Young Methodists push for immigration reform

Christians should be “welcoming the sojourner among us,” says the leader of one Methodist group, advocating for immigrants’ rights and a deeper understanding of the plight of their Hispanic brothers and sisters who cross the border.

While plenty of Christian churches pull from the growing Hispanic population to fill their pews, few actively rally for immigrants’ rights (a phenomenon that Religion Dispatches pointed to a year ago with their article “Missing Voices”). The United Methodist Church, however, is one that does… and the church’s young people are leading the way.

A social-advocacy group called United Methodists On Fire (a reference to the church’s official symbol, a cross and flame) is pushing 20-something churchgoers to act for better treatment for border-crossers and easier paths to citizenship.

On the group’s blog, http://umonfire.blogspot.com, they suggest traditional ways to speak out (contacting Congressmen, signing email petitions, etc.) as well as spiritual ones, like devotions and prayer.

“OnFire wants to take a stand on very significant social issues for the church; the first we picked was immigration,” said Jennifer Mihok, citing an Old Testament verse about welcoming strangers. Mihok works as a missionary intern for OnFire’s parent organization, Washington D.C.-based Methodists for Social Action.

And in America today, you don’t have to be located along the border to live among “the sojourner.” Jennifer, 24, noted Spanish-speaking congregations in Washington D.C., where she lives now, and a growing Hispanic ministry in her home congregation in suburban Pennsylvania.

“That’s the faith connection to me, to be in community with those who you live near,” said Jennifer, who’s learning Spanish to better reach out to immigrant groups. “There’s no way that I as a person of faith can live in this world without connecting with the people around me.”

Jennifer recently blogged about the DREAM Act, a proposal to grant citizenship to those who immigrated to the U.S. as children if they complete a college degree or serve for two years in the military.

“There is no question that comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) is necessary to bring all undocumented persons out of the shadows,” she writes. “However, the DREAM Act is a step in the right direction.”

The group is also planning a trip in October to experience what it’s like to cross the border and dialogue about immigration issues.

(Photo from UMOnFire Web site.)