Domestic violence, immigration ‘important’ issues to address

Domestic violence is a problem that should not only concern the church but also could have legal repercussions if the church ignores it.

That assessment was offered by Steve Walley, director of Service Alive Ministries in Talladega, during the 40th annual Human Relations Conference (see story, this page).

"The church has been absolutely silent on the issue of domestic violence," Walley said. "It is time for us to say this issue matters."

Pointing to statistics from 2006, he noted there were 26,000 cases of domestic violence in Alabama that year. Walley added those cases involved families from all races, socioeconomic classes, education levels and professions. He said many people are uncomfortable with the subject and as a result, churches often look away when they suspect domestic violence in a home.

"This is an issue that crosses every barrier we have," Walley said. "It’s a cultural problem, it’s a societal problem and yes, it’s a church problem."

He encouraged attendees not to be afraid to ask questions if they suspect domestic violence in a home and rebuked churches that are more concerned with offending members than addressing the problem. "We’re afraid that tithe will go somewhere else," Walley said.

He also predicted legal liability in the future for churches that do not address the problem.

Meeting the needs of immigrants is also a matter Christians should be concerned about, said Mo Sessions, chairman of the Hispanic mission committee at First Baptist Church, Enterprise, in Coffee Baptist Association.

While employers should be focused on the legal status of immigrants, he said that shouldn’t be important to churches.

"I think it’s important for us as Christians to love people wherever they come from," he said. "We need to worry about their spiritual status."

He said the Bible mentions kindness to strangers in several passages.

According to Sessions, the two biggest challenges in reaching immigrants with the gospel are language barriers and their transient nature. This is particularly true of Hispanic immigrants. (TAB)