Religious leaders gathered Dec. 12, 2023, for an event linked to the Global Refugee Forum, “Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees.” Photo: Peter Williams via WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
[Episcopal News Service] The Rt. Rev. Mark Edington, bishop of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, has been invited to join the Multi-Religious Council of Leaders, a group of religious and spiritual leaders who collectively work to support refugees and host communities.
“As a member of a church with a historic commitment to resettling refugees in the U.S. and welcoming refugees wherever in the world we’re present, I’m pleased to have a chance to bring our perspectives to the work of the High Commissioner’s office,” Edington told Episcopal News Service in a written statement.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees convenes the Multi-Religious Council of Leaders, which advocates for guidance and support for people who are forcibly displaced from their countries because of persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations. Members commit to mobilizing action for forcibly displaced people by addressing the core causes of displacement.
Edington will be one of the 25 council members attending the next Global Refugee Forum, which takes place in 2027. He will join religious leaders, stakeholders, nongovernmental organizations, financial institutions, foundations and corporations to discuss how to individually and collectively accomplish the goals.
The Global Refugee Forum is the world’s largest international gathering of refugees held every four years by UNHCR. It last took place in 2023. The year’s closing figures indicate about 117.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced, according to the United Nations’ latest Global Trends report published in June.
Though honored by his selection to the council, Edington stressed the need to address refugees’ needs locally.
“Often the best-known dialogues between the world’s faith communities happen at the forty-thousand-foot level — between theologians, prelates, and leaders of faith families,” he said. “But our most powerful witness to the values we share happens at the local level, where efforts across confessional lines to address the needs of refugees and the most vulnerable among us make clear in a compelling way the deep commitment to human dignity and flourishing that our traditions hold in common.”
The multinational Episcopal Church is committed to supporting refugees. For instance, legislation adopted by General Convention in 2022 and 2018 expresses full support of measures taken by the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration to protect refugees and asylum-seekers, including LGBTQ+ people. The church’s commitment also includes the everyday work of Episcopal Migration Ministries, the church’s refugee resettlement ministry, and Episcopal Relief & Development, the church’s international humanitarian agency.
Additionally, The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations represents the church’s various public policy positions, including comprehensive immigration reform, through advocacy work in Washington, D.C., and providing a guide to effective advocacy for Episcopalians.
-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.