Gretchen A. Saalbach
Editor's Note: This article is part of a series featuring the 2020 Sacred Sector Fellows. Each Fellow received a host site placement, where they are conducting an organizational assessment and implementation plan, and then will apply the “Three P’s” -- organizational best practices, public policy, and positive engagement -- at their host site.
The SoCal Presbyterian Immigrant Accompaniment Ministry (“Immigrant Accompaniment Ministry” or “Ministry”) is a coalition of churches in the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination (PCUSA), in conjunction with the Matthew 25 SoCal Movement, whose work strives to help those seeking asylum in the United States by providing welcome, accompaniment and resources through the local church. Affiliated with PCUSA’s Pacific Presbytery, its work started in 2013 when Reverend Linda Culbertson and Reverend Heidi Worthen-Gamble participated in an interfaith clergy delegation studying immigration issues present at the border checkpoint between San Diego and Tijuana. In 2014, Culbertson and Worthen-Gamble were invited by Susan Krehbiel, the Associate for Refugees and Asylum at Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, to start coalition work in presbyteries in Southwest United States in response to the unaccompanied minor crisis when 68,000 unaccompanied minor children from Central America came to U.S. borders. From there, the vision expanded to that of “equipping, empowering, and supporting congregations and individuals to joyfully and faithfully engage in accompaniment and advocacy” for anyone seeking asylum. [1]
Today, the ministry is staffed by Reverend Heidi Worthen-Gamble, Mission Catalyst, and Kristi Van Nostran, Immigrant Accompaniment Organizer. Their work is a first in the denomination, in that they are building a coalition of churches and organizations rather than working from a parish-centered model. Together, Reverend Worthen-Gamble and Ms. Van Nostran visit churches in Southern California to raise awareness of the impact that current legislation has on immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers and invite them into the work of accompaniment, which can take shape in many ways depending on context. They network with other groups in the region, together exploring ways to improve practices and pooling resources and expertise so that each organization’s work is enhanced. They seek to grow understanding of the complexities of immigration among their congregations, noting that often behind the resistance to immigration reform is a lack of understanding of immigration law and enforcement policies, and who is coming to the United States and why.
Public Policy
The Immigrant Accompaniment Ministry pays close attention to the laws and regulations concerning immigration, refugee status, and asylum status - the interpretation, priorities and enforcement policies of which are shifting and changing. PCUSA has an Office of Immigration Affairs through which mid-councils and congregations receive legal advice and counsel regarding immigration issues. [2] This advice provides a basis of understanding for the denomination in forming compassionate and faith-based responses in each congregational context.
Organizational Practices
The Immigrant Accompaniment Ministry, as a PCUSA organization, follows the mandates and guidelines as set forth by PCUSA policies in its employment practices. Its mission, however, is practiced more ecumenically. In order to broaden its reach and impact, the Ministry works closely with the Matthew 25 SoCal network and builds relationships with other local organizations and ministries. The Ministry does not limit its services to only those who come from a Christian background; it takes Christ’s call to welcome the stranger without qualification and focuses its work on helping any immigrant or refugee in need.
Public Engagement
The Immigrant Accompaniment Ministry engages the public in a variety of ways. First, it engages churches throughout the various presbyteries in southern California by direct contact, email database, social media, and invitational lectures. The Ministry engages with others outside the PCUSA denomination through its participation in the Matthew 25 SoCal Movement and through other ecumenical and interfaith networks, such as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Interfaith Council, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) and LA Voice. It is currently working on a website that will provide more information on its activities and how volunteers and churches can join in the work.
As a Sacred Sector Fellow, my work will focus on compiling their database of supporters and contacts, gathering informational sources to help build out their website, and developing a manual for training volunteers. Given that immigration and asylum issues are so important due to our proximity to the US-Mexican border, I intend to learn about the Ministry’s development of theological imperatives and commitments for church engagement in those issues, and see how they drive the work the Ministry does in their public engagement, especially as it works with other stakeholders in the area. Seeing them in action will provide a strong model for other faith-based organizations to follow.
[1] Van Nostran, K. (n.d.). SoCal Presbyterian Immigrant Accompaniment Ministry. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://sangabpres.org/immigrant-accompaniment-organizer/
[2] https://oga.pcusa.org/section/mid-council-ministries/immigration/about/
Gretchen A Saalbach is a recent graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and a current Sacred Sector Fellow.
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