UK: Hundreds of churches rally to welcome Ukrainian refugees

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Over 500 UK churches have joined a partnership of churches, charities, and other agencies to welcome, host, and help Ukrainian refugees arriving in Britain from the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Christian Today reports.

Titled the Sanctuary Foundation, the partnership is led by prominent adoption advocate Dr. Krish Kandiah. Kandiah has led the Welcome Churches and Afghan Welcome initiatives which help people arriving in Britain from Hong Kong and Afghanistan, CT reports.

Kandiah is also the director of Home for Good, a charity that seeks to find loving homes for vulnerable children in the British foster care system.

The vision for the Sanctuary Foundation is for the UK to become “a sanctuary for those fleeing injustice and war,” Christian Today said. Aside from hosting, Britons are being encouraged that they can help other ways too, including by finding and furnishing accommodation, or financially supporting refugee families, or volunteering to help refugees with integration.

More than 2,000 businesses, churches, and individual people have promised to help through the foundation so far, Christian Today reports. Among these is St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford. “The Bible is clear that welcoming the stranger is part of our calling as Christians,” St Ebbe’s Rector Vaughan Roberts said in a statement.

“Therefore @StEbbesChurch is delighted to pledge to be a community sponsor to support a Ukrainian family to come to the UK. We urge you to pledge to sponsor a family too,” Roberts added.

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