Hispanic Ministries Makes Statement on Acceptance
At the November 18-19 meeting of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference’s Hispanic Ministries Council, members created a document that was sent to Bishop Elaine Stanovsky and members of the Oregon-Idaho Cabinet. The statement was written to express the growing concerns that members of the council are seeing in their communities regarding immigration and human rights.
The Conference currently has Hispanic Ministry programs in three communities—Wilder, Idaho, where we have a growing congregation; Hillsboro, Oregon, where we started an Hispanic Ministry program in 2013; and Salem, Oregon, where we are planting a new Hispanic congregation. Representatives from each of these communities are a part of the Annual Conference Hispanic Ministries Council, but these communities are not alone in expressing these concerns. As a result, the council is encouraging congregations throughout the annual conference to become involved in two important ways.
Hispanic Ministry Council Statement
We, the Oregon-Idaho Conference Hispanic Ministries Council, meeting at Hillsboro UMC, November 18 and 19 want to express our concerns about the changing situation in our country. We have noticed that many in the Hispanic/ Latino community in our communities within our Annual Conference are afraid and have concerns about the direction of the coming administration of our federal government related to their human rights.
Because of that:
- We encourage our church members of the Oregon- Idaho Conference to denounce discrimination and racism in our communities and churches and to seek to learn and understand the diversity of each community.
- We want to invite and encourage the Oregon-Idaho conference churches to become sanctuaries, places where everyone is welcome and free from harassment and discrimination and to encourage our communities to do so also.
Respectfully,
Rev. Jorge Rodriguez Vazquez – MARCHA West president
Rev. Jorge Rodriguez Flores – Hispanic Ministries Conference coordinator
Rev. Lowell Greathouse- Mission and Ministry Coordinator
Alejandro Bravo – Amistad y Fe Hispanic Ministry, Wilder Idaho
Rev. June Fothergill -Springfield Ebbert Memorial UMC
Rev. Sandy Kimbrow- Trinity UMC Salem OR
Ana Diaz -Amistad y Fe Hispanic Ministry, Wilder Idaho
Rosy Rodriguez – Las Naciones Hispanic Ministry
Fernando Miranda- Las Naciones Hispanic Ministry, Hillsboro, OR.
Cristina Rueda- Amistad y Fe Hispanic Ministry, Wilder Idaho