February 1, 2017 President Donald J. Trump Vice President Michael R. Pence The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Trump and Vice President Pence, Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. George Washington Carver As leaders committed to higher education in the Wesleyan Holiness tradition, we safeguard a legacy of Christ-centered education. We attest to the power of education to transform lives. We value our place in the plurality of educational offerings available in the United States and in California, a state where a multitude of cultures and languages intersect and enrich the fabric of the cities we call home, the people we call neighbor, and the students we enroll. Each of us can share stories about the transformative power of education to open doors of opportunity, to dispatch men and women of character and competence to address society’s most pressing problems. We graduate people who make a difference with hearts for service. These are people whom you would wish to work alongside and call neighbor. Many in our diverse communities come to our campuses on the shoulders of immigrants. Indeed, we all share pages in that American heritage of welcoming the vulnerable, extending hospitality, and inviting participation in the great experiment of these United States. As Christ followers, the Bible provides clear direction. Scripture calls us to care for the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the refugee. It also urges that we work with respect for the authorities of our nation with fidelity to our Christian identity. We contend that every person bears the image of God and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Against the backdrop of these guiding principles, the Executive Order signed last Friday temporarily suspending immigration from certain foreign nations and refugee resettlement in the United States causes concern as it could be read to selectively treat people in a manner that overlooks that God-given dignity. We recognize the importance to society of a strong and thorough vetting process to ensure that those who would harm us do not gain entry. However, we ask you to consider the pain that these restrictions cause for many innocent people as you undertake the difficult challenge of protecting national security. Many of those impacted are students coming here to attend universities in our nation, including those with a deep commitment to Christian principles.
At a time when so much divides our nation and our world, we have a great opportunity to safeguard our land and all who call these United States home while demonstrating compassion, humility, and grace. Not only are these distinctives of our American values, but they are also core principles of the Christian faith. We respectfully ask that you engage experts in considering a more refined and humane means to strengthen our immigrant processes in order to protect the American people while upholding our national value for the God-given dignity of each person. In doing so, we can continue to extend our mission and purpose to educate all those who seek a Christ-centered education and to graduate men and women who would bring hope and healing to the far corners of the world. We pray that wisdom and discernment guide you and all who lead us. Shalom,
Jon R. Wallace, DBA President Azusa Pacific University
Jim J. Adams, Ed.D. President Life Pacific College
Bob Brower, Ph.D. President Point Loma Nazarene University