Up to five “UndocuBus” freedom riders plan to attend the Baptist Center for Ethics-sponsored faith and immigration event from 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church in downtown Charlotte, N.C., during the Democratic National Convention.
They are part of a group that left Phoenix in late July on a bus trip that has crisscrossed the country, drawing attention to the plight of the undocumented and showing that some immigrants without papers are not afraid of being arrested.
Contending that “both parties have turned the suffering and life of undocumented immigrants into political football, passing the responsibilities to each other,” No Papers, No Fear Ride for Justice notes that “Obama has deported over 1 million people.”
In addition to the freedom riders, Christians from a variety of traditions have registered for the event.
Registered attendees include two Catholic bishops, two Episcopal bishops, one Methodist bishop, one Lutheran bishop and one AME Zion bishop as well as a national Baptist leader and a Catholic sister, who appeared recently on both “The Colbert Report” and “The O’Reilly Factor.”
More than 50 clergy from across the denominational waterfront have registered.
Democratic delegates and officeholders have registered from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.
The event will feature the documentary “Gospel Without Borders,” which explores five stories of how the Christian community has addressed the immigration issue.
Following the screening, a panel of bishops will address from their moral traditions the issue of immigration.
The bishops include Julian Gordy, bishop of the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Anthony Taylor, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, Ark. Taylor is featured in the documentary.
Also on the panel is Minerva Carcaño, the Los Angeles-area bishop for the United Methodist Church.
The event is neither supported nor endorsed by the Democratic National Convention.
To learn more about one of the few autonomous faith events during the DNC, click here.
Saint Peter’s Catholic Church is at 507 S. Tryon St. across from the Charlotte Convention Center.
A similar faith and immigration event is planned from 7-8:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at Park Road Baptist Church in Charlotte.
For more information about this event, click here.
