Millions of Afghan refugees are fleeing war, persecution, and violence in their homelands, often running with just the clothes on their backs. From start to finish, their journey is treacherous. The global refugee and migration contexts are being addressed by the United Methodist Church guided by four principles: the right to stay and flourish in one’s country of origin; safe passage for those with no viable alternative but to leave; welcoming and belonging, a process wherein migrants, refugees, and receiving communities work together to meet the needs of new arrivals; and support for the returned to help them reintegrate with dignity into their home countries after deportation. In furtherance of these efforts Asbury is donating 100% of the Christmas Eve offering to these efforts on two fronts – 50% to the UMCOR/Church World Service joint effort on refugee resettlement in the US and 50% to Bethany Christian Services efforts on this front locally. This is especially pertinent locally as Fort Dix in NJ is the temporary housing center for close to 10,000 refugees. Thank you for your support of this initiative to show the love of Christ to those in need.

JANUARY 9, 2022 UPDATE