Matthew Soerens on Afghan refugees
By / Sep 2

As the United States departed from Afghanistan, there remains an urgent humanitarian crisis in the country, both for the U.S.’s Afghan allies and those fearing persecution from the Taliban.

Chelsea Sobolik welcomes Matthew Soerens, the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief to discuss how and why Christians can serve Afghan refugees who qualified for the Special Immigrant Visa Program and the Refugee Resettlement Program.

Guest Biography

Matthew Soerens is the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief, where he helps evangelical churches to understand the realities of Afghan refugees and immigration and to respond in ways guided by biblical values. He also serves as the National Coordinator for the Evangelical Immigration Table, a coalition that advocates for immigration reforms consistent with biblical values.

Matthew previously served as a Department of Justice-accredited legal counselor at World Relief’s local office in Wheaton, Illinois and, before that, with World Relief’s partner organization in Managua, Nicaragua. He’s also the co-author of Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis (Moody Publishers, 2016).

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Send Relief and World Relief work together to resettle Afghan refugees
By / Aug 26

In the aftermath of the sudden, tragic fall of Afghanistan into the hands of the Taliban, thousands of refugees have been fleeing the landlocked nation to escape persecution and retaliation from the extremist group. Send Relief, the compassion ministry arm of Southern Baptists, has begun the process of helping Afghan refugees as they resettle around the world by working with World Relief and other ministry partners.

Photos of packed aircraft and video of desperate Afghan people surrounding planes as they take off have captured the world’s attention in recent days. Those who served alongside the United States military in some capacity are among the groups in the direst situation, but there are thousands of others whose lives and livelihoods are now at risk because of the Taliban.

“We need to pray for the Afghan people as many are fleeing with nothing but the clothes they have on,” said Bryant Wright, president of Send Relief. “Any remaining Christians will be targeted. The women and girls who are left behind will lose the freedoms they’ve gained over the last 20 years. May the church minister to any refugees our government allows in who have supported American efforts or faced persecution there.”

Thousands of Afghan refugees are expected to arrive in the United States in the coming days and weeks, and World Relief — a global Christian humanitarian organization that partners with local churches to serve vulnerable populations — has 17 offices across the United States where they aid refugees who will settle there.

As churches seek to respond, Send Relief will provide training and materials to equip churches that want to serve refugees in their communities and connect churches with organizations, like World Relief, that will help make direct connections with refugee families.

Most refugees arrive in the United States and need to find places to live, figure out how to enroll their kids in school and purchase basic household and hygiene items. Many also need assistance with learning English. Organizations like World Relief often work with local churches to help meet some of these needs.

“We don’t view this through the lens of politics or even through the lens of the images coming out of Afghanistan right now,” said James Misner, senior vice president of strategic engagement for World Relief. “We view this through, and we respond through the lens of the commands of God in scripture—which tell us over and over again to welcome the stranger in need.”

Matthew Soerens, World Relief’s U.S. director of church mobilization and advocacy, also addressed concerns about the vetting process for refugees entering the United States with Baptist Press.

The U.S. government has, in recent decades, taken steps to ensure that those applying for refugee status receive background checks against several databases, according to The Heritage Foundation.

Afghans who provided assistance to the U.S., and are seeking to flee Afghanistan apply through a process called the Special Immigrant Visa program, a long vetting procedure that often takes more than two years to complete. Christians, women and other religious minorities are likely to flee the nation and seek refugee status in the U.S. or elsewhere.

Along with assisting in the refugee resettlement process in the United States, Send Relief also coordinates with international partners in resettling refugees in other nations around the world, helping those forced to leave their homes adjust to life in what is oftentimes a strange, new land.

To learn more about how you can give or serve refugees in this current crisis, visit sendrelief.org.

This article was originally published here. 

World Relief’s Matthew Soerens on President Biden’s refugee admissions decision
By / May 5

Jeff Pickering and Travis Wussow welcome Matthew Soerens of World Relief, a refugee resettlement agency, to the roundtable to talk about what happened with President Biden’s decision on the refugee admissions ceiling. The group also discusses the Evangelical Immigration Table advocacy both for refugee policy and for solutions to the ongoing migration humanitarian crisis at the U.S. southern border.

“Rhetoric is no refuge for the persecuted — we need action. The refugee resettlement ceiling should be raised immediately so our nation can welcome those we already vetted. … We know the program is a secure and thorough process by which America can serve as a beacon of freedom and safe harbor for the oppressed, including persecuted Christians and other imperiled religious minorities.” — Russell Moore on April 16, 2021

“I’m thankful President Biden revised his decision on the refugee ceiling. This action is the first step in bringing admissions back to the historical average and our nation back to our own ideals as a beacon of freedom.” — Russell Moore on May 4, 2021

Guest Biography

Matthew Soerens serves as the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization and Advocacy for World Relief and as the National Coordinator for the Evangelical Immigration Table, a coalition of evangelical organizations of which both World Relief and the ERLC are founding members. He previously served as a Department of Justice-accredited immigration legal counselor for World Relief’s local office in suburban Chicago. Matthew is the co-author of Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis (Moody Publishers, 2016) and Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate (InterVarsity Press, 2018). Matthew earned his Bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College (IL), where he also has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership graduate program. He also earned a Master’s degree from DePaul University’s School of Public Service. Originally from Neenah, Wisconsin, he now lives in Aurora, Illinois with his wife Diana and their four children.

Resources from the Conversation

Global Hunger Relief run to raise funds for hunger projects at SBC Annual Meeting in Phoenix
By / Apr 19

Nashville, Tenn., April 18, 2017— A broad coalition of Southern Baptist ministries have partnered together to sponsor a Global Hunger Relief Run, including a 5k and one-mile Fun Run, in Phoenix, Ariz., June 14, in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. All funds raised through participant fees will go directly to feed hungry people around the world.

Global Hunger Relief is a partnership of seven Southern Baptist organizations who work together to meet hunger needs around the world. Formerly known as the World Hunger Fund, many churches highlight the
work of GHR on Global Hunger Sunday each year on the second Sunday of October.

“Our partners have put together a first-class event for those who run and for those who simply want to have fun and support the lifesaving work of Global Hunger Relief while we’re together in Phoenix,” said Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. “GHR is a wonderful illustration of the cooperation of the SBC and how we can do more together.”

Participants of the 5k will take a short shuttle ride from the Phoenix Convention Center to Steele Indian Park where they will run a two-lap course. The one-mile Fun Ride participants will circle the park’s lake. Water will be available on the course and snacks at the finish line. Registration and more information about the run is available online.

Sponsors for the GHR Run currently include the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Global Response, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Guidestone Financial Resources, the International Mission Board, LifeWay Christian Resources, the North American Mission Board, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and the Woman’s Missionary Union.

Because of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program, one hundred percent of funds received by GHR are used in hunger projects implemented by Southern Baptist missionaries and partners. Eighty percent of funds are used internationally through the work of the International Mission Board and Baptist Global Response. Twenty percent is distributed across the United States by the North American Mission Board. More information about Global Hunger Relief is available at globalhungerrelief.com.

Global Hunger Relief: An effective way to combat world hunger
By / Sep 23

Chronic hunger is a debilitating problem for nearly 1 billion people in the world. ERLC President Russell Moore discusses Global Hunger Relief — an effective way to fight the global hunger crisis.

Global Hunger Relief: when global hunger meets extravagant love
By / Sep 23

When the extravagant love of Jesus Christ meets global hunger, lives and communities are forever transformed. Visit globalhungerrelief.com to learn more!