I love being both progressive, i.e. liberal/liberationist, and missional...obviously don't like crowds even though I am an extrovert :), and one of the things I like most is my dialogue with conservative missional brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when we begin to converge to make things happen "in the kin-dom" such as on immigration reform. We here are members of the Christian Community Development Association, www.ccda.org, which has many much more conservative theological partners. Recent actions in Arizona have helped move people from many perspectives into prayer and action on these issues. Below is some dialogue about that. I wasn't able to make the phone conference this time, but wanted to share some of the correspondence about it. Especially if you are progressive and think that you are alone in your faithful response. Note some of these partners coming together via the CCDA.
Here is some of the correspondence:
Dave Clark
CCDA
Chief of Staff
Dear Friends,
I was just in Phoenix, AZ the last two days to support our CCDA ministries working with many immigrant families, and to urge Arizona Governor Brewer to veto a proposed bill that you have most likely heard about on the news, a bill that would give the local police a mandate to round up and deport undocumented residents in their state. One of the most negative aspects of this proposed legislation is the racial profiling that would occur for Latino looking individuals, regardless of their legal status.
At the state capital on Tuesday, many Christians and immigration advocates gathered to protest and to pray that this bill NOT be signed into law, and that a more humane approach of dealing with our current broken immigration system would be pursued--through the passing of comprehensive immigration reform by our federal government.
The leadership of CCDA has made an intentional decision to help our members become more informed and educated regarding what a Biblical and humane immigration policy would look like in our nation, and so I am inviting all of our CCDA family to participate in a conference call with a group of Christian leaders from around the nation, some clergy, and some business leaders who will share their perspectives regarding the need for immigration reform and what we as Christians can do to help bring about this reform.
I will be one of the speakers on this call. I encourage you to rally your constituencies to join the call as well.
With much love and admiration for all you do for the Kingdom,
Noel Castellanos
CEO, CCDA
Evangelical, Business and other Conservative Leaders to Give Update on Divisive Arizona Immigration Law
and Discuss Need for Congress and the President to Act NOW on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
You are invited on Thursday, April 29th at 2:00 PM EDT, to participate in the second strategy call with hundreds of Conservative grassroots advocates from around the country to hear from key business and Evangelical leaders on updates regarding Arizona’s divisive immigration law and plans to push for immigration reform this year. The call will be open to all denominations, businesspeople, political figures and press.
From various major cities, including Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Phoenix, Miami, New York and Washington DC, Conservative leaders will pray for a solution to the moral, economic and political crisis that our broken immigration system is causing for millions of families, especially in Arizona, and share strategies for breaking the stalemate in Congress to move immigration reform this year. As tens of thousands of activists prepare to march for immigration reform on May 1, we will share details for a national gathering being organized in Washington DC and discuss work that conservatives can engage in to increase pressure on the President and key Republicans in the Senate to move on immigration reform now.
WHO: Jeff Moseley, President, Houston Partnership, Houston, TX
Carlos Gutierrez, Former Secretary of Commerce Under President George W. Bush, Washington, DC
Rev. Eve Nuñez, Founder and President, Arizona Latino Commission, Phoenix, AZ
Alfonso Aguilar, Former Head of The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, appointed by president George W. Bush and Senior Fellow, Latino Project for Conservative Principles, Washington DC
Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Sacramento, CA
Noel Castellanos, CEO, Christian Community Development Association, Chicago, Ill
Jim Tolle, Senior Pastor, The Church on the Way, Los Angeles, CA
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