Rev. Paul Perez is at the U.S.-Mexico border with a delegation from the General Board of Church and Society. They ask for prayers and support for justice …
KAY DEMOSS
Senior Content Editor
The Rev. Paul Perez, the Associate Director for Mission and Ministry for The Michigan Conference, also serves on the Board of Directors for the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS).
The Board is meeting in San Antonio, TX this week, October 24-27, 2018. Perez led a small delegation of United Methodist leaders, GBCS members and staff, on a visit to the U.S. – Mexico border ahead of that session. The group was based in McAllen, TX, October 21-23, and traveled to surrounding communities on both sides of the border. The purpose of the delegation was to explore the myths and realities of immigration.
Their visits included:
- Proyecto Azteca in San Juan, Texas; a self-help housing organization serving migrant families;
- Good Neighbor Settlement House in Brownsville, Texas; assists those in need with meals, clothing, showers and support;
- Border crossing into Mexico at Brownsville;
- La Posada Providencia (Inn of God’s Providence) in Benito, Texas; offers temporary shelter to people in crisis;
- Anzalduas Park in Mission, Texas; site of U.S./Mexico bridge;
- Catholic Charities Rio Grande Valley, who assist 500 migrants daily;
- Conversations with Methodist leaders in Mexico and Federal Public Defenders in McAllen, Texas.
With regard to the caravan of approximately 7,000 Central American migrants approaching the U.S. -Mexico border, the delegation recommends an article from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), “9 Questions and Answers about the Central American Migrant Caravan.”
GBCS also encourages United Methodists to join an appeal to President Donald Trump, asking that the administration no longer criminalize immigrants.
Last Updated on September 20, 2022