Local churches are taking steps to engage the immigration justice resources found through the Michigan Conference’s new Courageous Communities Project, and so can yours.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
The Michigan Conference’s Courageous Communities Project, a new immigration justice project funded by an UMCOR solidarity grant, officially launched earlier this month. Take a few minutes to review the project overview web page and the immigrant support resources web page.
You can also watch the recording of the October 9 lunch and learn to hear from project leaders.
Regardless of where your congregation finds itself on this issue, the Courageous Communities Project offers a variety of ways to grow in understanding and action. Explore the online resources.
Whether you are just starting out and seeking to educate your faith community better, or you’ve been involved in immigration justice for many years and want to go further, there are ways to stand with your immigrant neighbors. Many immigrants are living in fear and anxiety due to recent changes in immigration policy here in the United States. Learn more.
Review the Courageous Communities Project’s online resources, and then reach out to project leaders if you need a one-on-one consultation to help your congregation identify areas where you can learn, act, and give, tailored to your specific context and community. Fill out this online form to inquire about support or resourcing from the Courageous Communities Project team.
Some United Methodist congregations have already started becoming courageous communities for their immigrant neighbors. Some have applied for a Mustard Seed Migration Grant to start a new ministry focused on assisting immigrants. Read these inspiring stories. Some have provided safe spaces for immigrants who have been targeted unfairly because of misinformation.
But some see the painful anti-immigrant messaging in the media and feel paralyzed or unsure about what to do, where to begin. That’s where the Courageous Communities Project can help.
Franklin: Community United Methodist Church, which is located in a small village north of Detroit in Oakland County, values inclusivity and compassion. Although they are a smaller congregation, with Sunday attendance around 40, they are generous and want to support communities in need.
Rev. Jon Pohl, who has been Franklin Community Church’s pastor for three years, said the desire to engage the topic of immigration came following a spring book study focused on social justice. After the congregation went through Sacred Resistance by Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli together, a moment of decision came: So, what do we do? The congregation knew they couldn’t tackle all the world’s problems, so what single issue could they focus on? According to Pastor Pohl, they considered all the possible issues, and the consensus across the board was immigration.
“We approached this with a heart of curiosity,” says Pastor Pohl. “We saw a problem, we saw this issue before us, but we quickly recognized our ignorance in all this. We realized we needed to be educated.”
This curiosity and passion to do more led the congregation to reach out to Tori Booker, who has a family connection to Franklin Community Church and has been involved in immigration justice matters for several years. This request came around the same time as the Courageous Communities Project was taking off, and Tori is part of the project design team.
Marta Johnston, the lay leader of the congregation’s Mission Team, and Pastor Pohl sat down with Tori to discern together what might be a faithful next step for their congregation.
“Sacred Resistance summoned them to do more,” notes Booker, “and immigration is just an issue that they identified as something they really wanted to be able to respond to but didn’t know how and where to do that. So, Marta reached out to me, knowing that I worked for Immigration Law & Justice Michigan for many years, and we had a conversation.”
This conversation among Tori, Marta, and Pastor Pohl led the congregation to decide to engage the Vital Conversations on Immigration study series, with accompanying videos, created by the General Commission on Religion and Race. This is one of the primary studies recommended by the Courageous Communities Project for those getting started. Find this resource and more.
Franklin Community Church decided to go through the five-session Vital Conversations on Immigration series as a small group discussion following worship. They began the series on September 28.
Pastor Pohl hopes this study series will bring good, honest discussion among the members of his church on this topic.
“This is a sacred opportunity for growth,” says Pastor Pohl. “We didn’t set out to be a part of the Courageous Communities Project because we didn’t know about it. But how all this came about reminds us that the Spirit is at work, right? That God put this in our hearts, and Tori and Alice [Fleming Townley, the project coordinator] are doing their thing and brought us together.”
Ultimately, the pastor says, “it’s just about being faithful. It’s about trusting that God is in it, and God will see us to the next step.”
Tori sees the faithfulness of Franklin Community Church in following God’s call, and encourages other churches to discern what’s next for them.
“Franklin is a small church,” notes Tori, “but they have a lot of energy and a strong desire to learn about this. So it doesn’t matter the size of the church, or where they are in terms of their awareness of the immigration climate. Just reach out to us, because that’s why we’re here to support and offer these services. And we want to hear from churches, no matter where they are in their learning, awareness, and ability to respond.”
Would you like a consultation with the Courageous Communities Project team? If so, fill out this online form to inquire further, and the team will get in touch with you.
Do you want to explore all the resources available to your congregation? Check out the immigrant support resources web page.
Do you have a specific question not answered elsewhere? Please reach out to the Courageous Communities Project by emailing them directly at [email protected].
Last Updated on November 4, 2025