Background
The Church of Sanctuary and Churches’ Refugee Network (CRN) conference, which was hosted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), brought together churches, parachurch groups and organisations working with asylum seekers, refugees, and those who provide some form of ‘hospitality’ or ‘sanctuary’ to those in need.
Events and speakers
You can view the full programme for Saturday 8 June 2024.
For full profiles of the expert speakers and workshop leaders, please see the Speakers and workshop leaders page.
Morning session
The day itself saw around 130 delegates attend from Ireland, Wales and England for what was an ‘in-person’ event held at the Church at Carrs Lane, Birmingham, B4 7SX.
The conference was a joint venture between CTBI, Church of Sanctuary, City of Sanctuary and the CRN. The conference was also the national (England) Church of Sanctuary conference. The day showcased the excellent work taking place in Birmingham, the West Midlands, and further afield to resolve many of the issues impacting people seeking asylum and refuge.
Bishop John Perumbalath, the CRN’s Chair had earlier offered his apologies. On the day, Richard Reddie, the CRN’s coordinator, carried out ‘housekeeping and general information’ before handing over to Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal, the head of Church of Sanctuary (COS) and the conference host. Inderjit welcomed attendees to the conference and spoke about the aims and objectives of the day. He then invited Shari Brown from Birmingham City of Sanctuary to offer greetings and speak about their work locally and nationally. (City of Sanctuary was one of the conference partners.)
Bishop Mike Royal, the conference Chair for the first part of the event, took over proceedings. Bishop Mike added a welcome and spoke about the significance of the conference, given what was taking place on these shores regarding asylum and immigration.
Keynote speakers
Bishop Mike then introduced Prof. Robert Beckford, a leading academic, theologian, writer and filmmaker, who was the first keynote speaker. Robert used PowerPoint to highlight the experiences of the Windrush generation of Caribbean people (from 1948 onwards) and juxtaposed this with the lack of hospitality and welcome that those folks experienced in Britain. He then spoke about current attitudes to asylum seekers and refugees on these islands. He noted the current hostile environment and the rise of right-wing, populist nationalist politicians and opinion-formers in Britain, Ireland and Europe. He offered attendees a plan of action that the churches and Christians needed to take in order to address the current situation.
After this presentation, Dr Jayme Reaves also used PowerPoint to provide attendees with a theological understanding of sanctuary, exploring what the Bible has to say on the matter. She noted that the Abrahamic faiths all have much to say about sanctuary and hospitality. She then explored what hospitality and sanctuary should mean in our current situation.
Q&A
Bishop Mike then led a Q&A session involving Robert and Jayme, who responded to questions from the Chair and a number of people in the audience. They dealt with questions relating to their presentations and matters linked to asylum and refugees.
After the Q&A, Bishop Mike provided information about the workshops that were to follow. (On registration, all attendees were assigned to a morning and afternoon workshop. See the workshop page for more information.)
Lunch
During lunch, participants had an opportunity to visit the marketplace where a number of organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers had tables that showcased examples of their work.
Afternoon session
Dr Nicola Brady, CTBI’s General Secretary, was the afternoon’s host, and welcomed back participants, and highlighted what would be taking place in that session. She spoke about CTBI and the CRN’s work, before handing over to Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the afternoon’s Chair.
Keynote speakers
Bishop Rose introduced Vanessa Baker, Assistant Head at St Dunstan’s Primary School, in Birmingham, who spoke about her students, and how they have taken a keen interest in social justice issues, especially asylum and immigration matters. She noted how the students have been informed by Catholic social justice teachings and are passionate about standing up and alongside some of the most marginalised and oppressed groups in the country.
Vanessa’s presentation was followed by two testimonies from personnel linked to Stories of Hope and Home, a local organisation who are based at Carrs Lane Church. The group provides safe spaces for people with experience of seeking sanctuary to build community, share stories and experiences, and to engage in creative activities. The two spoke about their journeys to Britain, describing the reasons why they were forced to leave their homelands. They also recounted the challenges that they faced in this country as asylum seekers, especially the way the hostile environment undermined their efforts to make a new life.
Q&A
Dr Nicola Brady then chaired the second Q&A involving Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal, Richard Reddie and the two personnel from ‘Stories of Hope and Home’.
Final words
Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin wrapped up proceedings by speaking about her work in Dover and the county of Kent, which has become a flashpoint for immigration/asylum matters. She noted the hostility she had faced over her stance on this issue, especially from those who called themselves Christians. She mentioned how a visit to France had given her a firsthand opportunity to see how those seeking asylum live, and the way they are treated by the French authorities. Bishop Rose also spoke about the importance of the Church being prophetic on these matters, and how this required bravery and courage to stand up for what is right.
Bishop Rose ended the conference by reciting the Franciscan Blessing ‘of discomfort’.