[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release] The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society will present an hour-long webinar on February 19 to explore the current status of the refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The free churchwide webinar begins at 7 pm Eastern. The webinar will be available on-demand following the event.

The webinar will be facilitated by Kurt Bonz, Program Manager for Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement service of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society; Allison Duvall, Episcopal Migration Ministries’ Church Relations Manager; and Katie Conway, Policy Analyst for Immigration and Refugees in the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society’s Office of Government Relations.

The goals of the webinar are:
• To provide an overview of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• To update the current status of Congolese refugees
• To suggest what can be done in communities to continue to welcome Congolese refugees as they arrive in the US seeking safety, peace, and a chance to begin their lives again.
• To examine ways for faith community support and advocacy for the plight of Congolese refugees
• To review how congregations can prepare to welcome these new Americans into the community

“Over the next 4-5 years, the United States expects to welcome tens of thousands of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, scene of some of the world’s worst ongoing violence and human rights abuses,” noted Deborah Stein, Episcopal Migration Ministries Director. “Both this webinar and our March #ShareTheJourney pilgrimage to the Great Lakes Region of Africa are part of a broader campaign to bring awareness about the plight of Congolese refugees and the ways Episcopalians can be involved in welcoming these new Americans.”

Participation is via registration here.

Questions are welcomed and encouraged and can be submitted via the webinar chat room or on social media using #ShareTheJourney.

Resources
The webinar content is ideal for Sunday forums, discussion groups, adult formation classes, youth groups, and formation classes.  A discussion guide is available here.

For more information contact Duvall, aduvall@episcopalchurch.org.

Episcopal Migration Ministries
Episcopal Migration Ministries is the refugee resettlement service of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. Each year this ministry works in partnership with its affiliate network, along with dioceses, faith communities and volunteers, to welcome refugees from conflict zones across the globe.

#ShareTheJourney as the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society celebrates 75 years of resettling refugees in the United States. #ShareTheJourney is a multi-media effort to educate, form, and equip Episcopalians to engage in loving service with resettled refugees and to become prophetic witnesses and advocates on behalf of refugees, asylees, migrants, and displaced persons throughout the world.

The Episcopal Public Policy Network
The Episcopal Public Policy Network is a grassroots network of Episcopalians across the country, supported by the Missionary Society and dedicated to carrying out the Baptismal Covenant call to “strive for justice and peace” through the active ministry of public policy advocacy. The Episcopal Public Policy Network is part of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society’s Office of Government Relations, located in Washington, DC. The actions, programs, and ministry of the Office of Government Relations are based entirely on policies approved by the Church meeting in General Convention or by the Executive Council. As Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori reminds us, “The voices of the people of faith must be a prophetic impetus for lasting change, toward healing the body of God.”