The Sanctuary Team and the Social Justice Action Team continues to promote immigrant justice, and to form an interfaith coalition among churches in Marion and Polk counties.

Following the May 21 congregational vote for UUCS to become a sanctuary congregation, a press release was sent out to local media. Salem Weekly ran the entire press release while Hank Arends ran part of it in his religion column in the Statesman Journal. For the full text of the sanctuary resolution, read the May 21, 2017 annual meeting minutes.

The sanctuary team and Social Justice Action Team were well-represented on June 22 at the Sanctuary Information Session held at McKay High School and organized by the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIRJ) and the Willamette Valley Resistance League.

More than 100 people, representing dozens of churches, came together at that meeting to learn more about sanctuary and how churches can respond to immigrant justice matters.

Many churches signed up to be part of an interfaith coalition which would be in place for collective response. It is our intention that the interfaith coalition will be integral in responding when/if the UUCS has an individual in sanctuary in our congregation.

The first meeting of this coalition will be held at the UUCS over the summer.