The Hispanic Advisory of the Adventist Church's North American Division underscores its "moral responsibility to care for the disadvantaged."
The following is a voted statement by the Hispanic Advisory of the North American Division, calling for compassion toward immigrants.
Whereas,
the current climate in our country and the world has produced worries, divisions and fears in many individuals, leading to divided families, expressions of racism, and challenges to the fulfillment of the Christian mission;
Whereas,
the Bible teaches us that God has made all mankind of one blood (Acts 17:26), that we “are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26, 28), called to unity and love towards one another (John 17:21-23, John 13:34), instructed to treat the foreigner as the native-born (Lev. 19:33-34);
Whereas,
the Church has the moral responsibility to care for the disadvantaged (Lev. 23:22) and denounce oppression, abuse, or mistreatment in any form (Ps. 82:3, 4; Isa. 1:17), while respecting the rule of law.
We, the Hispanic leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North-America, declare our determination to:
reject practices that instill humiliation and fear in the hearts of fellow human beings,
affirm the value of keeping families intact,
inspire our members and those who visit our churches to live lives of faith and trust in Divine guidance,
and appeal to all the Seventh-day Adventist churches, schools and individual members in the North-American Division to extend God’s love to all persons by creating an environment of acceptance and safety in our houses of worship.
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Voted by the members of the Hispanic Advisory of the North-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists on May 4, 2017.