SUBSCRIBE NOW

SIGHT

Be informed. Be challenged. Be inspired.

“Welcoming the stranger”: UK churches step up to help as refugees begin to enter the UK

Poland Medyka Ukrainian refugees2

GILLIAN MCDADE-HASTINGS reports on how UK churches are responding to the refugee crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine…

County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

“We are challenged by the Biblical command to ‘welcome the stranger’.”

These are the words of Rev Mark Durrell, a Methodist minister based in the seaside town of Bangor in County Down, Northern Ireland. He said when the UK Government announced its Homes For Ukraine scheme, he sat down with his wife Mandy and prayed about what they could do to help the people, mostly women and children, forced to flee to escape shelling and strikes by Russian armed forces. Now, there is a room ready and waiting at Durrell’s Methodist manse.

“Having travelled as itinerant Methodist ministers for seven years now, we have always been amazed at the huge manses we are given to live in,” said Durrell. “There’s always plenty of room – unless, of course, you have a big family. Therefore, when the government announced the Homes For Ukraine scheme, we sat and prayed about what we could do to help the people.”

Poland Medyka Ukrainian refugees2

People walk after crossing Polish border, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the border checkpoint in Medyka, Poland, on 19th March. PICTURE: Reuters/Kacper Pempel.

Churches across the UK have united in condemnation against the violence, calling for prayer and support for refugees and for some Christians, like the Durrells, that has included signing up to Homes for Ukraine. To date more than 130,000 people have signed up the initiative which matches homeowners with displaced people.

Durrell said he was initially apprehensive about inviting strangers into his home, but following prayer, the couple has decided to make that room available. With grown-up children having left the family home, only Durrell and his wife remain along with their dog, Specky, the adopted Staffy. 

UK Northern Ireland Mark and Mandy Durrell

Rev Mark and Mandy Durrell have offered space in their Methodist manse in County Down, Northern Ireland, and are hoping to receive Ukrainian refugees soon. PICTURE: Courtesy.  

The sponsorship scheme enables anyone to offer a room or a house to Ukrainians, but it comes with red tape and scrutiny to ensure the welfare of the participants and refugees. Displaced people travelling to the UK can stay for three years, and they will be able to work and claim benefits. Those offering space will receive a payment of £350 a month, regardless of the number of people they receive, and they must commit to providing six months of free accommodation.

Churches have a long history of supporting refugees, practically, emotionally and spiritually, and with many Ukrainian people traumatised by what they have witnessed, they are equipping themselves so that they can step in and offer help.

Many refugees have fled over the border to Poland or Romania while others have sought refuge in Moldova. As the war shows no signs of abating, other refugees have moved further west, some to join family, others taking the opportunity to set up a new life. Germany has registered more than 200,000 refugees but the true number is thought to be higher as Ukrainians don’t require a visa for arrival in the country.



Back in County Down, Durrell said he and his wife tried to imagine, admittedly with great difficulty, what it would be like to have to flee from their home as a result of war. 

“It was then, we realised that having spent days praying about the situation – was God asking us to be an answer to our own prayers? To go and welcome the ​stranger? As of present, we still don’t have anyone staying with us as we daily navigate the ‘red tape’ of government legislation. Having said that, we have been assured that a person (or persons) will be coming to us very soon: their room is prepared and waiting!” he said.

Durrell admitted his difficulties in coming to terms with sharing space in his prayers to God. 

“God has given us, and the world, a burden for the people of Ukraine – and indeed raised our awareness of the plight of those fleeing from Syria and Afghanistan,” he said.

He said churches in Bangor, County Down, are collaborating to discover how best they can assist refugees in the coming weeks. 

“I consider this to be God moving us away from an inward focus to outward mission in the world. And, furthermore, we are challenged by the Biblical command to ‘welcome the stranger’.”

Durrell said as one of many who have been born into – and lived through – the Northern Ireland Troubles, he became somewhat desensitised to the violence. 

“Two decades of civil peace and some political progress has turned our eyes out towards the traumatic events happening around the world. And so, we have spent every evening watching the news since the invasion of Ukraine, with our hearts breaking. This senseless violence is destroying life and tearing families apart…

“All said, we are heart-broken about what is happening to Ukraine and its people. They need us and we cannot allow ourselves to become desensitised to what is happening. Even so, our hearts are gladdened by the response to this crisis as more people, in Northern Ireland, are offering their homes to ‘welcome the stranger’ – and possibly many of whom will also be orphans and widows.”

Uk London rally for refugees

London Stands With Ukraine march and rally. PICTURE: Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

The Homes For Ukraine scheme has the backing of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. In a recent joint statement, the archbishops expressed their support for the scheme.

“We look forward to working with all partners to ensure the scheme works as effectively and as well as possible. Ukrainian refugees need homes, work, and education opportunities until they are able to return to their own beloved nation,” they said.

The Catholic Church, meanwhile, is exploring whether its properties could be used to house refugees. Archbishop Eamon Martin, the Catholic Primate of All Ireland, said parish pastoral councils, finance councils and priests have been asked to consider if there are properties, including unused school buildings, that could be made available for families. The Catholic Church in Hungary, alongside churches in Poland, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania, continues to work on the ground to provide relief for refugees.

The Methodist Church in Ireland has donated over £150,000 to the Ukraine Emergency Appeal. The cash raised is being forwarded through the United Methodist Church and the church’s World Development and Relief partner, International Justice Mission UK. The United Methodist Church has a presence in Ukraine and Russia which means the money can be distributed through existing networks. However, with the large number of refugees making the journey on foot, there are opportunities for traffickers to exploit women and children. The International Justice Mission’s UK team is in Romania working to prevent trafficking and exploitation by holding awareness campaigns as well as co-ordinating safe passages for refugees fleeing Ukraine.


We rely on our readers to fund Sight's work - become a financial supporter today!

For more information, head to our Subscriber's page.


Church of Scotland members are also preparing to ‘welcome the stranger’ by offering space in their homes. Congregations have collected more than £75,000 for the Reformed Church in Hungary Aid response, in addition to donating thousands of pounds to other organisations including the Disasters Emergency Committee, which is coordinating relief efforts across the region. 

Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, recently wrote to the UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to urge her to develop a humanitarian response that matches the scale of the crisis unfolding in Ukraine.

He wrote: “As churches here in Scotland and the UK, we are united in our desire to play an active role in welcoming the stranger and supporting those most in need.”

Northern Ireland Ukraine poster

Northern Ireland supports Ukraine: a wooden flag and sign with the words ‘stop the war’ rest at the side of a road in County Antrim. PICTURE: Courtesy/Gillian McDade-Hastings.

Baptist churches have also expressed their interest in accommodating refugees. Baptist and Pentecostal churches in northern Romania are working together on the ground to support people trying to flee. Pál Borzási, Vice President of the Romanian Baptist Union, said Baptists, Pentecostals and Brethren have welcomed refugees most graciously.

Meanwhile, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Eparchial Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the UK, said the displaced person is typically a mother with young children who has had to say goodbye to a husband, left behind to defend the country.

“When we think of our relationship with the Holy Theotokos, the Blessed Mother of God, we understand this as ‘family’, and in times of great need, we run to our families to help us. So, we think of all of those people here in the United Kingdom who will be opening up their homes, their arms, to these displaced people who are seeking refuge, who are fleeing harm’s way.”

 

Donate



sight plus logo

Sight+ is a new benefits program we’ve launched to reward people who have supported us with annual donations of $26 or more. To find out more about Sight+ and how you can support the work of Sight, head to our Sight+ page.

Musings

TAKE PART IN THE SIGHT READER SURVEY!

We’re interested to find out more about you, our readers, as we improve and expand our coverage and so we’re asking all of our readers to take this survey (it’ll only take a couple of minutes).

To take part in the survey, simply follow this link…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.