As evangelical Christians, the primary lens through which we view any complex topic is the Bible. The Scriptures make very clear that God loves, provides for, and establishes justice for immigrants—and He commands His people to do the same. We are exhorted repeatedly in the New Testament to practice “hospitality.” The Greek word philoxenia literally means “the love of strangers.” While the Bible does not give us a specific prescription for immigration policy, our disposition is to be one of hospitality to the disenfranchised and overlooked.
This biblical commitment has been central to The Alliance from its inception. In the late nineteenth century, Alliance founder A.B. Simpson, an immigrant himself, resigned his role at an affluent Presbyterian congregation in New York City when some in the church opposed his efforts to welcome and share the love of Christ with poor, recently-arrived Italian immigrants. He launched a new ministry focused particularly on reaching these immigrant communities, which today has grown into a global movement. Read more: Immigrants and Refugees—Why do We Care?
Caring for immigrants is not just part of our history; it is and will always be a primary calling of God on the Alliance to reach and welcome immigrant families into Christ’s Kingdom. As a multi-ethnic evangelical denomination, The Alliance is seeing significant growth among various immigrant communities. Alliance churches in border states and places experiencing an influx of immigrants continue to engage in fruitful ministry among these populations, acknowledging together that our forefather families once faced the challenges associated with being strangers in a strange land—as did our Savior.
We continue to partner with like-minded organizations, like The Immigration Alliance and World Relief, to equip and encourage our churches to embrace immigrant families, offering love, mercy, and tangible help while maintaining respect for the rule of law. As the U.S. Alliance family, we further commit to uphold the unity of the family, a God-ordained institution foundational to the wellbeing of our communities and our nation.