How can a pastor minister to a congregation of illegal immigrants?

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The following is an edited transcript of the audio.

How can a pastor minister the truth in love to a congregation made up almost entirely of illegal immigrants?

I should have studied more for this one. I don't know any of these questions are coming. I have a big paper at home on my to-be-read pile from a pastor about this.

I think we love them by working toward a solution at the macro level.

The complexities of family relationships and work relationships, and the intricacies of the legalities of it all are such that I'm hesitant to give just a quick sweeping answer that you should call up the police and get 'em all back to Mexico.

Rather, I think you want them—you want them to take those steps.

And so I think I would want to say, "You know, God would be pleased if you were submissive to the authorities. And we want very much to get things to a point where submission to the authorities will mean you are being treated fairly, helpfully, and durably here."

So I think I would move at those two levels. I would say to them, "I think you should move in truth. You should speak to the authorities about your situation. And you should—we should, we should as a people, labor at the macro level to bring a solution to this that isn't simply deportation."

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