A NEW resource to help churches to welcome and support migrants, refugees, and displaced people has been launched by the Anglican Alliance.
The pack, People on the Move, has been released in partnership with United Nations (UN) advocacy representatives from the Anglican Communion Office.
The Anglican Alliance, which was established after the 2008 Lambeth Conference, is an umbrella group for development, relief, and advocacy work across the Anglican Communion.
A press release from the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) said that the resource had been developed in response to the international refugee and migration crises, which, it said, are “seeing more people on the move than at any time in recorded history”.
In 2024, there were an estimated 300 million migrants — including about 42.5 million refugees — globally, the ACO said. “Displacement, whether within countries or across borders, is driven by conflict, climate-related disasters, persecution, and poverty, leaving millions facing profound uncertainty and hardship.”
The press release continued: “People on the Move brings together practical guidance for churches and church leaders, covering areas including mental health, legal considerations, communication, theology of migration, pastoral and spiritual care, safeguarding against exploitation, child-specific support and advocacy.” It is soon to be available in Spanish, Arabic, and French.
The executive director of the Anglican Alliance, Rob Dawes, said: “In today’s global context, migration is increasing at an unprecedented rate, driven by a complex mix of factors including climate change, conflict, rising poverty, and reductions in international aid. Across the Anglican Communion, churches are responding with compassion and courage, offering sanctuary, practical assistance, and spiritual care to those forced to flee their homes.”
The Anglican Communion Office UN representative, the Revd Michael French, said that the resource “will equip churches across the Anglican Communion to support refugees, migrants, and internally displaced people in their local communities, offering practical guidance rooted in compassion, dignity, and justice”.