A leader with the Southern Baptist Convention is calling on President Trump to clarify his Executive Order on immigration, balancing "compassion towards refugees" with "protection for Americans."

Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, sent a letter Monday to Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. The letter comes in response to Trump's controversial order that, among other things, restricts immigration from seven predominately Muslim countries - Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya, Sudan and Yemen.

The order has prompted protests across the U.S. and several lawsuits have been filed to block the White House's efforts. Some countries, including Iran, have vowed to take "reciprocal" measures against U.S. citizens.

Moore cited those concerns in his letter to Trump.

"Southern Baptists are among the many Americans living in majority-Muslim countries to carry out the biblical call to love their neighbors. We are deeply concerned that the order will cause widespread diplomatic fallout with the Muslim world, putting Southern Baptists serving in these countries in grave danger and preventing them from serving refugees and others who are in need with humanitarian assistance and the love of the gospel," Moore wrote.

Moore said while it "is one thing to debate whether the vetting process is adequate," it is "quite another" to bar Syrian refugees who are seeking to escape their war-torn country.

"The church's commitment to welcoming the stranger has long been reflected in our country's policies toward those fleeing persecution in their home countries. A commitment given voice through the inscription on our Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," Moore wrote.

Moore asked Trump to examine the extent of the order, clarifying the status of green card holders and Iraqi military interpreters that have assisted the U.S. military; enact additional screening measures to allow the Refugee Admission Program to resume as soon as possible, including for those fleeing Syria; and work to ensure the safety of Americans serving in the majority-Muslim countries.

He also called on the Trump administration to affirm its "commitment to religious freedom and the inalienable human dignity of persecuted people whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Yazidi or other, and adjust the Executive Order as necessary."

Moore has a complicated history with Trump.

In September, Moore wrote an op-ed for the New York Times in which he criticized the then-Republican presidential nominee, saying Trump "incites division."

"When evangelicals should be leading the way on racial reconciliation, as the Bible tells us to, are we really ready to trade unity with our black and brown brothers and sisters for this angry politician?" he said.

He later apologized for some of the statements which he said were misinterpreted as criticism against evangelical Christians who voted for Trump. He did not back off his criticism of the president, however.

"When I went to the ballot box this year, for the first time in my life my conscience wouldn't allow me to vote for either major party candidate. For me, to vote for either candidate, I felt, would be to sin against my own conscience," he said.

He added that Christians "owe it to Donald Trump to pray for him...and give honor to whom it is due.

"And as responsible citizens we owe it to him to work with him for the common good everywhere possible."