St. Anne’s has embarked on a new ministry to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Beginning on August 14, the US has airlifted approximately 116,700 people from the country. Many others are still trapped and in hiding. Our scriptures are full of reminders to care for and love one another. From Christ’s reminder, “Love your neighbor as yourself” to “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” We are called in our most basic, Christian DNA to act. We are working closely with Jewish Vocational Services (JVS), West Missouri’s St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City, to bring this ministry to fruition.

At St. Anne’s, this ministry occurs in many ways, firstly through our commitment to helping a family of 16 people in hiding in Afghanistan to escape, and secondly by creating an apartment in St. Anne’s that will be home for an Afghan family seeking refuge in Kansas City.

… the US filing fees needed to do this amounts to roughly $9,200. As of September 30, 2021, $6,700 has been pledged.

To help the family of 16 leave Afghanistan safely, we are raising funds for filing fees ($575×16). The money raised will start the process of vetting and eventually help these people get out. The Clinic is a Kansas City-based 501c3 committed to assisting immigrants. They will work to get Humanitarian Parole status for these individuals, and in the process of getting them out of Afghanistan into a third country. Once out of Afghanistan, the family can begin the process of coming to the US.

Our commitment to funding the US filing fees needed to do this amounts to roughly $9,200. As of September 30, 2021, $6,700 has been pledged.

Our second major ministry endeavor is to house an Afghan refugee family. The church building of St. Anne’s is attached to a house that was on the site before the church was built. This ‘Parish House’ has held our church offices, kitchen, and library. Once renovated, this will be a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. We are currently moving our offices and library to the main church building so that renovations can begin. We have secured a Central Deanery grant of $10,000 to renovate the space to create a new home for our family.

Refugees are arriving at Kansas City this week, with a large influx expected next week. Our apartment will be needed as soon as it is completed. We will continue to work with Jewish Vocational Services as we sponsor this family and help them make Kansas City their new home.

If you feel called to help please know that we would love you to join us in this ministry!

My hope and prayer is that these two uniquely different efforts will offer an example and way for all people to help. I know for myself that as word unfolded about the events happening in Afghanistan, I felt paralyzed. I felt the need to help but didn’t know how or where to begin. If you feel this way, I invite you to pray, breathe, and then “do.” We are all called to “do,” but it can feel impossible to know how, so we allow our guilt and shame to turn our eyes and hearts in a different direction. If you feel called to help, please know that we would love you to join us in this ministry! Don’t worry, we won’t try to convert you or make you feel weird. We’ll work hard, love hard, and laugh hard — together. And by doing so we will bring Christ, The Refugee to Kansas City.

You can contact the Rev. Meg on meg@saintannesls.org

The Rev. Meg Rhodes is Rector of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Lee’s Summit.

Updates

• 10-08-2021 – Update to the contact information.