IMG_1220Asbury Theological Seminary is pleased to welcome and sponsor a Syrian refugee family in partnership with Kentucky Refugee Ministries. The family, who emigrated from Jordan, arrived on April 26. The family has a two-year-old daughter and is expecting their second child.

Asbury Seminary announced in the fall of 2015 that it would sponsor a Syrian refugee family. Although the family will live in a Syrian community in Lexington, a vetted, 12-person team from the Seminary and community will help the family transition. If you would like to be part of welcoming this family to the community and assisting with their transition, contact community.formation@asburyseminary.edu.

“We are delighted to welcome our Syrian neighbors to our community,” Dr. Timothy Tennent, President of Asbury Theological Seminary, said. “We have been praying for their arrival for many months, but now we’re eager to couple our prayers with action. We want to show compassion in whatever way God would ask us. In the faces of this family, we see the face of Jesus, who was himself a refugee in Egypt.”

On April 25, the Seminary community joined together to pray for its strategic plan, budget and nation in need. In addition, the Seminary met their goal of raising $4000 in donations to support the refugee family’s transition. Funds are still needed to pay for the family’s airfare.

refugee-welcome2“Second Corinthians 8:2 tells us that ‘In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity,” Dr. Marilyn Elliot, Vice President of Community Formation, said. “We are a generous community, and I hope this will become a part of who we as a Seminary are and what we do.”

If you would like to support the refugee family financially, you may donate via the Seminary’s Text to Give campaign.

  1. Text 859.279.4828 and type in the dollar amount, plus the word ‘Refugee.’ For example, $25 refugee.
  2. You will immediately get a response that says, “Just one more step, please press http://atpay.it/ to register your payment method.”
  3. The link takes you to a secure webpage to confirm your donation amount and enter your payment information.
  4. Hit submit. Your gift will be secured for the refugee resettlement.

All donations are tax deductible.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Inc. (KRM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to re-settling refugees through community and agency co-sponsorship. By providing resources and opportunities, they hope to promote self-sufficiency and successful integration of refugees into Kentucky communities.