This past Sunday, Hillsong New York senior pastor Carl Lentz waded right in and addressed the controversy over President Trump’s temporary refugee ban, calling on all of his congregants to stand together and pray for refugees.
“If you are new to our church this isn’t a political thing its a family thing. Its the government’s job to create laws to protect our country,” and then adding that the primary job of the church is to “love” others.
“We do need reforms. We do need things to change. But its the churches job to not see where you are from, not see the color of your skin, to not see what you have in your possession, to love you simply from the fact that we have been loved.”
The NYC megachurch pastor’s stance comes after controversy broke late last week when President Trump issued an executive order temporarily stopping immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.
Trump’s order went into effect on Saturday. But shortly after it did, a Federal New York judge issued an emergency stay to halt the removal of individuals detained under it, The Hill reported.
WATCH: Powerful Video Shows How Christians REALLY Feel About Refugees
Pastors and churches across the nation are beginning to weigh in on the issue, including Hillsong. In a short video Lentz said, “Today we are going to stand together and we are going to pray for the refugee.”
WATCH:
He continues with, “We are going to pray for the ostracized. We are going to pray for those who have no where else to go. Nobody to put the roof over their head. Nobody that will open the door.”
The 12:30 service is getting started! There's still time to make it to church. We'll see you soon!
311 W 34th Street
5PM | 7:30PM pic.twitter.com/vCOboW0lwY— Hillsong NYC (@hillsongNYC) January 29, 2017
Outside of the direct statement provided over the weekend, Hillsong NYC has a refugee response on their current website that states that this issues is “something we simply cannot ignore.”
The webpage calls on all Christians to love on Syrian refugees who have been displaced at high numbers due to the ongoing battle between opposition forces and President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Syrian Refugee Camp in Greece Braces For “Looming Disaster”
The church specifically said, “We believe that as the Church, the body of Jesus Christ, we must respond” and placed a call for global prayers.
The global Hillsong house of worship based in Australia is asking those to use hashtag #middayBabymidday when they are praying.
Here are a few Twitter users that have shared their response:
Praying for peace to reign and against ethnic/religious violence in the region. #middaybabymidday #coloursisterhoodfightclub
— Colour Sisterhood (@COLOURsistahood) December 29, 2016
#middaybabymidday praying for persecuted women around the world at noon your time everyday!
— Amanda Schwab (@AmandaSSchwab) January 16, 2017
BBC News – Syria suspends Aleppo evacuations, blaming rebels.. https://t.co/d0Pl5BGzoz. #MiddayBabyMidday #PrayForAleppo
— LORNA (@lo_zipporah) December 16, 2016
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