers for church associated schools, and any mention of God in a public building.
If churches wouldn’t go “woke,” they would not lose so many members amd/or donors.
Also, COVID hit churches hard monetarily and attendance-wise. They never recovered, or are still in the process.
I know how expensive running a church is. I was a bookkeeper and tithe counter (not at the same time. That is frowned upon) for many years.
This is good. These “organizations” have a long history of bringing in 3rd world migrants, collecting whatever fees from the government - then dumping them onto your town’s welfare rolls, Section 8 housing, ERs and medical system and local schools costing these towns millions in resources that should go to local tax paying residents.
Ask Springfield Ohio how much they enjoyed having tens of thousands of destitute, non-English speaking Haitians dumped in their community:
NBC News:
“The Haitians’ growing numbers have caused friction with local residents, as schools, roads, hospitals and social programs have been taxed by the large population — and, particularly, after a child was killed in 2023 when a Haitian immigrant driver hit a school bus.”
Other agencies are left scrambling for donations to carry on their work. One, Church World Service (CWS), urged its supporters to make donations to allow some of its work to continue. “The refugees we serve every day deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives in dignity and become thriving members of our communities. Since World War Two, the refugee resettlement program has received overwhelming bipartisan support and has been an important tool in enhancing our nation’s international standing and national security,” Erol Kekic, of CWS, said.
“This administration is turning its back not only on our proud history, but on many of the families that they now call allies — including Afghans and Ukrainians we have promised to stand behind — and who are vital members of our communities.”
“..........and the whole staff is giving up their salary for this noble cause.”
USAID funding churches to side step federal law
USAID funding churches to side step federal law
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