As part of its 125th anniversary celebration, the First Christian Church of Vallejo is hosting a special immigration symposium entitled “Even Jesus Was a Refugee” from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday in its Fellowship Hall.
The church is asking the public to attend a “thought-provoking event that will discuss immigration from the perspectives of faith, history, law and economics.”
“It can be difficult to navigate polarizing issues, especially those that shouldn’t be polarizing! So this is a great opportunity for you and your organization to learn how to effectively defuse the rhetoric and learn to treat everyone as Jesus would have,” a press release said.
The panelists at the event are …
- Rev. Larry Love (Disciples priest) discusses the biblical examples of immigration and appropriate behavior toward immigrants from a biblical perspective.
- David Lawson will present the history of American immigration from afar. Lawson was most recently a history teacher at Vallejo High School.
- Marina Ordonez, a paralegal, and Lainey Meiri, an immigration attorney from VIDAS. Ordonez and Meiri will address immigrant legal protections and immigration procedures.
- John Grose, moderator of the First Christian Church in Vallejo and president of Sensible Technologies, Inc. (dba, Hydronic Specialties Company) will examine the economic aspects of immigration and its impact on the American economy.
While it is not required, the church asks that you register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/even-jesus-was-a-refugee-immigration-symposium-tickets-945216667497 so they know how many attendees to expect. The event is free, but the church asks for a voluntary donation at the door. Drinks and snacks will be provided.
