The Episcopal Church in Arizona

Border Issues and Immigration Program Group

Mission Statement

The mission of this program group is as follows:

•To Educate Episcopalians about the realities of immigrants, migrants, and refugees by providing them with retreats, workshops, resources

• To Advocate for broad humane immigration reform by visits to legislators, making people aware of the Public Policy Network of the Episcopal Church, and working alongside the (AIN) Arizona Interfaith Network, (PCIC) Pima County Interfaith Council, and (VIN) Valley Interfaith Network

• To Empower people on both sides of the USA/Mexican Border to live into our Baptismal vows (Book of Common Prayer - page 305) to "..strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being..."

• To Provide Experiential opportunities to learn more about border and immigration issues through the various ministries already taking place through several churches in the Diocese, such as

Clinics on the Border - Naco Clinic, Nogales Clinic, etc.
Trips and Pilgrimages - St. Andrews, Nogales takes groups across the Border to Hermosillo to experience work days (Contact The Rev. Lucie Thomas); St. Johns, Bisbee takes trips to key places across the border (Contact The Rev. Seth Polley); Cathedral Health Services also provides experiential learning opportunities across the border (Contact The Rev. John Mather)
Other opportunities are made available through groups such as Humane Borders at humaneborders.org and No More Deaths at nomoredeaths.org.
Calendar of upcoming events are usually posted on the Diocesan Calendar page

Borderline Faults
by Sharon Sinclair

Will there be any borders in Heaven
Like man has designed here on Earth,
Will the Christians or Muslims or Hindus
Stake claims to the land of rebirth?

Will the Jewish, the Seikhs or the Buddists
Build fences to keep out the souls
Who might ask for a share of the riches
From streets that are paved with pure gold?

Will there be any borders in Heaven
Will passports record all our prayers,
Will the angels examine our baggage
And ask us to "Step over there"?

Will God classify each by a country,
Or judge by the colour of skin,
Or assess by the languages spoken,
Or rank by the number of sins?

There won't be any borders in Heaven
Reflecting our bank account's size,
For equality's realm has no boundaries
In the borderless, beautiful sky.

On the Earth every person's a boarder,
And ownership's not what it seems,
For we all only lease our belongings,
And cling to our hopes and our dreams.

Just imagine a world with no borders,
Where everyone's free to explore,
And to live where we choose with a freedom
That often we seem to ignore.

Perhaps we should tear down the borders
And welcome our brothers to share
Opportunities we have been given
And riches that cannot compare.

For good luck is a matter of balance
That can tip with the turn of the tide,
And positions of privilege alter
With the winds of indifference and pride.

And one day we may find ourselves longing
For a place we can never attain,
Where we'd risk everything for one moment
In a land with less struggle and pain.

Let us try to expand our horizons
Enlarge both our hearts and our minds,
Before each of us faces the boundary
That closes the border called Time.

This poem was written in response to border issues between Mexico and the United States of America.

It is dedicated to the volunteers of the Naco Migrant Resource Centre and to similar organizations who channel their compassion into practical assistance, guided by the belief that "God Has No Borders."

For further information you may contact:

The Rev. Seth Poley, Program Convenor
St. John's
19 Sowle Street
Bisbee, AZ 85603
(520) 432-7006
stjohnbisbee@cableone.net

The Rev. Canon Carmen Guerrero, Staff Liaison
Diocese of Arizona
114 W. Roosevelt St.
Phoenix, AZ 85340
(602) 254-0976
Carmen@azdiocese.org