According to the letter, the PCUSA headquarters hosts more than 100 meetings and brings thousands of guests to Louisville each year. The letter also cites the previous impact of Louisville hosting thousands of guests for the PCUSA General Assembly, the Presbyterian Women’s Gathering and various other gatherings.

Reminding Kentucky legislators how much the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s presence has meant to the Bluegrass State thanks to its corporate headquarters being in Louisville since 1988, the denomination’s leadership has warned that if a state proposal on immigration enforcement passes, those benefits would be in jeopardy.

Parroting similar protests against an Arizona immigration law in 2010, PCUSA Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons and General Assembly Mission Council Executive Director Linda Valentine sent a letter to the Kentucky Legislature on Jan. 7, 2011, that encourages lawmakers to follow the denomination’s example in its treatment of illegal immigrants…

…According to an article in the Louisville Courier-Journal, SB 6 includes provisions that authorize police to attempt to determine a person’s immigration status if he or she is stopped for another reason, such as a traffic violation and is suspected of being an “unauthorized alien…”

Calling the proposed legislation “counter to the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” the letter states that the immigration proposal would put congregations and the people they serve at risk. The letter warns that the new law could harm the work and worship of communities, as well as create an environment of fear.

If the PCUSA holds true to its threat of boycott, it could mean a major hit for the state’s economy…

Read More: http://www.layman.org/News.aspx?article=27956

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