The Rev. Seungsoo “RJ” Jun, representing Bishop Sharma Lewis and the Virginia Conference, was a guest at the Virginia General Assembly on Jan. 19 to mark Refugee Advocacy Day. Jun is the conference associate director of Serving Ministries.
The purpose of the day was to bring together Virginians from across the Commonwealth who are passionate about and understand the importance of helping Virginia’s new neighbors integrate and thrive in communities. Delegate Kathy Tran hosted the press conference with members of the Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus, the International Rescue Committee, Church World Service, and other advocates.
Tran spoke about the legislature’s need to prioritize welcoming new Americans as part of its January session. Jun highlighted the command of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves and how that translated into a call to care for refugees and immigrants. He noted that as the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church has stepped forward to assist Virginia’s new Afghan neighbors, United Methodists are mindful of the fact Jesus was a refugee. All of the participants at the press conference urged delegates and other state officials to continue to support laws and programs that would offer assistance and pathways to Virginia’s newest neighbors.
For more information about the Virginia Conference’s efforts to assist refugees, visit here.
Video of the Rev. RJ Jun during Jan. 19 press conference
Pictures from visit to General Assembly
