It is Sunday morning and if you are a Lutheran you need to have a talk with your pastor—ask what is being done in the name of your faith in Washington.
Here we learn that Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) helped put on a two day lobbying initiative in Washington. Did they do it on your dime?
Before you read on, have a look at the most recently available Form 990 for LIRS. They took in $48,392,082 in gifts and grants and $46,414,735 (p.9) was from GOVERNMENT GRANTS (TAXPAYER DOLLARS!)—that is 96% funded by you. They have at least six employees in the six-figure salary range! See LIRS ritzy Inner Harbor of Baltimore headquarters, here.
Here is the news from Washington:
On October 26–27, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) brought together over 30 Lutheran bishops, pastors, service partners, and leaders for the annual Lutheran Immigration Leadership Summit (LILS). This event draws leaders who commit themselves and their communities to the mission of welcoming migrants and refugees. This year, LILS focused on welcoming refugees in the midst of the global refugee crisis.
Advocacy Training Day
LILS kicked off with a day of in-depth advocacy training led by noteworthy experts and advocates. LIRS staff prepared participants to call on Congress and the Administration to champion positive refugee resettlement legislation, protect families by rejecting the practice of family detention, and invest in robust resources for refugees. The day drew to a close with a dinner reception that included remarks from Robert Carey, Director for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, who praised and inspired LILS participants for their dedicated work. [By the way, Carey came to his government job from a VPs perch at another federal refugee contractor, International Rescue Committee. They keep it (the flow of your money) all in the family!—ed]
Read all about their Hill visits and then this when they had an audience at the White House:
….and delivered petitions from thousands of Lutherans asking for the resettlement of more Syrian refugees.
More here if you can stand it!
No where is it reported that they make all those millions of dollars from resettling refugees where they are paid by the head (by the US State Department) to do it.
Nor is it mentioned that 97% of the Syrians resettled in the US so far are Sunni Muslims.
We are not saving the Syrian Christians because the UNHCR is picking our refugees and he told an audience in Washington recently (we were there) that Syrian Christians are not being persecuted and are not in need of protection (I kid you not!).
***Update*** If Christian Syrians aren’t being persecuted why are hundreds of them in Jordan being taken care of by one priest, here.
Therefore….LIRS is lobbying for Syrian Muslims to be resettled in your towns. Go here to see where LIRS works. Is your city one of their targets?
More on Nystrom and the “cash leeches” here by Rick Wells.