UMC North and Central Texas Conferences seek response to immigration needs

BY JENNIFER COGGINS
Central Texas Conference, UMC

Concerned participants from both the Central Texas Conference and the North Texas Conference gathered C in solidarity on Oct. 13 for a collaborative educational event. The two conferences co-sponsored a symposium titled, "Immigration: How Will We Answer?"

The event was presented by Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON), a nationwide United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) ministry that provides immigration legal services to immigrants in congregations and communities.

The Texas Region JFON is a partnership between the Central Texas Conference, North Texas Conference, and Refugee Services of Texas. The goal of the symposium was to discuss how churches have led societal changes in the past and how the church community might respond to the current needs surrounding the complicated issue of immigration.

Symposium participants were treated to a plenary session led by Bill Mefford, Program Director for Civil and Human Rights at the UMC’s General Board of Church and Society. The plenary was followed by the opportunity to attend workshops addressing the basics of immigration law, some of the economic and social contexts of immigration, grassroots advocacy, and specific examples of ways that churches in north central Texas have ministered to immigrants in their neighborhoods.

Mary Beth Garcia, JFON attorney, said, "I hope that we were able to provide resources where people can get accurate, truthful information that they can share with others in their families, Sunday school classes and churches."

For more information about UMCOR's Immigration and Refugee ministries, including JFON, visit the UMCOR Website www.umcor.org. To find out more information about the JFON clinic in the North Texas Conference, including how to volunteer, please contact Associate Director of Connectional Ministries Sally Vonner, 972-526-5000, 800-969-8201, or email:
Vonner@ntcumc.org.