Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church’s Resolution to Become a Member of the Sanctuary Church Movement

WHEREAS, sanctuary is one of the most ancient traditions for people of faith, and

WHEREAS, the Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, has a history of working in support of the local sanctuary church movement in the 1980’s, providing emotional, and material support to another church providing physical sanctuary, and

WHEREAS, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) have a longstanding tradition of becoming actively engaged in political and community support work to change federal immigration policy, aid and support sanctuary work for refugees and immigrants, and continue to advocate, and educate on these issues since the 1980’s, and

WHEREAS, the UUA calls us to recognize that no one is “the stranger”, and to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; and justice, equity, and compassion in human relations, and

WHEREAS, the UUA Board has expressed their support for the Sanctuary movement and created a UU Sanctuary Fund “for the purpose to support sanctuary defendants, sanctuary churches, and for direct support of those in need of sanctuary” (Sanctuary Fund, June 1986 Board Resolution), and

WHEREAS, in 2006 the GA voted for an Action of Immediate Witness to support immigrant justice, and act as witness to the current unjust immigration system on families, and communities around us, and

WHEREAS, at the 2007 General Assembly the delegates passed an Action of Immediate Witness to Support Immigrant Families- STOP the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Raids that calls for an immediate moratorium of all inhumane raids and resulting deportations and joined with other communities of faith compelled by the call to “welcome the stranger” and began work to support the initiative known as the New Sanctuary Movement, and

WHEREAS, OBUUC passed a 2017 resolution of discernment to study becoming a New Sanctuary Church, and

WHEREAS, OBUUC has engaged in this process of discernment through a task force that provided information and discussion opportunities to our membership around the study of becoming a member of the New Sanctuary Church Movement over the past months, and

WHEREAS, this task force has recommended OBUUC become a Sanctuary Support Congregation that will partner with and support a church providing actual physical space, share the costs, provide volunteer support, plus vigorous advocacy and witness for immigration justice and pro-immigrant reform, and

WHEREAS, this recommendation received the unanimous support of our Board of Trustees on April 19, 2017 to become a Sanctuary Support Congregation,

THEREFORE, we, the members of Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, do agree to join the New Sanctuary Movement as a Sanctuary Support Congregation.

THEREFORE, we, the members of Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church, do agree to join the New Sanctuary Movement as a Sanctuary Support Congregation. In doing so, at such time as we partner with another congregation involved in physical Sanctuary, we will share in providing financial support for the person/persons in Sanctuary, we will share in providing for the physical and emotional needs of the person/persons in Sanctuary, and, we will share in the organizational management and advocacy required to sustain the person/persons in Sanctuary.