The Michigan Conference recently distributed a $100K UMCOR grant to fifteen recipients, supporting immigrant congregations, ally churches, and faith leader wellness throughout the conference.
The Michigan Conference received a $100,000 grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)’s Global Migration program to support immigrant congregations and leaders in our annual conference. The conference recently distributed the full grant among fifteen applicants.
After two listening sessions earlier this year, conducted by conference leadership, Rev. Dr. Jennie Brown, then Clergy Assistant to the Bishop, and Lisa Batten, current Associate Director of Intercultural Resourcing, Leadership, and Fund Development, three areas of need were identified for funding, including direct support for immigrant congregations, wellness grants for leaders, and aid for ally congregations. Learn more about the grant application process.
The conference grant team developed a definition of an immigrant faith community to clarify their work. Essentially, it is a local church or assembly of believers, primarily composed of first-generation immigrants (newcomers), that often holds services in a language other than English. These congregations play a crucial social, cultural, and spiritual role in helping newcomers maintain their cultural identity as they navigate life in a new country.
Over $70,000 in direct support of immigrant congregations was distributed to:
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- Detroit: French UMC (Church of the African Diaspora): French UMC ministers to immigrants coming to the United States from 20-plus African countries where French is spoken, including Senegal, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The grant will support monthly community gatherings that provide education, fellowship, and resource sharing; workshops on health, immigration resources, financial literacy, and community services; spiritual care, pastoral counseling, and prayer support; youth and family activities that promote leadership, cultural identity, and well-being; and emergency assistance and referral services for families in crisis.
- Grand Rapids: Vietnamese UMC: The Heart of the Table Vietnamese Outreach Initiative will be a 9-month pilot program with 18 bi-monthly gatherings. Each meeting features: nutritious, authentic, and culturally relevant meals; social fellowship with structured time for games, conversation, and community building; and spiritual outreach through gentle sharing of the gospel and intercessory prayer.
- Novi: Korean Faith Community UMC: The ARound Table Community Space will serve Korean immigrant families, newcomers, multicultural families, and the broader Novi community by offering a welcoming place for worship, fellowship, education, and community connection. The space will particularly support individuals and families adjusting to life in the United States by fostering belonging, spiritual encouragement, and meaningful relationships.
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- Detroit: Grace Community UMC: The church building serves as a gathering place for an African and Caribbean immigrant community, but its heating and cooling system has failed. This grant will update the HVAC system, providing the church with a consistent, comfortable, and dignified worship space. The building also regularly hosts the Liberian Association of Michigan, the Lofa Association of Michigan, and other African and Caribbean community organizations, sister immigrant congregations, and community groups. Restoring the space sustains these partnerships and the many organizations that rely on it.
- Madison Heights: Vietnamese Ministry UMC: Christmas of Hope: Building Bridges of Love, a Christmas Community Outreach Celebration, will be held in December 2026. The event will serve approximately 120 first-generation Vietnamese immigrants, along with their families, friends, and neighbors, many of whom have little or no connection to a local church. The celebration will feature Christmas music from local musicians and two well-known Vietnamese Christian singers, an inspiring Gospel message, fellowship over a shared meal, children’s activities, and opportunities to learn about the church’s ministries.
- Melvindale: Centro Familiar Cristiano UMC: The church building, constructed in 1964, still relies on its original exterior entrance doors, which no longer provide the level of security needed for a facility that hosts weekly worship services, educational programs, community events, and ministries serving all generations. Replacing the aging entrance doors with secure, modern entry systems will significantly improve safety, strengthen access control, and ensure the congregation remains a welcoming place for the Hispanic and Latiné community.
Additional grant funding went to these ally congregations and conference ministries:
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- Detroit: Trinity-Faith UMC: This congregation includes a small number of immigrants and seeks to become a stronger ally to immigrant communities. With the grant, they will partner with Detroit: French UMC, which primarily serves French-speaking immigrants from Africa and other Francophone countries, to strengthen relationships through worship, fellowship, and cultural exchange. This program will bring both congregations together to celebrate the diversity of God’s kingdom through bilingual and multicultural worship services, shared music, congregational singing, prayer, testimonies, Bible study, and fellowship meals.
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- Courageous Communities Project: This conference project began in July 2025 to change the narrative around immigrants. Grant funds will support continued work to ensure our immigrant neighbors feel seen, valued, and supported; strengthen collaboration among community and faith partners; and increase the number of congregations in the Michigan Conference that can find ways to support their immigrant neighbors. This will help move the conference toward its goals of developing leaders, building the beloved community, and sharing God’s love. Learn more about the Courageous Communities Project.
Additional grant funding will aid health and wellness grants for immigrant leaders. The grant offers financial support for clergy and lay leader wellness. The grant application review team received twice as many requests as available funding. The team consulted with Rev. Joel Walther, Director of Conference Benefits and Coordinator of Human Resources, who encouraged clergy applicants to apply for a new Clergy Wellness Grant through the conference benefits office for additional support. All ten applicants were referred to the Clergy Wellness Grant, and six received additional support through the UMCOR grant.
Conference staff members, whose salaries are paid thanks to generous financial gifts from local churches through Ministry Shares, were instrumental in researching and writing the grant proposal that helped secure this award from UMCOR. Ministry Shares from local churches also support the General Board of Global Ministries, which manages disaster relief and refugee and immigrant support services through UMCOR. Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on September 23, 2026