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Presiding Bishop, Episcopal bishops offer support to President’s Immigration Executive Action

January 12, 2015
Office of Public Affairs

One hundred Episcopal Church bishops have joined Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in welcoming President Obama’s decision to offer relief from deportation to millions of undocumented community members and to reform certain harmful immigration enforcement policies.

“I give thanks for President Obama’s announcement that nearly five million undocumented immigrants will soon be eligible for relief from the threat of deportation,” the letter states.

In the statement, the Presiding Bishop and the bishops call upon the 114th Congress and the Obama Administration to work together to implement the executive orders quickly, fairly, and inclusively, and ask that Congress and the Administration continue to work together in pursuit of just and permanent solutions to our nation’s broken immigration system. 

The statement will be sent to members of the 114th Congress and to the White House.

The statement and the signatories follow:

Together with families and communities across the United States, I give thanks for President Obama’s announcement that nearly five million undocumented immigrants will soon be eligible for relief from the threat of deportation. Too many families have lived for too long continually worried about parents being separated from children, wage-earners and caregivers from those who depend on them, and unable to participate fully in their communities and the nation’s economy.  Permanent and comprehensive reform of our broken immigration system through congressional action is still urgently needed, but the President’s action is a constructive step toward a system that honors the dignity and intrinsic value of every human being.  It will immediately strengthen our nation’s communities by allowing immigrant families much fuller participation in American civic and economic life.  
 

The Episcopal Church will work with Congressional leaders and the White House to press for implementation of the President’s plan as quickly, fairly, and inclusively as possible.  The President’s plan is not perfect.  Some deserving persons and families are excluded, meaning that additional work lies ahead.  All persons equally deserve the ability to pursue their dreams and contribute to their communities and families with liberty, dignity, and freedom.  I pray that the President’s action will lead our nation toward a future in which those sacred possibilities are open to all.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

The Right Rev. Stacy F. Sauls
Chief Operating Officer

The Episcopal Church

The Right Rev. James B. Magness

Bishop Suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries


Arizona

The Right Rev. Kirk Stevan Smith, Ph.D, D. D.

Bishop of Arizona

Arkansas

The Right Rev. Larry Benfield

Bishop of Arkansas

California

The Right Rev. Marc Andrus

Bishop of California

The Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno, D.D.

Bishop of Los Angeles

The Right Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce

Bishop Suffragan of Los Angeles

The Right Rev. Mary D. Glasspool

Bishop Suffragan of Los Angeles

The Right Rev. Frederick H. Borsch

V Bishop of Los Angeles

The Right Rev. Barry L. Beisner

Bishop of Northern California

The Right Rev. James R. Mathes

Bishop of San Diego

The Right Rev. David C. Rice

Bishop of San Joaquin

Colorado

The Right Rev. Robert O’Neill

Bishop of Colorado

Connecticut

The Right Rev. Andrew D. Smith

XIV Bishop of Connecticut

The Right Rev. James E. Curry

Bishop Suffragan of Connecticut (Ret)

Delaware

The Right Rev. Wayne P. Wright

Bishop of Delaware

District of Columbia

The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde

Bishop of Washington

The Right Rev. John Bryson Chane

VIII Bishop of Washington

Florida

The Right Rev. William H. Folwell

II Bishop of Central Florida

The Right Rev. Philip M. Duncan II, D.Min.

Bishop of the Central Gulf Coast

The Right Rev. Leo Frade

Bishop of Southeast Florida

The Right Rev. John L. Said

Bishop Suffragan of Southeast Florida (Ret)

The Right Rev. Rogers S. Harris 

III Bishop of Southwest Florida

The Right Rev. J. Michael Garrison

Assisting Bishop of Southwest Florida

(X Bishop of Western New York)

The Right Rev. Barry R. Howe  

Assisting Bishop of Southwest Florida

(VII Bishop of West Missouri)

Georgia

The Right Rev. Robert Christopher Wright

Bishop of Atlanta

Hawaii

The Right Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick

Bishop of Hawaii and the Episcopal Church in Micronesia

The Right Rev. Richard S.O. Chang

X Bishop of Hawaii

Idaho

The Right Rev. Brian Thom

Bishop of Idaho

Illinois

The Right Rev. C. Christopher Epting

Assisting Bishop of Chicago

(VII Bishop of Iowa)

The Right Rev. Jeffrey Lee

Bishop of Chicago
 

Indiana

The Right Rev. Catherine Waynick

Bishop of Indianapolis

Kansas

The Right Rev. Dean E. Wolfe

Vice President of the House of Bishops, Bishop of Kansas 

The Right Rev. William E. Smalley

VIII Bishop of Kansas

Kentucky

The Right Rev. David B. Reed

VI Bishop of Kentucky

The Right Rev. Douglas Hahn, D. Min.

Bishop of Lexington

Maine

The Right Rev. Stephen T. Lane

Bishop of Maine

Maryland

The Right Rev. Martin G. Townsend

IX Bishop of Easton

The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton

Bishop of Maryland

Massachusetts

The Right Rev. Bud Cederholm

Bishop Suffragan of Massachusetts (Ret)

The Right Rev. Douglas Fisher

Bishop of Western Massachusetts

The Right Rev. Gordon P. Scruton

VIII Bishop of Western Massachusetts

Michigan

The Right Rev. Todd Ousley

Bishop of Eastern Michigan

The Right Rev. Dr. Edwin M. Leidel, Jr.

I Bishop of Eastern Michigan

The Right Rev. Wendell N. Gibbs, Jr.

Bishop of Michigan

The Right Rev. R Stewart Wood, Jr.

IX Bishop of Michigan

The Right Rev. Rayford Ray

Bishop of Northern Michigan

Minnesota

The Right Rev. Brian N. Prior

Bishop of Minnesota

Missouri

The Right Rev. Hays Rockwell

IX Bishop of Missouri

The Right Rev. Martin S. Field

Bishop of West Missouri

Montana

The Right Rev. Charles I. Jones, DD

VIII Bishop of Montana

Navajoland Area Mission

The Right Rev. David E. Bailey

Bishop of Navajoland Area Mission

Nebraska

The Right Rev. Joe Goodwin Burnett

X Bishop of Nebraska

New Hampshire

The Right Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld

Bishop of New Hampshire

The Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson

IX Bishop of New Hampshire

New Jersey

The Right Rev. Mark M. Beckwith

Bishop of Newark

The Right Rev. William H. (Chip) Stokes

Bishop of New Jersey

New Mexico

The Right Rev. Dr. Michael Louis Vono

Bishop of the Rio Grande

New York

The Right Rev. Gladstone B. Adams III

Bishop of Central New York

The Right Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano

Bishop of Long Island

The Right Rev. Chilton Knudsen

Assisting Bishop of Long Island

 (VII Bishop of Maine)

The Right Rev. Prince G. Singh

Bishop of Rochester

The Right Rev. Jack M. McKelvey

VII Bishop of Rochester

North Carolina

The Right Rev. Michael Bruce Curry

Bishop of North Carolina                  

The Right Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple

Bishop Suffragan of North Carolina

The Right Rev. J. Gary Gloster

Bishop Suffragan of North Carolina (Ret)

The Right Rev. G. Porter Taylor

Bishop of Western North Carolina

The Right Rev. Robert Johnson

V Bishop of Western North Carolina

North Dakota

The Right Rev. Harold A. Hopkins, Jr.

IX Bishop of North Dakota

Ohio

The Right Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.

Bishop of Ohio

The Right Rev. David C. Bowman

Assisting Bishop of Ohio

 (IX Bishop of Western New York)

The Right Rev. William D. Persell

Assisting Bishop of Ohio

 (XI Bishop of Chicago)

The Right Rev. Arthur B. Williams, Jr.

Bishop Suffragan of Ohio (Ret)

The Right Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal

Bishop of Southern Ohio

Oregon

The Right Rev. Bavi Edna Rivera

Provisional Bishop of Eastern Oregon

The Right Rev. William O. Gregg, Ph.D.

VI Bishop of Eastern Oregon

The Right Rev. Michael J. Hanley

Bishop of Oregon

Pennsylvania

The Right Rev. Robert R. Gepert

Provisional Bishop of Central Pennsylvania

The Right Rev. Nathan D. Baxter

X Bishop of Central Pennsylvania

The Right Rev. Charlie F. McNutt, Jr.

VIII Bishop of Central Pennsylvania

The Right Rev. Clifton Daniel

Bishop of Pennsylvania

(VII Bishop of East Carolina)

The Right Rev. Charles E. Bennison, Jr.

XV Bishop of Pennsylvania

The Right Rev. Allen Bartlett

XIV Bishop of Pennsylvania

The Right Rev. Rodney R. Michel

Assisting Bishop of Pennsylvania

 (Bishop Suffragan of Long Island (Ret))

The Right Rev. Edward L. Lee, Jr.

Assisting Bishop of Pennsylvania

 (VII Bishop of Western Michigan)

Rhode Island

The Right Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely

Bishop of Rhode Island

South Carolina

The Right Rev. W. Andrew Waldo

Bishop of Upper South Carolina

Tennessee

The Right Rev. George D. Young, III

Bishop of East Tennessee 

The Right Rev. Don E. Johnson

Bishop of West Tennessee

The Right Rev. James M. Coleman

II Bishop of West Tennessee

Texas

The Right Rev. Rayford B. High, Jr.

Provisional Bishop of Fort Worth

The Right Rev. J. Scott Mayer

Bishop of Northwest Texas

The Right Rev. C. Andrew Doyle

Bishop of Texas

Vermont

The Right Rev. Thomas C. Ely

Bishop of Vermont

Virginia

The Right Rev. Frank Neff Powell

V Bishop of Southwestern Virginia

The Right Rev. Susan E. Goff

Bishop Suffragan of Virginia

Washington

The Right Rev. Gregory H. Rickel

Bishop of Olympia

The Right Rev. Sanford Z. K. Hampton

Assisting Bishop of Olympia

The Right Rev. James E. Waggoner, Jr.

Bishop of Spokane

West Virginia

The Right Rev. William Klusmeyer

Bishop of West Virginia

Wyoming

The Right Rev. Bob G. Jones

VII Bishop of Wyoming

Europe

The Right Rev. Pierre W. Whalon

Bishop of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe

Haiti

The Right Rev. Jean Zache Duracin

Bishop of Haiti

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