Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), the refugee resettlement and migration ministry of The Episcopal Church, announces the awarding of Rainbow Asylum Ministry grants, designed to bolster programs dedicated to serving LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. The $3,000 grants are funded with support from the United Thank Offering.

The congregations and communities selected to receive the grants are participants in EMM’s Rainbow Initiative, formed in response to a 2022 General Convention resolution directing the church to promote support for LGBTQ+ people forced to seek refugee or asylee status.

Rainbow Initiative Congregations/Communities—which currently number 29 in the U.S. and Europe—vary in their approach: Some offer housing, basic necessities, or direct support services; others focus on community education, fundraising, or advocacy.

Rainbow Asylum Ministry grants were awarded to the following:

• Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, St. Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church, Rome, Italy
• RISA (Rainbow Initiative at St. Anna’s), St. Anna’s Episcopal Church, New
  Orleans, Louisiana
• St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Portland, Oregon
• Rio Grande Borderland Ministry, El Paso, Texas

In addition to financial support, each grantee will receive personalized training, technical assistance, and participation in an EMM-led learning community.

“We are thrilled to enhance our support and training for these essential ministries within our church, which are dedicated to serving the most vulnerable among us,” EMM Director Sarah Shipman said.

Find a map of Rainbow Initiative Congregations/Communities, as well as resources to get involved, on the Rainbow Initiative webpage.

Learn more about Episcopal Migration Ministries.