The Southern Baptist Convention has adopted a resolution supporting refugees amid a fierce national debate over how many the U.S. should admit.
Adopted Wednesday at the convention's annual conference in St. Louis, the resolution does not take a position on whether the Obama administration should admit more refugees — including Syrians — as it has pledged to do this fiscal year. But it does encourage Southern Baptists to "minister care, compassion, and the Gospel to refugees who come to the United States."
“We encourage Southern Baptist churches and families to welcome and adopt refugees into their churches and homes as a means to demonstrate to the nations that our God longs for every tribe, tongue, and nation to be welcomed at His throne,” the resolution continues. The document also calls on the government to follow strict security measures while screening refugees for resettlement in the U.S.
President Barack Obama has pledged to admit at least 10,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S. this fiscal year. This week, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he wants to stop what he called "the tremendous flow" of Syrian refugees into the U.S. In contrast, Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has called for a sharp increase in the number of Syrian refugees the U.S. accepts to up to 65,000.
