National Coalition of Latino Pastors

National Coalition of Latino Pastors
Christ's Foundry congregation helps pastor participate

Editor's Note: Rev. Owen K. Ross, pastor of the La Fundicion de Cristo (Christ's Foundry) Fellowship near Bachman Lake, Dallas, reflects on immigration issues and his trip to a meeting of  "The National Coalition of Latino of Pastors" in Washington, D.C.

BY  REV. OWEN K. ROSS
Christ's Foundry Fellowship, Dallas

"Pastor, there are pastors gathering from all around the nation on March 22nd to lobby congress for immigration reform." Hermano Gabriel (not his real name) had told me about this gathering three or four times in a way that I could tell that he was suggesting I go. I did not take his suggestion to heart since I believed such a brief trip would be cost prohibitive, and moreover, myself not being Hispanic, I was not sure if I would be welcomed at a group named, "The National Coalition of Latino Pastors."

Just eleven days before the trip, on a Saturday afternoon, Hermano Gabriel came to see me again and gave me the phone number of the Dallas coordinator. Because of the trouble that Hermano Gabriel went to, in order to get me the phone number, I called.

The local coordinator, a local Spanish radio host, then gave me the cell phone number of Rev. Miguel Rivera, fellow Methodist and the president of the National Coalition of Latino Pastors. Next thing I knew I was talking to him on the phone. He shared how he would love for me to come to the gathering, and that I would have to call his office on Monday with my name, address, and social security number if I was planning on going to the White House with the group. He then shared that information about his group he would be on MSNBC that evening.

I thought, "Wow! Going to the White House! Visiting with Senators and Congressmen! I'll go if it will not cost too much."

Being 10 days away I thought flight costs would prevent me from going. The first flight search I found offered a direct round trip ticket from DFW to DC for only $178.00. I took it as a sign and bought the ticket. I was so excited about how God seemed to be putting all things together for me to go that the next morning I gave a testimony to the church of the events of the preceding night, including the great airline deal that I had received.

I knew that many in the congregation that morning, and their families, would be directly affected by any immigration laws that might be passed, so I invited the congregation to participate in my going to Washington by taking up a "Love Offering" to assist with its costs.

Hermano Gabriel came to the front of the church holding a fat envelope that I knew was full of change and small bills from the church garage sale he hosted in his house the day before. He announced, "Pastor, yesterday we held a garage sale in my house. We were going to purchase costumes for the Easter pageant with the money, but we decided to give you this money." He lifted the envelope above his head and said, "We raised $190." He then hands the envelope to me with these words, "Pastor, here is your plane ticket."

A month earlier, Gabriel had told me how if the immigration reform goes through and a method of documenting his family becomes possible, he first wants to document his oldest daughter, who just graduated from high school last year and is now a freshman in college and a volunteer with Christ's Foundry's youth program. He explained that if she could get documented, she could then qualify for financial aid and have a great future. He then would like to take care of the papers for the rest of his family. He said with the $2,000  fine that one of the bills proposes, documenting his entire family would cost him $10,000 in fines plus processing fees and legal fees. He obviously believes getting papers for his family is worth it, and he fervently prays that the U.S. would change its laws to make it possible for him and his family to get documented. He saw my trip and the meeting of pastors as an answer to his prayers.

Ten days after I gave my testimony to the congregation, I flew to Washington, D.C. with the prayers and well-wishes of my congregation who planned a simultaneous prayer service with the prayer service that was to be held at the Capitol on the night before the lobbying effort.

The event was held in the shadow of the Capitol on the steps of the Cannon House Office Building. I was brought to tears during the opening prayer when I began to think how God had brought me to the steps of this specific building. When I was called forward to speak as a representative from Dallas, I shared with the group in Spanish, "Fourteen years ago I worked in this very building as an intern for a congressman. At the time, I did not even know how to speak Spanish. And now, fourteen years later, God has moved in my heart and brought me back to the very steps I use to enter to go to work but with a different purpose this time."

I was warmly received and then lead the gathering in prayer for immigration reform. The experience was moving and the spirit and prayers of Hermano Gabriel and my home congregation were felt in a powerful way, and I could not help but to praise God.

I was the fourth pastor to speak and was followed by many more pastors from across the nation and by a congressman from Illinois. The final speaker was Rev. Miguel Rivera, the organizer of the event. He told the crowd, "Tomorrow we talk with Congress. Friday we talk with the White House, but tonight we have gathered to talk with God." We then continued to pray and sing on the cold House building steps until 8:00 p.m.
 
For the next two days, a group of 94 pastors, representing thousands of documented and undocumented Spanish-speaking immigrants, walked the halls of Congress and the White House expressing the need for comprehensive immigration reform. We were warmly received by members of both political parties in the Senate, the House and the White House. All agreed on the need for reform although not all agreed on the details of a plan.

As I returned home from our nation’s capital, I prayed that God would guide these and all elected leaders of this country in their decisions. In the months to come, how to deal with the undocumented immigrants in the US will be on the minds of our congregation and of those outside of our churches.

Let us pray to God and call on our leaders that the new immigration laws reflect our love of God and the love of neighbor. May the UMC continue to be a beacon of hope for the poor, the oppressed, the exploited and the downtrodden, wherever they may be found.

For more information, please e-mail: Rev. Owen Ross, owenross@gmail.com.