Conservative Evangelicals Support Obama’s Call for Immigration Reform

Evangelical Christians are attempting to send a message to Republican politicians: support comprehensive immigration reform.

Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference offered these views in the Washington Post:

President Obama’s much anticipated speech on immigration began with a much unexpected introduction by Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Church near Chicago and one of the nation’s largest congregations. Hybels also oversees the Willow Creek Association, an influential evangelical network. So why would a conservative evangelical pastor introduce Obama when evangelicals and the president disagree on so many issues? The answer lies embedded in the underlying threads that surround the immigration reform debate.
While the immigration reform continues to polarize communities and divide our country, it also has fostered a constructive conversation and relationship between conservative evangelicals and Obama. In addition to Hybels, other evangelical leaders who attended the president’s speech at American University included Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, Leith Anderson of the National Association of Evangelicals, and myself.
In 2006, business and immigrant advocacy groups led the charge for immigration reform. Today, the faith community, particularly the evangelical community, stands front and center for a comprehensive solution to immigration issues — for three primary reasons:
First, the growth of evangelical communities in the majority of denominations stems from their ethnic and immigrant constituency. In other words, support for immigration is a matter of both short-term and long-term viability and sustainability.
Second, evangelicals refuse to repeat the mistakes of the past. In the 1960’s as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington, evangelicals — with a few exceptions — stood on the sidelines, some openly hostile to the movement, others just apathetic. Consequently, the lack of support for Civil Rights resulted in the building of a wall between the African American church and the evangelical community.
Finally, Evangelicals support immigration reform because we see it as a biblical imperative. From Leviticus 19 to the Good Samaritan Parable, evangelical pastors understand that the Bible supports the reconciliation of the rule of law (Romans 13) with compassion for the stranger (Leviticus 19). President Obama recognizes the influence that faith and family voters have with the Republican Party. Possibly, the only hope for successful passage of immigration reform legislation lies in the prophetic witness of the vociferous community.

As the President framed the argument for reform, he spoke about the moral imperative. Evangelicals stand poised to support the President as he continues to push for a just immigration strategy. At the end of the day, this partnership between the President and evangelicals may very serve as the tipping point that awakens the conscience of a nation to push back on extremism and reconcile before the altar of compassion and grace. This is a partnership that can also serve our nation as we confront other challenges.
This partnership is one of the good things that has come from immigration reform. More good things are ahead.

bh