Congregational Resolutions
Sanctuary Congregation Resolution
Resolution Approved by EUCC Church Council
February 11, 2025
Preamble
Eden United Church of Christ has a religious commitment, deeply rooted in our 160-year changemaker history and theology, to being a place of sanctuary to all in need.
During the first Trump administration a crisis of conscience occurred in which it was deemed necessary to publicly declare Sanctuary to protect community members from unjust deportation via the below original motion approved on June 06, 2017:
Eden United Church of Christ in Hayward, California declares itself a “Sanctuary Church,” hereby affirming the historic and ongoing immigrant rights work of our forebears and reaffirming our commitments to:
Listen to and learn from the migration stories of refugees and immigrants in our midst;
Learn more (and educate others) about the root causes of immigration;
Accompany migrants through the immigration and integration process in our communities;
Provide immigrants with humanitarian aid and referrals to social, legal and health services;
Advocate for more hospitable and nondiscriminatory immigration policies that promote due process, prevent mass deportations, and foster safer communities;
Develop partnerships with others who share these convictions and complement Eden’s strengths;
Announce this decision to the public (in English and Spanish) through Eden’s various communications channels.
Motivated by our history of sanctuary, our religious and theological heritage, our commitment to each other and all who in good conscience seek to serve those most at risk in our society, we affirm our previous actions and renew our declaration of sanctuary. We do so in solidarity with our regional ecumenical partners such as University Lutheran Chapel of Berkeley, and our CBO partners such as East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Centro Legal de la Raza, Faith in Action, and Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity; and in consultation with our own immigrant partners in ministry, Ministerio Compañeras, and the Eden Area grassroots immigrant-led organization, Padres Unidos de Cherryland.
Resolution
WHEREAS, the Bay Area has a long history and deep commitment to welcoming immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, and those in exile; and
WHEREAS, the City of Berkeley, UC Berkeley, and University Lutheran Chapel have adopted similar resolutions; and
WHEREAS, the City of Berkeley was the first city in the nation to declare itself a City of Refuge in 1971 (Resolution 44,784-N.S.); and
WHEREAS, in 2017, Eden United Church of Christ declared itself a “Sanctuary Church”; and
WHEREAS, in 2018 Eden United Church of Christ launched the first community-based Newcomer Navigation Center in Alameda County in partnership with Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (ACHCSA); and
WHEREAS, from May 2018 – July 2021 Eden United Church of Christ housed and provided accompaniment to an asylum-seeking family from Nicaragua; and
WHEREAS, according to the Bay Area Equity Atlas, 34.9% of all residents in the combined CPUMA (Census Public Use Microdata Area) of the Eden Area consisting of Hayward, Cherryland, San Leandro, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo and Ashland are immigrants; and
WHEREAS, faith communities are historically recognized in society as protecting essential human rights for all, including offering support to refugees and undocumented immigrants; and
WHEREAS, the Trump administration has campaigned on threats of mass deportation and on January 21, 2025 rescinded the longstanding federal policy restricting immigration enforcement activity at “sensitive sites,” such as schools, after-school programs, hospitals, community health centers, and places of worship; and
WHEREAS, the White House Border Czar, Tom Homan stated on January 21, 2025, “arrests of migrants without a criminal record could also be swept up by ICE, especially those living in sanctuary jurisdictions: cities where local law enforcement is prohibited from assisting federal immigration officials”; and
WHEREAS, in light of the beginning of the Trump administration’s term, Eden United Church of Christ should remind the community and partners of its status as a Sanctuary Congregation.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Church Council reaffirms that Eden United Church of Christ is a Sanctuary Congregation, and that Eden United Church of Christ will continue fulfilling its commitments as resolved on June 06, 2017.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Eden United Church of Christ renews its commitment to solidarity by denouncing racism and xenophobia, and educating and empowering through promoting Know Your Rights information and partnering in local rapid response efforts such as but not limited to Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partners (ACILEP), and advocating for the reinstatement of the protection previously afforded to sensitive sites.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that except in limited circumstances where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have a valid judicial warrant signed by a judge, when legal counsel would be necessitated, Eden United Church of Christ staff are not required to:
Assist or cooperate with any Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigation, detention, or arrest procedures
Cooperate with ICE agents
Answer ICE agents’ questions or provide any protected data
Comply with an ICE Administrative Warrant
Immediately comply with a subpoena served by ICE agents
Allow entry of ICE agents onto or into the church campus
Speak with ICE agents at all
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we decry any attempt by federal, state or local authorities to impose criminal penalties on individuals who are a part of communities of faith acting in conscience and out of religious devotion and moral mandate to provide assistance, food, or shelter to other human beings.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Eden United Church of Christ will explore all reasonable possibilities of seeking legal support as an FBO “sensitive site,” from partnering FBOs, CBOs, Alameda County, Bay Area Cities, and the State of California.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Eden United Church of Christ is a sanctuary of belonging for all persons who in good conscience seek to uphold the dignity and worth of all and so also seek to be a refuge for the LGBTQIA+ community, specifically for our Trans and Non-binary siblings, who are also being unjustly targeted by the Trump administration.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Eden United Church of Christ will continue to minister to all people without regard to or inquiry of their immigration status, and seek additional ways to partner with and enact protections for immigrants, Trans and Non-binary community members, as well as other targeted populations within our community.
Reaffirming Eden United Church of Christ a Sanctuary Congregation Resolution
Eden United Church of Christ, Hayward, California
Recommended by The Outreach & Cross-Cultural Learning Strategic Planning Team & Church Council
Approved 6/6/2017
Summary
This resolution affirms the migration stories of Eden’s ancestors, congregants and community members, and affirms Eden’s ongoing commitment to learn from, travel with, and advocate for refugees and immigrants among us by declaring Eden United Church of Christ a “Sanctuary Church.”
Biblical, Theological, and Ethical Rationale
Eden United Church of Christ is a congregation grounded in an Abrahamic faith tradition whose ancestors were nomads and forced migrants and whose prophets implored the faithful to remember who we were—foreigners in foreign lands who were called to welcome strangers just as God had welcomed us (Lev. 19:33-34).
As Christians, we remember that for most of the Common Era Christians were marginalized members of their societies, and we strive to worship God and follow Christ’s example by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, healing the sick, visiting prisoners (Mt. 25:31-46), and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Mk. 12:31).
Eden Church initially aligned with the Congregational Churches who trace their ecclesiastical roots to the Pilgrims who sailed from England and Holland to North America in search of a better place to raise their children and a more prosperous way of life.
Eden later aligned with the United Church of Christ, a denomination that was founded through alliances among different ecclesiastical traditions, that has perpetually advocated for racial, social, and economic justice for all, and has repeatedly advocated for more hospitable, fair, and just treatment of immigrants.
Since Eden’s founding in 1865, its members have comprised immigrants and the progeny of immigrants—all who came to the United States and the Bay Area seeking life in all its abundance (Jn. 10:10).
On June 26, 2011, Eden members unanimously adopted the Compañeras/os Ministry Plan—a plan grounded in the congregation’s partnerships with first-generation Latina/o immigrants in the congregation and Eden Area. The initial goals of the plan were to reduce youth violence in Cherryland, improve our public schools, contribute to economic development in the Eden Area, advocate for immigration policy reform on the local, state and national levels, and create and implement cultural integration experiences in Cherryland. The plan has been continuously updated based on lessons learned as various strategies have been implemented and improved.
Text of the Motion
Eden United Church of Christ in Hayward, California declares itself a “Sanctuary Church,” hereby affirming the historic and ongoing immigrant rights work of our forebears and reaffirming our commitments to:
Listen to and learn from the migration stories of refugees and immigrants in our midst;
Learn more (and educate others) about the root causes of immigration;
Accompany migrants through the immigration and integration process in our communities;
Provide immigrants with humanitarian aid and referrals to social, legal and health services;
Advocate for more hospitable and nondiscriminatory immigration policies that promote due process, prevent mass deportations, and foster safer communities;
Develop partnerships with others who share these convictions and complement Eden’s strengths;
Announce this decision to the public (in English and Spanish) through Eden’s various communications channels.
Funding
Funding for the implementation of this resolution is budget neutral.
Implementation
Members, friends, and staff of Eden Church will implement the resolution with guidance from the Church Council and the Ministers.
Condemning Violence Against Blacks (African-Americans) and Calling for Increased Oversight and Accountability of Law Enforcement Resolution
A Resolution Recommended by the Church Council to the Members of Eden United Church of Christ, Hayward, CA
For Consideration and Action at the 155th Annual Meeting
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Summary
This resolution is a response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and numerous other incidents of police brutality and violence against Blacks (African Americans) that have occurred in the United States in recent months, which are grounded in our nation’s four-hundred year history of racism.
Eden United Church of Christ condemns police brutality and the misuse of law enforcement authority directed against all people, especially people of color, and the racist attitudes and actions that result in violence, especially murder.
This resolution calls for increased oversight and accountability of law enforcement officers and organizations, including their recruitment, hiring, training, review, disciplinary, and improvement practices.
This resolution also calls on law enforcement agencies to recruit, hire, and maintain a police force that is reflective of the racial and cultural demographics of the population they are called to serve and protect.
In addition, this resolution calls for the establishment of a citizen review of officer misconduct and citizen complaints, and the disciplining, tracking, and publishing of law enforcement officers’ offenses through the establishment and integration of a nationwide database system.
Finally, this resolution calls for a revision of local, state, and federal laws that insulate law enforcement officers from criminal and civil liability for their actions.
Biblical, Theological, and Ethical Rationale
As people of faith, we draw ethical guidance from the Judeo-Christian Scriptures and the theological traditions we have received from our forebears. Foundational to our faith is God’s pronouncement, as described in Genesis, that all human life, formed by God’s hands and breath and reflecting God’s image, is good (tov), meaning whole, worthy of respect, dignity, and stewardship. We also affirm God’s covenant with all people, and God’s guidance that human beings should form covenants with each other in order to seek peace with justice for all (shalom).
As Christians, we follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, who brings justice, reconciliation, and peace to all creation and who asks us to witness to his work and word by loving God and our neighbors.
Loving our neighbors is best expressed through acts of solidarity and friendship with all people, especially those who are disparaged or marginalized by society. As a collective body, Christian churches such as Eden UCC are empowered to a life of justice and peace-seeking by the Holy Spirit, which functions within history to bring justice, equity, and peace to all people.
In its 155-year history, Eden United Church of Christ (Eden UCC) has stood with many people who have been disparaged by the White majority and suffered the injustices of our political and economic systems. During World War II, Eden UCC leaders allied themselves with Japanese-Americans who were interred by the federal government, and accompanied survivors through their recovery processes. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Eden Church leaders marched in Selma, traveled with Freedom Riders throughout the Deep South, and challenged racially and religiously restrictive housing covenants in Unincorporated South Alameda County. From the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s, Eden UCC members advocated for the rights of farm workers and participated in the grape boycotts which led to the passage of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975. More recently, Eden UCC has stood in solidarity with economic migrants and asylum-seekers, and engaged in a multi-faceted effort to promote immigration policy reform and equitable treatment and access to education, employment, and social services for newcomers in our nation.
We draw inspiration from the wider United Church of Christ, which gathers bi-annually as the General Synod, and which has repeatedly called on our denominational bodies and members to heed the voices of marginalized people, engage in earnest self-reflection and confession about the racism we have learned from our society, and amend our ways, so that all people may enjoy their God-given rights and freedoms in our nation. We act today because our faith compels us to take this stand.
Text of the Motion
Eden United Church of Christ calls upon local, state, and federal officials to:
Acknowledge that racist attitudes and beliefs of law enforcement, as well as systemic racism, are resulting in racial profiling and the use of excessive force against African Americans and people of color and causing unnecessary physical harm, including loss of life.
Make more stringent the screening of law enforcement for racist attitudes, behaviors, backgrounds, as well as patterns of violence, erratic behavior, and excessive force.
Provide additional training for law enforcement in appropriate techniques for detaining persons; arresting and transporting suspects; de-escalating interpersonal conflicts, and maintaining peace at public demonstrations and assemblies.
Establish Citizen Review Boards for each law enforcement agency. The Boards should be composed of members of the general public who reflect the demographics of their jurisdiction who are not direct family members of officers or personnel of the agency. The Boards should accept external complaints, review facts and evidence, and discipline officers accused of abusing the authority entrusted to them or engaging in excessive force.
Create a national database to track and disseminate information about officers who have been accused of and/or disciplined for the abuse of their authority and/or the use of excessive force, for the purpose of disqualifying law enforcement officers with previous misconduct records from working on the force.
Revise those state and federal laws or legal practices that shield law enforcement officers from criminal and civil liability for their actions so that law enforcement officers are no longer afforded immunity from their actions.
Urge local, state, and federal officials to re-evaluate the funding of law enforcement to focus more on prevention of crime and the provision of social services than on detention and incarceration.
Funding
Funding for the implementation of this resolution is budget neutral.
Implementation
Members, friends, and staff of Eden Church will implement the resolution with guidance from the Church Council and the Ministers.