Mennonite Weekly Review

WAXAHACHIE, Texas — When Christians talk about immigration, the conversation is not necessarily Christ-like. M. Daniel Carroll Rodas wants to bring the Bible into the debate.

Carroll

Carroll will be the keynote speaker at a Christian conversation about immigration Sept. 18-20. “And You Welcomed Me: A Consultation of the People of God on Immigration” will be held at the Lakeview Camp and Conference Center near Dallas. Mennonite Mission Network, Executive Leadership of Mennonite Church USA and Western District Conference are planning the event.

Carroll is a distinguished professor of Old Testament at Denver Seminary, where he founded the Spanish-speaking training program. His most recent book is Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church and the Bible. He also teaches at El Seminario Teológico Centroamericano (Central American Theological Seminary) in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Although his mother is Guatemalan and he grew up around immigrants, it wasn’t until Carroll returned from Guatemala to teach in Denver that he began to really examine immigration issues.

His conversations on immigration with other Christians often focused on topics such as on economics and language. So, he wondered what a Christian, biblical conversation would look like.

“What I want to do is walk people through how much the Bible has to say about migrant peoples, and give them tools and teaching to take home,” Carroll said. “This issue is about not only trying to pass constructive legislation, but also trying to change people’s hearts.”

There will also be seminars on immigration law, advocacy, education, and mental health with leaders Miriam Cardenas, Jennifer Dorrie and Jodi Read of Mennonite Central Committee West Coast; and Gilberto Perez, a mental health professional based in Goshen, Ind.

Early-bird registration ends Aug. 25. Full registration ends Sept. 1. Registration is available in English and Spanish.