Photo credit: Johnny Oliver (WHSV)

Published by WHSV.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) — Virginia Organizing and local churches in Harrisonburg discussed the sanctuary movement for illegal immigrants.

The groups held a forum at Trinity Presbyterian Church on Sunday and listened to a woman who is in a sanctuary in Ohio.

Edith Espinal told her story via a web stream to the people gathered at the church.

Pastors at Trinity Presbyterian and Shalom Mennonite Congregation said they want to listen to the perspective of those who are struggling with immigration issues.

Brian Bolton, a pastor at Shalom Mennonite Congregation in Harrisonburg, said churches should listen to a sense of call from a faith perspective.

“To meet the stranger. To welcome the stranger,” Bolton said. “To help address fears in the community. And there are many different ways that churches have been doing that.”

Bolton said because Harrisonburg is home to people from across the world, he thinks it is important to listen to people with different perspectives than his own.