Chattanooga Pastors Condemn Statements by Lee, Blackburn, Hagerty

Following a series of misleading statements about immigration and its impact on Chattanooga by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, pastors in Chattanooga joined the Southern Christian Coalition to condemn the remarks.

“No matter where we come from, the color of our skin, or our immigration status, most of us work hard for our families and want our children to have a better life,” said Rev. Laura Becker, Pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga. “Jesus has called us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and in the Parable of the Good Samaritan he calls us to especially care for those who have historically been told they don’t belong. Jesus calls us to love and care for everyone, including those who are passing through our community with the courage and tenacity to seek a safer and better life for themselves and their children.”

“Yesterday, politicians like Governor Lee, Marsha Blackburn, Chuck Fleishman, and Bill Hagarty sent out statements with hateful rhetoric that mischaracterized the situation here in Chattanooga,” said Rev. Brandon Gilvin, Pastor of First Christian Church in Chattanooga. “It seems they are focused on turning us against each other instead of acting on what Jesus calls on them to do as both public servants and those who claim the Christian faith.”

Becker and Gilvin also expressed their support of Pastor Wallace of Redemption to the Nations when he said, “Jesus did not come just to…