Hispanic church leaders voice support for immigrants
Sept. 21, 2006
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A UMNS photo by Cintia Furtado Listenbee "We're challenged to take care of the foreign among us," Bishop Aldo Etchegoyen says.
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"We're
challenged to take care of the foreign among us," says Bishop Aldo
Etchegoyen, top staff executive of the Council of Evangelical Methodist
Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean, in an address to attendees
of the Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic
Americans (MARCHA) meeting. The Sept. 14-17 event at Lake Junaluska,
N.C., focused on immigration issues and what the church can do to help. A
UMNS photo by Cintia Furtado Listenbee. Photo #06-1109. Accompanies
UMNS story #566. 9/21/06 |
By Cintia Furtado Listenbee*
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS) -- Leaders of the United Methodist
Church's Hispanic caucus are seeking ways to care for immigrants, as
political debate over U.S. border policy continues to heat up.
Members of Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic
Americans (MARCHA) devoted their Sept. 14-17 meeting to immigration
issues.
MARCHA has always had a stand on the immigration issue, said President
Ana Haydee Urda. During the meeting, members adopting resolutions
voicing solidarity with immigrants in the United States and with those
working for comprehensive immigration reform in Congress.
A three-member panel analyzed reasons why immigrants come to the United
States, what happens to them while they are here and what the church can
do help.
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A UMNS photo by Cintia Furtado Listenbee Speaking at the MARCHA meeting, Mayuris Pimentel shares her experience working with immigrants.
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Speaking
at the Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic
Americans (MARCHA) meeting, attorney and seminary student Mayuris
Pimentel talks about her experience working with immigrants. The Sept.
14-17 event at Lake Junaluska, N.C., focused on immigration issues and
what United Methodists can do to help. A UMNS photo by Cintia Furtado
Listenbee. Photo #06-1110. Accompanies UMNS story #566. 9/21/06 |
"We're challenged to take care of the foreign among us," said Bishop
Aldo Etchegoyen, top staff executive of the Council of Evangelical
Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean.
"Through the immigrants, the Lord of life is saying, 'Here I am without
papers, far away from my country and alone.' Jesus' first experience was
when he went to Egypt as an immigrant for political reasons. Since
then, the protection of immigrants is a challenge and commandment of the
gospel. To help the immigrants is a form of our faith and mission as a
church," the bishop said.
Coming to a new country changes the identity of the immigrant,
Etchegoyen said. "It's like the identity has been through an earthquake.
In little time, the person is found in the midst of drastic changes in a
new country, with a new language, new people, new friendships, new
requirements, new jobs or the lack of, new values and bad values -- they
may have to lie for example.
"The eruption of the new and the lack of the old habits can produce anxiety, emptiness and loneliness," he said.
Desperate people
Mayuris Pimentel, an attorney and a student at Wesley Theological
Seminary in Washington, talked about her experience working with
immigrants through her Asbury United Methodist Church in Camden, N.J.,
and also working for immigrants in New Jersey.
"The immigration process starts when a family decides they are coming to
the U.S. They don't have enough money for food, and they can't educate
their children," she said.
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A UMNS photo by Cintia Furtado Listenbee The Rev. Eliezer Valentín-Castañón addresses the MARCHA gathering.
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The
Rev. Eliezer Valentín-Castañón, a staff executive of the United
Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, addresses the Methodists
Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans meeting Sept.
14-17. The event, held in Lake Junaluska, N.C., focused on immigration
issues and what the church can do to help. A UMNS photo by Cintia
Furtado Listenbee. Photo #06-1111. Accompanies UMNS story #566. 9/21/06 |
"The church needs to talk and eat with these people and see what it can
do to help," said Pimentel. "Some immigrants are so desperate that
saying, 'Jesus loves you, things will get better' is not enough. It's
not enough for the church to have open doors for people to come in. It's
important to go out and seek the people who don't want to be
invisible."
The Rev. Eliezer Valentín-Castañón, a staff executive of the United
Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, said the constant use of the
words "illegal aliens" serves to undermine the confidence of immigrants.
"They use these words to demoralize the Latin population in this
country. The perception is that they are not even human and on top of
that, they are not of this world. Combining the two things constantly
brings the thought that we're murderers and undesirable," he said.
The sin of inertia
Reflecting on the panel presentations, the Rev. Eduardo de La Cruz of
Janesville, Wis., said the church needs to be more active on immigration
issues. "It's too bad that our organizations are in a state of inertia;
they are not doing anything in favor of the millions of the
undocumented immigrants. I believe (inertia) is a social sin," he said.
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A UMNS photo by Amanda Bachus From
left, Bishop Juan Vera, Bishop Elias Galvan, the Rev. Cristian de la
Rosa and Bishop Aldo Etchegoyen celebrate Holy Communion.
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From
left, Bishop Juan Vera, Bishop Elias Galvan, the Rev. Cristian de la
Rosa and Bishop Aldo Etchegoyen celebrate Holy Communion during a
worship service at the Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of
Hispanic Americans (MARCHA) meeting. The Sept. 14-17 event at Lake
Junaluska, N.C., focused on immigration issues and what the church can
do to help. A UMNS photo by Amanda Bachus. Photo #06-1112. Accompanies
UMNS story #566. 9/21/06 |
Isamary Velazquez of the United Methodist Church's Northern Illinois
Annual (regional) Conference said the panel was good and the church
should be involved with the issue. "It is very important because
immigrants are the majority of people we work with and they get paid so
low. Immigration issues are very important, and I hope the church will
be the pioneer," she said.
Some United Methodist churches provide legal advice through legal
clinics, such as the Eirene Immigration Center in Camden, N.J. Such
clinics offer not only legal advice but sometimes training and other
support for immigrants.
Pimentel urged churches to "give messages of hope, work in advocacy,
send letters to Congress, and take care of immediate needs such as
clothes and food. Ensure there is change in the way the immigrant
community is perceived. We, the church, are the conscience of the
nation; we need to be in the forefront of this."
*Listenbee is a communications specialist with the United Methodist Church's Southeastern Jurisdiction.
News media contact: Amanda Bachus or Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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