Immigration & Refugee Ministries

Immigration and Refugee Ministries is committed to providing resources and services to our immigrant and refugee communities as well as to the congregations that are opening doors to them. We actively maintain an extensive ministry of resettlement assistance for persons without homes and country, while providing various resources to assist individuals and congregations on immigration awareness and reform.

The marginal people of Jesus’ day were his special concern. When we welcome the refugee–the stranger in our midst–we welcome Christ. Since 1948, American Baptists have been resettling refugees in cooperation with Church World Service‘s Immigration and Refugee Program.

This faithfulness has made ABHMS’ Refugee Resettlement Program a cornerstone of American Baptist mission at home in the United States. In the past five decades since American Baptists began this ministry, churches have sponsored more than 93,000 refugees, providing them with a safe haven and a new home.

Community Sponsorship

• Click here to sponsor a family arriving in your community. You can also email refugeewelcome@cwsglobal.org to find out about opportunities to sponsor a newly arriving Afghan family in your community.
• Reach out to your closest local refugee resettlement office: Click here for an interactive map to help you find your closest resettlement office. Click here for a state-by-state directory with contact information for each office.
• Are you a landlord who has rental units that you are willing to rent to newly arriving Afghan families? Email us at refugeewelcome@cwsglobal.org to learn more about how you can be involved in providing a safe place to land for our Afghan neighbors.

Or,

How to Help Afghans – CWS (cwsglobal.org)

And,

Urge Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act to ensure Afghans in the U.S. have the opportunity to rebuild their lives safely – without the fear and limitations of uncertain immigration status and without the trauma of attempting to navigate an immigration system that is not adequately prepared for their arrival. 

For additional information about ABHMS’ Immigration and Refugee Ministries, contact Rev. Rothangliani Chhangte at rothangliani.chhangte@abhms.org.