Regional gatherings celebrate and equip immigrant churches
The next Inspire! event is set for August in Cincinnati
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=qojkeVFc79o
The creativity, resilience and commitment of new immigrant churches in the PC(USA) are reasons to celebrate. Since the success of a conference focused on new immigrant worshiping communities in Atlanta held in 2023, 1001 New Worshiping Communities has been planning opportunities for regional gatherings of immigrant church leaders.
“The purpose of the Inspire! [events] is threefold,” said the Rev. Gad Mpoyo, associate for 1001 New Worshiping Communities’ Eastern Region. “To celebrate new immigrant church creativity, resilience and commitment; to reflect on best practices for bringing immigrant new worshiping communities and the established church into mutually beneficial relationships with one another; and to have a renewed, shared sense of hope and direction for a vibrant church future.”
The idea for these gatherings came out of conversations Mpoyo had with other immigrant leaders, the Revs. Sam Kim and Rafael Viana, as they shared their experiences and realized they had things in common when it came to ministering to immigrants and navigating relationships with established churches and mid councils.
The Rev. Lindsay Armstrong, executive director of the New Church Development Commission for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, later joined these conversations as an idea for a conference celebrating the gifts of immigrant churches and the opportunities for collaboration with more established PC(USA) institutions took shape. “Based on our experience, we want to encourage immigrant new worshiping community leaders, established congregations, presbyteries and mid councils to understand that it requires significant empathy and willingness to build relationships and love others across differences, striving to understand one another across cultures,” said Mpoyo.
The two-night, two-day conferences center on keynotes provided by Mpoyo, Kim, Viana and Armstrong, and draw on the wisdom of local immigrant leaders to lead worship and workshops particular to the regional context. Along with the Atlanta event, another conference was held in Fullerton, California, in the Presbytery of Los Ranchos in April 2024. Two more Inspire! events are planned for this year: one in the Presbytery of Cincinnati Aug. 22–24 and another event is in the works involving Stony Point Center and the Presbytery of New York City.
The events attract immigrant new worshiping community leaders, presbytery leaders, local congregations that host immigrant new worshiping communities, and those who are interested in learning about and building relationships with immigrant new worshiping communities. And the resources don’t end with the event; attendees can stay connected to the resources of 1001 New Worshiping Communities through their learning platform.
Thanks to a partnership with the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Financial Aid for Service, travel scholarships of $500 are available to participants. The deadline for registration for the upcoming event in Cincinnati is Aug. 12.
In an article for his presbytery, the Rev. Dr. Alfredo Delgado, specialist for Church Revitalization and New Worshiping Communities for the Presbytery of Los Ranchos, writes, “From the very beginning, people connected naturally. We sang, we prayed, and we shared our lives and ministry testimonies.” Delgado describes an environment “filled with a sense of trust, confidence and friendship,” with a focus on “how we connect and support one another in serving the Lord Jesus and the communities where God has placed us.”
“We heard of the importance of affirming our service, which is embedded in how all people are included using their voices, insights and skills,” Delgado writes.
To attend the April 2024 event in the Presbytery of Los Ranchos, the Rev. Dr. Jorge Abdala, moderator for the National Portuguese Language Presbyterian Council, traveled from the San Francisco Bay area, where he pastors two congregations: Igreja Presbiteriana Brasileira, a Portuguese-speaking congregation that has been a new worshiping community within the Presbytery of San Francisco since 2007, and Iglesia Latinos Unidos en Cristo, a Spanish-speaking congregation that has been a chartered church with the Presbytery of San Francisco since 2011.
“The event offered valuable insights into effective ministry practices, especially in the context of supporting new immigrant communities,” said Abdala. “We learned about innovative approaches to community engagement and how to better address the unique challenges faced by our congregation members.” Abdala affirmed that he felt “a strong sense of connection” with other leaders at the event and exchanged contact information with leadership and participants. “I have been in contact with attendees, sharing resources and supporting each other’s efforts to serve our communities more effectively,” said Abdala.
Abdala was invited to lead worship and workshops during the event, but the Spirit also led him to write a song for the event titled “Inspire: The Moment is Now.” The second verse proclaims:
“From all the lands we come, your people gather here,
In every accent’s voice, your promises we hear.
The future shines bright, with your Spirit as our guide,
Together, we are steadfast, diverse yet unified.”
Register for the Inspire! event here.
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