UM Facebook Page on Immigration Issues Is Established

8/23/2012

The Rev. Jim Perdue, a General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) missionary assigned to immigration justice ministry, has set up a Facebook page to assist United Methodists in understanding the issues and to help them get involved.

"Churches have been wondering how to get involved in helping those students within their parishes who were brought here illegally as children and are now in high school and college, but who won't be able to get work in this country in which they grew up," he writes. "I have now opened a Facebook page that tracks the immigration issue, including links to the information and documents your church and its members will need in helping these youth in your neighborhood to get enrolled in [the new program] of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security."
 
To access the information, "Like" the Facebook page "UMC National Plan for Immigration." Information is updated on a daily basis.
 
Perdue (at left) is based in the Desert Southwest Annual Conference, where he facilitates the participation of the Conference in partnership with the national office of the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministries for Immigration and Border Ministry, in their goal of effecting U.S. comprehensive immigration reform. He also interprets the United Methodist biblical and theological understanding of immigration to United Methodist congregations and agencies, assisting them where appropriate in developing ministries of compassion and justice in the areas of immigration and border ministry; assists and informs groups and agencies working on the creation of models of vocational training, assistance centers, and various economic empowerment projects that benefit immigrants on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border; and leads the creation of replicable models of ministry with immigrants, including working with Conference United Methodist Women leadership to develop ministry with immigrant women and children. He also assists in strengthening the work of Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON), particularly in the Western Jurisdiction.
 
Perdue says the new Facebook page attempts to provide reliable information "that is not too caught up in the rhetoric of political debate, so it should contain more links to primary information sources."
 
For more information, email JimPerdue@desertsw.org.

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