Amid difficult immigration realities, immigrant church leaders gather to strengthen ministry and connection

Perched above the blue waters of Lake Tahoe, 43 leaders from immigrant churches and new worshiping communities gathered April 27-30 at Zephyr Point Conference Center for the Western regional Friends on the Journey gathering.

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Representing 13 countries including China, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Kenya, Madagascar, Egypt, Indonesia, Congo, Guatemala, Peru, Uganda and the United States, participants came together to strengthen relationships, develop leadership capacity, and encourage one another in the demanding work of ministry across cultures and immigrant communities.

The gathering was hosted by 1001 New Worshiping Communities, the New Church Development Commission in the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, and the Presbytery of San Francisco, with leadership shared by Accents, a collaborative network of PC(USA) leaders that includes the Rev. Gad Mpoyo, the Rev. Dr. Lindsay Armstrong, the Rev. Dr. Rafael Viana, and the Rev. Sam Kim. The group works nationally to build resilient immigrant churches, strengthen cross cultural partnership and support emerging immigrant leaders across the denomination.

The retreat combined worship, leadership development, immigration education and peer learning. Workshops explored leadership in a connectional church, immigrant realities within the United States, and sustainable ministry practices for multi vocational leaders. Adriana Backhaus (president of Without Borders) led training sessions on Know Your Rights advocacy and accredited representation through the Department of Justice, while participants also engaged in storytelling, prayer and collaborative conversation.

“Friends on the Journey gave our immigrant new worshiping community leaders an opportunity to connect with one another and affirm that they are not alone in this journey,” said Kim, Transitional Associate Presbyter for the Presbytery of San Francisco. “It also created momentum for the presbytery to strengthen its connectional relationship with immigrant new worshiping communities within the presbytery.”

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Throughout the week, participants gathered for morning prayer overlooking the lake, leadership workshops, small group discussions and shared meals that often extended late into the evening. Organizer Mpoyo (1001 New Worshiping Communities Associate and organizing pastor of Shalom International) noted the combination of practical training and honest conversation created a rare environment where immigrant leaders could speak openly about both the opportunities and pressures of ministry and life in a new country.  Evening activities, including karaoke led by Jenn Luna and Bingo led by Accents team members Viana and Armstrong, created additional space for laughter, storytelling and friendships to deepen across cultures and generations.

Many participants serve communities while balancing multiple jobs, navigating immigration systems, translating across cultures and building ministries with limited institutional resources. Several reflected on how unusual it was to be in a space where those realities were immediately understood.

“Friends on the Journey are those gifts of God who leave a mark on your life, saying, ‘This is the way towards God,’” said Carlos Baladez of Crestholme Presbyterian Church in San Antonio.

The Rev. Raafat Girgis, pastor and founder of All People Intercultural Community (APIC), a new worshiping community co-sponsored by Denver Presbytery and Grace Presbyterian Church in Fort Collins, Colorado, described the retreat as a witness to the kind of church many leaders hope to build.

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“Nothing excites me more than seeing a diverse community that truly reflects the makeup of the community and brings about the biblical vision of the gathering,” Girgis said. “Isaiah reports, ‘…and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see my glory!’ Friends on the Journey lives up to this vision of Isaiah 66:18 and Acts 2:1. It was a countercultural gathering as it uplifted friendship over animosity, love over fear, and togetherness over divisiveness.”

Several leaders also spoke about the need for the broader church to recognize immigrant communities not simply as recipients of ministry, but as spiritual and theological gifts to the denomination.

“The life of the newcomer is not a problem to be solved, but a prophetic witness to be heard,” said the Rev. Raul Palomino, Hispanic pastor at Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church in Coronado, California. “True justice requires us to see their struggle as our own.”

Multi-cultural music and worship also became central expressions of the gathering’s shared life. Luna, of the Presbytery of San Francisco, led participants in songs across eight languages throughout the gathering. Opening worship was led by the Rev. Nidia Fernandez (Nueva Vida-C.A.F.E para el Alma), while Elaine Liang (FURE new worshiping community) preached the closing service, offering a sermon focused on burnout and sustainable ministry practices for multi vocational leaders.

By the closing session, participants exchanged not only best practices but also prayers, songs, phone numbers and promises to remain connected long after returning home.

“It was a wonderful journey with you all,” said the Rev. Kiyoung Seo. “Let us continue to walk together.”

In a church increasingly shaped by migration, cultural diversity, and new forms of ministry, Friends on the Journey offered a vision of connectional ministry grounded in shared leadership, mutual encouragement and the belief that the future of the church will be built together.

The Rev. Dr. Lindsay Armstrong is Executive Director and CEO of New Church Development, Inc., the startup studio of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.