IMMIGRATION, JUSTICE, AND MERCY
Understanding God’s heart for the immigrant among us.
“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” Leviticus 19:34.
There is so much we can learn about God’s heart for those immigrating to our country but there are challenges too. How do we do view immigration in a world where border security and immigration law is so confusing and hard to navigate?
On May 6, Matthew Soerens joined us to help us tackle these difficult issues. Matthew is the Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief and is an expert on immigration law. As he answered questions you submitted we learned together about ways we can help.
MATTHEW SOERENS
Matthew Soerens serves as the US Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief, which is the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals. In that role, he helps evangelical churches to understand the realities of refugees and immigration and to respond in ways guided by biblical values.
Matthew previously served as a Board of Immigration Appeals-accredited legal counselor at World Relief’s local office in Wheaton, Illinois and, before that, with World Relief’s partner organization in Managua, Nicaragua. He has also served as the Field Director of the Evangelical Immigration Table, an alliance of evangelical organizations advocating for immigration reform consistent with biblical values.
Matthew earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Wheaton College and his Master’s Degree from DePaul University’s School of Public Service. He is the co-author of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate (InterVarsity Press, 2009), Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis (Moody Publishers, 2016), and of Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church (InterVarsity, 2022).
Originally from Neenah, Wisconsin, Matthew lives in Aurora, Illinois with his wife, Diana, and their two children.
Welcoming the Stranger
Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate
(InterVarsity Press, 2009)
Seeking Refuge
On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis
(Moody Publishers, 2016)
Inalienable
How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church
(InterVarsity, 2022)
THE 6:8 PROJECT
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8
The 6:8 Project is a weekend that Calvary Bible Church sets aside every year to focus on ways we can practice justice and mercy.
Since The 6:8 Project began in 2017 we have packed hundreds of thousands of meals that were sent overseas, we have learned about meeting the physical and spiritual needs of children through the Compassion Experience, we’ve raised funds and awareness about the need for clean drinking water in many parts of the world. And many other projects that have helped us understand God’s heart for those in need of justice and mercy.
The Prophet Micah tells us what good actions God desires; to DO justice, LOVE mercy and WALK humbly with Him. Why does this please Him? Because it reflects His character. Putting Micah 6:8 into action helps us discover God’s heart and our place in His good purposes.