PCA Publicly Apologizes and Repents for Controversial ‘Illegal Immigrant Advice’ Article
The Presbyterian Church In America (PCA) Mission to North America has publicly apologized for an article instructing illegal immigrants how to conceal their identities from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) if they are being detained, saying that they “repent and apologize” for falling “short of our Biblical and Confessional standard.”
Last week, a PCMNA article was flagged on their website advising detained Illegal Immigrants only to show identity documents to ICE agents that do not include their country of birth or citizenship.
The Presbyterian outcry was swift, and the article was removed shortly thereafter. The same day of the removal. By Faith magazine, the official magazine of the PCA, released a Statement from Mission to North America, which reads:
Mission to North America (MNA) serves the PCA for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom through our churches in the U.S. and Canada. We do this through a two-pronged focus on church planting and church vitality. Our church planting efforts facilitate starting and supporting new PCA churches. Our church vitality efforts provide ministry resources that enable our churches to grow in their outward-facing missional engagement in their communities, loving neighbors as our Lord commands (Matt 22:39). One such long-standing MNA ministry is our Refugee and Immigrant Ministry (RIM).
Recently, we posted links on our webpage to external organizations offering a wide range of recommendations and frequently asked questions on immigration. MNA’s leadership erroneously allowed the posting of content that advised undocumented persons on ways to avoid being detained by authorities. We affirm that it is our Christian duty to obey the lawful commands of the civil magistrate and be subject to their authority (WCF 23.4; Romans 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:13-14). To counsel otherwise is a sin. We confess that we fell short of our Biblical and Confessional standard. We repent and apologize. We also apologize for causing confusion and consternation in our church. We have removed all the previously posted information from our website.
MNA’s Refugee & Immigrant Ministry, along with other MNA ministries, seeks to serve our churches with resources that enable them to faithfully follow our Lord’s call to love the stranger. However, MNA does not engage in providing legal advice, political campaigning or partisan positions. The information we post going forward will provide ecclesiastical resources in line with our Confession for guidance on the matter.
The MNA Permanent Committee is holding its Spring Meeting during the first week of March and this issue is docketed for further focused discussion as part of the Committee’s regular oversight of MNA’s ministries. The Committee does this work on behalf of the General Assembly of the PCA, which meets annually in June.
Well done!
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