November 5, 2026
Not Just on Sunday
Lonetta McKee
Print edition2017
Welcome the Immigrant
Welcome the Immigrant | Christian Standard, March 2017 explores immigration, refugees, refugee ministry, and the church’s call to welcome the stranger with biblical compassion.
- Issue
- March 2017
- Volume
- CLII
- Number
- 3
- Published in
- Cincinnati, OH
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About this issue
Welcome the Immigrant | Christian Standard, March 2017 is a focused issue on immigration, refugees, and the church’s responsibility to respond with biblical conviction, compassion, and practical care. Built around the cover theme “Welcome the Immigrant,” this issue gathers Scripture-based teaching, legal and policy explanation, ministry stories, and local church examples that help readers think carefully and act faithfully.
The visible feature lineup begins with Kevin Lines’s articles on what the Bible says about immigration and refugees, followed by practical guidance for churches that want to help immigrants in their communities. Additional articles explain refugee resettlement, define key immigration terms, and explore how Christians can serve through legal advocacy, prayer, friendship, and hospitality. Gayla Congdon writes on welcoming the stranger, Justin Horey interviews immigration attorney Land Wayland, Kelsey McKain tells the story of befriending an Iraqi couple in Louisville, and Doug Priest highlights evangelistic opportunities in today’s global diaspora.
The issue also includes a multi-article section on refugee ministry in local churches across Indiana, Arizona, Maryland, Kentucky, and Illinois, showing how congregations are moving from concern to action. Beyond the cover theme, visible contents address leadership failure, women who feel devalued, the cultural lessons churches can learn from retail, preaching, and Christian response to society’s outcasts.
For readers researching immigration and refugee ministry, Welcome the Immigrant | Christian Standard, March 2017 offers a substantial snapshot of how churches were being called to welcome the stranger with truth, mercy, and gospel-centered service.
Table of contents
1 | From the Editor
Leonard Wymore
Mark A. Taylor
6 | 4C’s
Milligan, Stadia Partner Together
10 | Seen and Heard
“Embracing” struggles = mental health.
12 | What Does the Bible Say?
Immigration and refugees in Scripture.
Kevin Lines
16 | What You Can Do
There are many opportunities to help immigrants.
Kevin Lines
18 | Questions and Answers about Refugees and Resettlement
Laying out the facts—national and international.
Kevin Lines
21 | Close to God’s Heart
A Christian law practice helping immigrants.
Bethany Anderson
23 | Welcoming the Stranger
“Love them as yourself. . . .”
Gayla Congdon
25 | Taxi Drivers, Refugees, and Other Good Reasons to Pray
Taxis are opening doors to a refugee population.
Kevin Dooley
28 | A Christian Perspective on Immigration
A conversation with attorney Land Wayland.
Justin Horey
30 | My Refugee Friends
Befriending an Iraqi couple in Louisville.
Kelsey McKain
32 | The New Diaspora
Evangelistic opportunities are multiplying.
Doug Priest
35-43 | Our Ministry to Refugees
Leaders write about local church efforts in Indiana, Arizona, Maryland, Kentucky, and Illinois.
44 | Why Leaders Fail
Dan Schantz
48 | At His Table
Surveying the wondrous cross.
50 | From My Bookshelf
Good funerals, good neighbors.
51 | Ministry Today
Many women are feeling devalued.
53 | Culture Watch
What struggling retail means for churches.
Joe Boyd
55 | Preaching
Leaders tell about a sermon they can’t forget.
56 | In Opinions, Liberty
Identifying with society’s outcasts.
60 | Best Practices
How social media is hurting your ministry.
64 | A Different Tune
Job’s suffering is an example for Christians.
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