Clergy must not neglect their duty to the nation
by Michael Nazir-Ali, Telegraph:
Churches have a duty to welcome asylum seekers who want to convert. But they shouldn’t be naive.
Churches and clergy are under scrutiny once again as it appears that the Clapham chemical attacker had been granted asylum on the basis of a spurious “conversion” to Christianity.
Let us be clear: churches and clergy are obliged to welcome people, whoever they are and whatever their circumstances, and to assist them in their needs. Asylum seekers often come into contact with churches when they access food banks or seek help with social services or other advice. However, clergy and church members cannot be naïve. As Jesus said, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
There are, of course, many genuine conversions among asylum seekers. But given the apparent abuse, clergy and other leaders will need to make much more careful inquiries about the immigration status of those who show interest in the Christian faith. And they must be wary if an asylum application has been rejected and is at the stage of appeal, particularly if a change in faith is being made a ground for that appeal.
It is time also to review the internal processes of churches. Is there a programme of sufficient length to prepare people for baptism (in the Catholic Church, for example, it can take many months to reach that stage)? Any attempt to “rush” the process should be resisted.
Read here (£)
Watch: Vanessa Feltz and Revd Peter Ould on Talk TV
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
