Rev. Luis Cortes applauds Southern Baptist Convention Resolution

"Major step in uniting Evangelicals"

PHILADELPHIA, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Reverend Luis Cortés, Jr., President of Esperanza, applauded the recently passed Southern Baptist Convention resolution that called for a path to legalization for 11 million undocumented immigrants. In response to the resolution, Reverend Cortés said:

"We are grateful to our Lord for this effort by our brothers and sisters of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is a major step toward a Godly response to the immigration reform crisis in our country, and we thank the Southern Baptist Convention for coming forward on this important issue."

"It is our continued prayer for the unity of the followers of Christ on the issue of immigration reform, Rev. Cortes continued, "I am convinced that, as Evangelicals continue to seek the Lord's leading through prayer, we will unite under the leading of the Holy Spirit for a just resolution for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

"Families are being torn apart and human dignity violated every day that immigration reform is left in the hands of the states. We join the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Association of Evangelicals, as well as Christians, Protestants, Catholics and Jews across the country who have called on our national political leaders to fix our badly broken immigration system - and to extend compassion to these 11 million souls, many of whom are our brothers and sisters in Christ."

The Southern Baptist resolution was passed last week in Phoenix, AZ reads in part:

WHEREAS, The Scriptures call us, in imitation of God Himself, to show compassion and justice for the sojourner and alien among us (Exodus 22:21; Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Psalm 94:6; Jeremiah 7:6; Ezekiel 22:29; Zechariah 7:10); [now be it]

RESOLVED, That we ask our governing authorities to prioritize efforts to secure the borders and to hold businesses accountable for hiring practices as they relate to immigration status; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we ask our governing authorities to implement, with the borders secured, a just and compassionate path to legal status, with appropriate restitutionary measures, for those undocumented immigrants already living in our country.

To read the full resolution please visit: http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/amResolution.asp?ID=1213

Reverend Luis Cortés is president of Esperanza, the premiere Hispanic Evangelical faith-based network in the country. With a national network of over 12,000 Hispanic congregations, faith and community based agencies, Esperanza is a leading voice for Hispanics in America.

SOURCE Esperanza