Refugee & Immigration Ministries

RIM program

Following World War II, the Disciples' refugee program was started in 1949 in an effort to resettle "Displaced Persons" out of Europe, in cooperation with Church World Service. In subsequent years, the program expanded to include the resettlement of refugees from Africa, Asia, the Carribean, and the Middle East. In 1981, the program was broadened to include more than refugee resettlement. Ministries to assist persons with immigration problems were added, and the name of the program became Refugee and Immigration Ministries (RIM). In 2005, the program was again broadened to include response to refugees around the world through various Church World Service projects.

Currently RIM:

• Provides educational material for congregations wanting to learn more about refugee and immigration issues through resource materials and updates;
• Resettles Refugees through the Church World Service (CWS) Immigration and Refugee Program. CWS has a cooperative agreement with the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees into the United States, and RIM resettles 11 percent of the refugees admitted through CWS each year;
• Enables congregations to respond to the needs of refugees around the world through various Church World Service projects for refugees in refugee camps, refugees who have returned home, internally displaced persons, and others.
• Assists congregations in their ministry to persons with immigration problems.
• Supports the Disciples' Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries (SWGSM) on the Texas/Mexico border, and Humane Borders in Arizona;
• Promotes advocacy for the rights of refugees and immigrants.