The Episcopal Migration Caucus is spotlighting various efforts across the church to promote immigrant justice and Migration With Dignity. One such effort is a resolution on Welcoming Immigrants, drafted by Max Niedzwiecki, which we are encouraging every diocese to consider passing this year:

“The Episcopal Church Welcomes You” is not just a slogan displayed in front of most of our churches: It’s an important expression of our faith, and it applies to every human being, who is our sibling in Christ.

Welcoming is simple, and it’s not. If you ask someone who contributes to a ministry – a food pantry, tutoring, worship, or whatever it might be – whether people born outside of the country would be welcome, the answer would almost always be: “Yes, of course!” 

But are we prepared to welcome people from different backgrounds, or who speak a different language? Are we ready for our brothers and sisters who are afraid of being separated from their families, imprisoned without legal recourse, and deported to places where they could face deadly violence or abject poverty? And are immigrants aware of the welcome we could offer them?

These are questions that cannot be answered by us alone, or in advance of their actual manifestation in our ministry, but only by echoing the Baptismal Covenant: “I will, with God’s help.”

The Episcopal Migration Caucus has provided this draft “Welcoming Diocese Resolution” to help dioceses and their congregations enhance their welcome to people born outside of the country where they are living. If it is considered at your diocesan convention, it could stimulate dialogue. If it is approved, it could open opportunities for people who care about immigrants to help ministries extend their welcome more broadly. Please read it, adapt it if you’d like, and use it as the Spirit moves you. We’d love to hear your thoughts and questions, too. Please send them to maxepiscopal@gmail.com.   

Text of Welcoming Diocese Resolution:

RESOLVED, That this diocese celebrates the welcome of all people to be a distinctive and treasured ideal of The Episcopal Church rooted in our Baptismal Covenant, which asks of us, “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?”, and to which we respond by declaring, “I will, with God’s help;” and further be it

RESOLVED, That it is our particular responsibility and privilege to extend welcome to those who are experiencing hardship, as stated in Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me;” and further be it

RESOLVED, That we will endeavor to extend this welcome to all people, regardless of their immigration status, country of origin, language, race, and other characteristics that are recognized by the policies of our church and our jurisdiction as well as the Migration With Dignity framework as adopted by The Episcopal Church in 2024; and further be it

RESOLVED, That we recognize General Convention Resolution 2024-D037 of The Episcopal Church, which declared that “Immigration and the lives of immigrants are intimately linked with diverse phenomena that are the focus of Ministries of The Episcopal Church, including but not limited to creation care, racial justice, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic justice, healthcare, social justice, and evangelism;” and further be it

RESOLVED, That we acknowledge that this inclusion of immigrants in our Church was confirmed by the findings of an international survey (links to report and summary) conducted by The Episcopal Church during December 2025 and January 2026, which found that foreign-born people are active in all varieties of ministry of our Church as service-providers, leaders, and beneficiaries; and further be it

RESOLVED, That we acknowledge that many of our immigrant neighbors may not be aware of the welcome they could receive by our ministries; and further be it

RESOLVED, That this diocese will recommit to its welcome for all people, including those who were not born in the country of their residence by examining how they are involved with our diverse ministries, and seeking ways to deepen that involvement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That congregations in this diocese are encouraged to make use of educational and discernment materials such as those provided by Episcopal Migration Ministries and the Episcopal Migration Response Network in order to strengthen their ability to extend welcome for foreign-born people and their families.