Visit the Press Coverage page for four new stories on Sojo.net, Iowa City Press Citizen, the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the America's Voice blog.
Visit the Max Villatoro page for a press release on our visits.
Visit the Press Coverage page for four new stories on Sojo.net, Iowa City Press Citizen, the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the America's Voice blog. Visit the Max Villatoro blog page for a video of Pastor Max as well as several Action Alerts related to our visits to Washington, D.C., this weekend.
Read the latest news from Ecuador here. Also view a new 10 minute video about the Ecuadorian Mennonite Church here. Bring Pastor Max home
Actions:
Background: Nearly one year ago, Iowa City pastor, beloved father, husband, and community leader Max Villatoro was deported to Honduras. Although we have mourned Pastor Max’s absence from his family, friends, and church, we have not given up our struggle to reunite the Villatoro family and bring Pastor Max home. We also continue to urge Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of DHS, to follow their own guidelines and not deport immigrants, such as Pastor Max, who clearly pose no public safety concern and have close family and community ties in the United States. Faith reflection: Please continue to pray that Max will be able to return to his family. Also pray for his wife, Gloria, and his children Anthony, Edna, Angela, and Aileen. Pray also for Max’s church community, his lawyer and others working to help him. Pray for government officials that their hearts will be opened. Actions:
Sample talking points:
http://mcc.org/get-involved/advocacy/alert/bring-pastor-max-home-0 One of our spiritual disciplines in Central Plains Mennonite Conference is to "accept and offer hospitality, believing it creates the context for God’s kingdom to appear in our midst, particularly as we minister to the poor, the hungry, the prisoner and the stranger."
Today, 39 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict or natural disaster. Ten million are refugees and 29 million are internally displaced persons (meaning they have not crossed an international border). (American Refugee Committee International) Find ways for your congregation to become involved in refugee resettlement on our Support for Refugees page. |
Central Plains Mennonite Conferencecreates settings for our congregations and partners to grow in holistic witness to God's reconciling mission by developing leadership, encouraging fellowship and promoting lifelong discipleship. Archives
October 2017
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