At the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church, bishops and deputies joined together to adopt Resolution C031 Migration with Dignity, a resolution advocating a framework to guide ministry to migrants called Migration with Dignity (MWD).[i] Before General Convention 12 dioceses and Province V had already adopted this same framework and an additional diocese has endorsed the framework since General Convention. While the framework itself originated in the field of environmental law with key influences from the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it came into the Episcopal Church through grassroots efforts at the congregational level to support migrant neighbors. Episcopalians already engaged in this practical ministry in their local context found the MWD framework to be a useful statement of principle to explain “what they were for” in relation to the heavily politicized topic of immigration. Moreover, they saw the framework as a guide to shape future ministry at the local, diocesan, and national levels in line with the TEC Baptismal Covenant. As such, MWD is an example of operative ecclesiology; in response to local pastoral concerns, its promoters contribute to the shape of Anglican identity by foregrounding care for “the stranger” as a key component of Episcopal life.
Recently, theologian Jesse Zink highlighted migration as one of three interlocking crises that must be addressed by The Episcopal Church.[ii] Since the beginning of the second Trump Administration, a flurry of executive orders and other policy actions has only increased the urgency around migration and migration ministries. Despite these new orders curtailing the work of resettlement agencies like Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) and the general anti-immigrant rhetoric that preceded the election, Episcopalians continue to undertake ministry and advocacy in the spirit of the MWD framework: the Episcopal Migration Caucus, which formed at General Convention to support the MWD resolution, released two statements imploring Episcopalians to act on behalf of immigrant communities; Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe and President of the House of Deputies Julia Ayala Harris issued a joint letter reiterating the Episcopal Church’s commitment to migration ministry; at the Service of Prayer for the Nation, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde directly asked President Trump to have mercy upon fearful immigrant families; parishes across the country observed Migration with Dignity Sunday on January 26, 2025; various diocesan bishops have written pastoral letters reaffirming the dignity of all human beings; and EMM continues to convene the Episcopal Migration Response Network to assist Episcopalians involved in migration ministries. All of these actions illustrate dedication to the basic principles enshrined in MWD, showing how the framework resonates with current priorities of the Episcopal Church.
In this paper, I take up the Migration with Dignity framework, documenting its emergence as a Anglican baptismal ecclesiological response to local concerns and placing it in conversation with broader theologies of migration, including recent works by Glenn Butner and Daniel Groody.[iii] Hailing Zink’s call to address migration as Episcopalians rooted in a place,[iv] I then show how the MWD framework already takes shape in practice by highlighting the ongoing work of ministry efforts in the Diocese of Texas. Finally, drawing on the scholarship of Miguel de la Torre, I introduce a possibility that could expand the scope of MWD beyond charity and towards justice: wealth redistribution from Anglo-centric parishes to parishes with majority immigrant populations.[v] Episcopalians concerned for the welfare of their migrant neighbors can certainly amplify human dignity and provide hospitality, but they can also advocate for a just redistribution of wealth that seeks to make amends for injustices that cause migration and affect migrating individuals.
[i] The 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church, “C031 - Migration with Dignity,” https://www.vbinder.net/resolutions/683/finalization?house=HB&lang=en.
[ii] Jesse Zink, Faithful, Creative, Hopeful: Fifteen Theses for Christians in a Crisis-Shaped World (New York: Church Publishing, 2024), x.
[iii] Glenn Butner, Jr., Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity (Minneapolis, Fortress, 2023); Daniel G. Groody, A Theology of Migration: The Bodies of Refugees and the Body of Christ (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2022).
[iv] Cf. Zink, 101-23.
[v] Miguel de la Torre, “Why Do They Come?”, Slater-Willson Lecture 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU8D-b3tcuU.
The Episcopal Church recently adopted a framework to guide migration ministry called Migration with Dignity which exemplifies operative ecclesiology. In response to pastoral concerns, Episcopalians engaged in practical/congregational ministry with immigrants have contributed to Anglican identity formation by foregrounding stranger care as a key implication of the Baptismal Covenant with ramifications extending to the diocesan and national levels. Relatedly, Jesse Zink has highlighted migration as one of three interlocking crises that must be addressed by Episcopalians. Thus, in this paper I take up MWD to address this pressing issue, documenting its emergence as a baptismal ecclesiological response to local concern and placing it in conversation with broader theologies of migration. Additionally, I illustrate the shape of MWD in practice by highlighting efforts in the Diocese of Texas. Finally, drawing from Miguel de la Torre, I introduce the possibility expanding the scope of MWD to include wealth retribution to immigrant parishes.