Christian denomination becomes 'sanctuary church body'

The 2019 Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's Churchwide Assembly has voted to join the politics of "sanctuary" cities, counties and states, becoming the first "sanctuary church body" in the country.

But the impact of the decision still is being worked out.

The denomination said in its recent announcement that a "sanctuary church the ELCA is committed to serving and supporting migrant children and families in communities across the country."

The vote came shortly after hundreds of church leaders joined in a march and prayer vigil that ended up at the Milwaukee Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

"The march addressed concerns about the human rights of migrant children and families entering the U.S. along the southern border," the denomination said. "Through the ELCA's initiative, Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities (AMMPARO), this church is committed to work toward just and humane policies affecting migrants in and outside the U.S."

A report on the decision said the church now will respond to "raids" and fight deportation, and provide "radical hospitality" to immigrants.

The denomination, with some 3.4 million members, has been declining in numbers in recent years.

It promised to work with individual churches to "help them explore and develop sanctuary ministries."

Sanctuary cities, counties and states refuse to cooperate with the enforcement of federal immigration laws. Some have released individuals suspected or convicted of crimes into communities instead of turning them over to federal officials for deportation.

"It just keeps getting worse and worse in terms of unaccompanied children, separated families, detention centers that are just horrific, and so what we wanted to say as a church body, as the Lutheran church, we wanted to now act with our feet and take action," said Evelyn Straw, a spokeswoman for ELCA's Domestic Mission.

Local congregations are considering the impact of the decision, Montrose Daily Press in Colorado reported.

The report said, "The declaration, as of now, hasn't led to much more than some informal conversations among leadership at Montrose's Zion Lutheran Church — an ELCA church — about how members of the Montrose body can help immigrants at the United States-Mexico border."

Michael Mortvedt, an interim pastor at Zion Lutheran, said, "For us, [it means] gathering some supplies and sending them down to the border."

The church also is thinking about offering an English class.

The pastor explained the national vote didn't create any obligations for individual congregations.

"We hear 'sanctuary' and we think of people (seeking refuge) in churches — that old European church idea," Mortvedt told the Daily Press.

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