S lavery is an ugly part of our past that we would gladly forget. But what if you were to discover that slavery is not a thing of the past? What if you were to discover that slavery exists today in every part of the world, including our own country? I was stunned a few years ago when I began to understand the magnitude of the global human trafficking issue. Experts say that 90 million people are living as slaves somewhere in the world.

Every country has a significant trafficking issue including the United States. The State Department reports that between 14,000 and 17,000 individuals are trafficked annually into our country for commercial sex or forced labor. To cite a few examples, last year a 14-year-old Nigerian girl was brought to a suburban home outside of Washington, D.C. under the impression she could attend school in the United States. Instead of being enrolled in school, the girl was forced to do domestic labor, take care of the six children in the home and was subject to physical abuse and sexual assault. Two minors from Russia were enticed to go to Alaska in order to demonstrate folk dances, only to end up being sexually exploited. In Idaho, Bureau of Land Management agents found sheepherders from Peru starving to death under conditions of forced labor.

Most disturbing is the fact that between 200,000 and 300,000 youth are trafficked and sexually exploited for profit within the United States every year. They are controlled by a combination of fraud and psychological coercion. A person is told that their family will be harmed or killed if they try to escape or refuse to cooperate. They are forced to have sex with up to 20 strangers a day. Pornography is used to train the “slaves” how to behave. From Sin City to New Bedford, women and children are being victimized in increasing numbers and frequency. The United States is not immune from the horrors of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a health, security and moral issue. It erodes our political systems. It harms our communities. It endangers the lives and well-being of those who become victims, and it could be taking place right next door to you. Massachusetts is one of only five states in the country that doesn’t have a law criminalizing human trafficking. As a result, pimps who recruit children for prostitution, families who abuse domestic workers and employers who confiscate workers’ passports often get off with a slap on the wrist. But all that might change, as Massachusetts is finally considering making human trafficking a crime. In recent months a bill has been submitted. If passed it would create a state crime for human trafficking, which would be punishable to up to 20 years in prison.

This weekend six faith communities on the Island will be addressing this terrible issue during their respective service. These communities include St. Andrews (Edgartown) and Grace (Vineyard Haven) Episcopal churches, Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha’s Vineyard, United Methodist Church, the Hebrew Center (Friday Shabbat service) and FaithMV Church. These churches and the synagogue hope that many people on Martha’s Vineyard will get involved to stop human slavery in our lifetime.

Dr. Jeff Winter is the pastor of FaithMV Church in Edgartown .