Ecumenical Ministries: Resettle all refugees

By Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

EMO affirms commitment to resettle all refugees

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) will continue to receive and resettle all refugees referred to its Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR) program.

“Our service to refugees is based upon a commitment to respond to the needs of the suffering in our world, regardless of race or religion,” stated Jan Elfers, interim executive director of EMO. “These values are deeply embedded in our mission. Refugees are fleeing their country of origin because of a well-founded fear of persecution and grave danger for reasons of race, religion, nationality or political opinion. Our nation has a long history of welcoming the oppressed and the persecuted. SOAR accepts refugees from all over the world, including war torn areas such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.”

EMO’s Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees has been resettling refugees since the 1970’s. The program provides comprehensive and compassionate resettlement services to hundreds of families and individuals every year. SOAR’s affiliate, Church World Service, is just one of ten national resettlement agencies; six of them are faith-based. Collectively, they all state that the U.S. vetting process for refugees is one of the most extensive and rigorous in the world. The United States was built on the principles of welcoming the refugee. EMO urges all people of goodwill, and especially our elected leaders, to remain true to these principles.

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a statewide association of Christian denominations, congregations, ecumenical organizations and interfaith partners working together to improve the lives of Oregonians through community ministry programs, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, environmental ministry and public policy advocacy.


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