“When did we see you a stranger and invite you in?” - Matthew 25.38
Overview
Hosting offers a practical and supported way for clergy to provide the safety and stability that asylum seekers and other destitute migrants urgently need. Clergy hosts provide invaluable respite for people who have come to the UK, often fleeing persecution or war, and have then been forced into years of destitution by a hostile immigration system.
Since the Housing Justice Hosting Project began, 16 members of the clergy have opened their homes to asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants who had nowhere else to turn.
Clergy hosting is run in partnership with the Compassionate Communities team within the Diocese of London. Compassionate Communities can offer clergy specialised support to allow them to become hosts, share their hosting journey with their church and inspire others to take action. On top of this, clergy and their guests receive all the same support and opportunities from Housing Justice as everyone else in the Hosting Project.
Clergy Hosting has the support of the Bishops in the Diocese of London together with the Diocesan Registry, the Safeguarding and Property Teams.
What people say about clergy hosting
“We have much to learn from those who come to our shores from elsewhere, seeking shelter and a new home, and Clergy hosting is a great way to extend a welcome to those who need it, to bear witness to the God who welcomes us in Christ and to learn more of what refugees can teach us about our own faith.”
– The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, the Bishop of Kensington
“I’m always reminded of when Jesus said: ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food… naked and you clothed me’ (Mat 25:35-36). Both my guests have previously been homeless and moved through the night shelter system. Enabling them to move into a proper house where they would have some independence, and autonomy, feels like what I should be doing with all that I have been given.”
– Current Clergy Host Fr Ben Kerridge, Holy Innocents Hornsey
“To have safe and welcoming accommodation is a basic human need, which many refugees and asylum seekers do not have. I am excited that this creative approach may lead to more people having a place they can call home. I hope that those who feel able to open their homes may be equally blessed through new friendships and perspectives.”
– Richard Gough, General Secretary, Diocese of London
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