Borders & Belonging is a half-day forum wrestling with the biblical tension of balancing secure borders and the rule of law with welcoming the stranger and protecting the vulnerable.
As Christians engage the complexity and disruption of global migration, we must find ways to live in the balance of what Scripture teaches: that nations and borders are part of how God orders human life, and that the church has an obligation to care for the immigrant and to use its voice to advocate for just policy.
Recognizing that neither the “deport them all” crowd nor the “open borders” advocates offer solutions that align with biblical principles, this forum wrestles with scriptural teaching, thoughtful policy, and the lived experience of immigrant neighbors to help Christians think faithfully and act well on immigration, holding law and love together as the Bible shows us.
At this forum, you will engage the topic from three perspectives: Bible, Policy, and Neighbor.
- Bible: Wrestle with a biblical framework that affirms the legitimacy of borders and the rule of law while calling the church to care for the sojourner and to advocate for a society that treats all people with dignity.
- Policy: Understand the policy principles and current proposals shaping U.S. immigration.
- Neighbor: Hear directly from immigrant neighbors, including brothers and sisters in the faith, whose lives are shaped by our nation’s laws and by the church’s welcome.
Event Schedule
Sesson 1 | Redemptive Imagination and Immigration (Dr. Carlos Téllez)
Session 2 | Holding Law and Love Together on U.S. Immigration Policy (Steve Eng)
Session 3 | Immigrant Voices (Panel facilitated by Kara Stromberg)
Dig Deeper: Conversation Breakouts
- Extending the Welcome (Wendy Meyering)
- Evangelicals and Immigration (Dr. Carlos Téllez)
- Legal Pathways (Emily Téllez)
- When Faith Takes Action (Steve Eng)
Partners helping to organize this forum include:
- Evangelical churches and denominations seeking to faithfully engage this topic.
- The National Association of Evangelicals and Transform Minnesota, networks that have developed and embraced biblical principles to guide immigration policy.
- Arrive Ministries, whose mission, in partnership with the local church, is to live out God’s command to welcome refugees and immigrants.
Dr. Carlos Téllez
Dr. Téllez earned his undergraduate degree in church planting from the Sembrar Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. He earned an MA and MDiv from Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. He received a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Dr. Téllez has been involved in a variety of ministries in the US and Latin America, including cross-cultural missions, preaching, music, youth, children and church planting. He has served in various types of churches ranging from suburban megachurches to immigrant churches to multiethnic urban churches. Dr. Téllez has also served at higher education institutions in the United States as Director of Global Initiatives, Dean of Chapel, and as a full-time faculty member, among others.
Steve Eng
Steve Eng serves as advocacy director for the National Association of Evangelicals, equipping pastors, nonprofit leaders and ministry leaders to exercise their God-given influence for the good of their communities and nation — rooted in the NAE’s foundational framework, “For the Health of the Nation.” An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, Eng brings both a shepherd’s heart and a seasoned policy voice to his work. He has spoken at more than 150 events nationwide and regularly engages leaders and legislators on Capitol Hill. Eng holds a degree in political science from St. Olaf College and an M.Div. from North Park Theological Seminary.
Kara Stromberg
Kara Stromberg serves as Superintendent for the Northwest Conference, constitutionally the “Pastor and Chief Executive Officer of the NWC and its mission.” Kara works in the areas of leadership development, clergy support, strategic planning, conflict resolution, administrative and strategic staff oversight, and with churches in the pastoral search process.
Wendy Meyering
Wendy Meyering is the Executive Director of Engagement and Operations at Arrive Ministries, a nonprofit providing essential services to refugees and immigrants in Minnesota. She has been with the organization for the past 10 years, holding various roles including leading Church Mobilization programs and the development of regional sites in Willmar, St. Cloud, and Rochester. She values the opportunity to connect the local church with new neighbors living in their communities.