Borders & Belonging is a half-day forum wrestling with the biblical tension of balancing secure borders and the rule of law with welcoming the stranger and protecting the vulnerable.

As Christians engage the complexity and disruption of global migration, we must find ways to live in the balance of what Scripture teaches: that nations and borders are part of how God orders human life, and that the Church has an obligation to care for the immigrant and to use its voice to advocate for just policy.

Recognizing that neither the “deport them all” crowd nor the “open borders” advocates offer solutions that align with biblical principles, this forum wrestles with scriptural teaching, thoughtful policy, and the lived experience of immigrant neighbors to help Christians think faithfully and act well on immigration, holding law and love together as the Bible shows us.

At this forum, you will engage the topic from three perspectives: Bible, Policy, and Neighbor.

  • Bible: Wrestle with a biblical framework that affirms the legitimacy of borders and the rule of law while calling the church to care for the sojourner and to advocate for a society that treats all people with dignity.
  • Policy: Understand the policy principles and current proposals shaping U.S. immigration.
  • Neighbor: Hear directly from immigrant neighbors, including brothers and sisters in the faith, whose lives are shaped by our nation’s laws and by the church’s welcome.

Presented by: Transform MN, National Association of Evangelicals, Arrive Ministries, Border Perspective, Converge North Central, Northwest Conference of The Evangelical Covenant Church, Excelsior Covenant Church, Westwood Community Church, Westgate Church, Bloomington Covenant Church, Plymouth Covenant Church, Oak Heights Covenant Church

Event Details

Location: Excelsior Covenant Church, 19955 Excelsior Blvd, Excelsior, MN 55331
Date: November 14, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
Registration: Registration is required.

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Speakers

Carlos TellezCarlos Telléz earned his undergraduate degree in church planting from the Sembrar Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. He earned an M.A. and M.Div. from Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. He received a Ph.D. in intercultural studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been involved in a variety of ministries in the United States and Latin America, including cross-cultural missions, preaching, music, youth, children and church planting. He has served in various types of churches ranging from suburban megachurches to immigrant churches to multiethnic urban churches. He has also served at higher education institutions in the U.S. as director of global initiatives, dean of chapel and a full-time faculty member, among other roles.

 

Steve Eng serves as advocacy director for the National Association of Evangelicals, equipping pastors, nonprofit leaders and ministry leaders to exercise their God-given influence for the good of their communities and nation — rooted in the NAE’s foundational framework, “For the Health of the Nation.” An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, Eng brings both a shepherd’s heart and a seasoned policy voice to his work. He has spoken at more than 150 events nationwide and regularly engages leaders and legislators on Capitol Hill. Eng holds a degree in political science from St. Olaf College and an M.Div. from North Park Theological Seminary.

Partnering Organizations