June 20 is World Refugee Day (WRD), a day designated by the United Nations to honor and celebrate refugees around the world. World Refugee Day is an opportunity to highlight the journeys refugees face, their dreams and hopes for a better future, and our responsibility to advocate for pathways to protection for all people forced to flee home.

Join Episcopal Migration Ministries during the month of June as we celebrate World Refugee Day through education, dialogue, prayer, and advocacy.

EMM’s World Refugee Day Virtual Prayer Vigil downloadable service bulletin is available here

Reflecting on The Geneva Convention: The State of Global Refugee Trends and Refugee Policy Today

Episcopal Migration Ministries and The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations hosted a webinar on the current state of refugees and refugee policy on Thursday, May 20, from 4:00 to 5:00PM ET. Recording available here.

Welcoming our Newest Neighbors: How Americans and the Episcopal Church Integrate Refugees into Their Communities

Episcopal Migration Ministries and The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations hosted a webinar about the refugee reception process on Tuesday, June 1, from 4:00 to 5:00PM ET. Recording available here.

On Thursday, June 10, EMM hosted a panel discussion highlighting the work to rebuild the refugee resettlement program, perspectives from different faith traditions and practitioners, and the role of community support in providing welcome and integration to newly arrived refugees.

The 90-minute event included a moderated panel discussion, followed by a question and answer session, with the following guests:

  • The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church
  • Demetrio Alvero , Director of Operations for Episcopal Migration Ministries
  • Dr. Heval Kelli, Cardiologist, co-founder and president of the Kurdish American Medical Association, and former refugee
  • Larry Bartlett, Director of the Office of Refugee Admissions, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State

View the recording here.

EMM hosted a virtual prayer vigil for WRD on Sunday, June 20. The prayer vigil, broadcast on EMM’s Facebook, offered a time of prayer, reflection, and celebration in honor of refugees worldwide. Watch a replay of the Vigil with English CC and Spanish CC.

A special webinar highlighting the vital refugee work of Episcopal Migration Ministries featuring artist and iconographer Kelly Latimore in conversation with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.

“The Work of Your Church: An Evening in Support of Episcopal Migration Ministries” was held at 6 p.m. ET Wednesday, June 23, moderated by the Rev. Charles Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop for ministry beyond The Episcopal Church. Through the lens of religious iconography, the webinar focused on the past, present and future work of Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) in responding to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers.

An iconic poster produced in 1938 by the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, titled In the Name of These Refugees, guided discussion of EMM’s historic roots, which include serving new U.S. immigrants in the late 1800s and helping finance steamship passage in the 1930s for those fleeing Nazi Europe.

EMM’s current and future ministry will be depicted in a new commissioned work by the St. Louis-based Latimore, who has painted religious icons for 10 years. His works have featured prominently in recent years in Episcopal and Roman Catholic communities. In 2020, Latimore’s icon Mama, showing a Black Mary holding a crucified Black Jesus who resembles George Floyd, became a visible image at Black Lives Matter demonstrations, Christian Century magazine reported.

The 60-minute event included a moderated panel discussion followed by a Q&A. Participants were invited to donate to EMM’s life-saving resettlement and engagement work.

View the recording here.