News and Views

Faithful Resistance Spreads Across the Northeast

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Written in collaboration with NEJ Communicators

While hundreds gathered in Washington, D.C., for Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice (read the news story), United Methodists across the Northeastern Jurisdiction joined the movement in another powerful way.

In churches and communities hundreds of miles from the nation’s capital, people of faith held prayer vigils, worship services, and public gatherings, lifting up immigrants and calling for compassion, dignity, and justice. Their prayers, songs, and public witness echoed the same message heard in Washington: faith is not passive.

United Methodists often speak of discipleship as active and embodied. On this day, that conviction stretched across state lines and conference boundaries.

Grounded in Faith, Not Partisanship

In preparation for the public witness, participants gathered for a Zoom training on peaceful protest and legislative visits. During that session, Bishop Minerva Carcaño, chair of the United Methodist Immigration Task Force, addressed a question many wrestle with: How is this work non-partisan?

Her response reframed the conversation.

Immigration policy, she acknowledged, has been shaped across administrations and political parties. “We are all responsible for where we are today,” she said, urging participants to resist simplistic political narratives.

Rather than aligning the movement with party politics, Bishop Carcaño called leaders to center their moral commitments. She reminded participants that meaningful immigration reform has historically required bipartisan leadership and courage, pointing to past efforts that crossed party divides. But more importantly, she emphasized that this movement is rooted not in party loyalty, but in faithfulness.

What began as a United Methodist invitation quickly expanded beyond denominational lines. Ecumenical and interfaith partners joined, along with justice advocates committed to human dignity. “We knew we couldn’t do this alone,” she said, expressing hope that this moment marks “the beginning of a new movement, an ecumenical interfaith justice movement.”

Her words helped frame Faithful Resistance not as partisan protest, but as a moral summons rooted in prayer, accountability, and faithfulness.

New England Conference: A Connectional Witness of Prayer and Solidarity

Across the New England Conference, congregations gathered in sanctuaries, fellowship halls, and community spaces to join in prayerful, connectional solidarity for immigrant neighbors. Though separated by geography, churches across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont participated in a coordinated witness, embodying the unity of the Church as one body, one Spirit, and one call to love boldly.

Maine: At Brunswick United Methodist Church, participants gathered from 10 a.m. to noon for focused prayer, reflection, and communal discernment. The gathering provided space to lament, intercede, and recommit to the work of justice.

Massachusetts: Multiple congregations joined in solidarity, including Aldersgate UMC in Chelmsford, First UMC in Pittsfield, Blackstone Valley UMC in Whitinsville, Living Faith UMC in Beverly, and Westport UMC in Westport. These communities hosted prayer services and gatherings that lifted up immigrant families and explored ways to respond through advocacy and accompaniment.

New Hampshire: Wesley UMC in Concord gathered its community in prayer and reflection, affirming the call to stand with the marginalized and to engage in faithful witness within their local context.

Rhode Island: Arnold Mills UMC in Cumberland created space for communal prayer and conversation, grounding the gathering in Scripture and a shared commitment to justice.

Vermont: St. Paul’s UMC in St. Albans joined the regional witness, demonstrating that even in smaller communities, the call to justice is both urgent and universal.

In each setting, participants were reminded that connectionalism is not merely a structure but a lived reality. Even at a distance from Washington, D.C., congregations experienced themselves as part of a larger movement praying, witnessing, and advocating together.

Many reflected on Psalm 146:9: “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow.” For those gathered, this Scripture served as both comfort and commission, a reminder that God’s concern for the vulnerable must also be the Church’s.

A Movement Growing in Upper New York

Across the Upper New York (UNY) Conference, what began as a single gathering quickly multiplied into events held throughout the region. Churches opened their doors and their communities, hosting times of prayer, reflection, and public witness.

Gatherings took place at Centenary-Chenango UMC in Binghamton, St. Paul’s UMC in Ithaca, Victor UMC near Rochester, Auburn UMC, and later that evening at University UMC in Syracuse. Together, they formed a network of solidarity stretching across the conference.

“Our faith isn’t sedentary, it’s active. And if we’re not active in our faith, then it’s dying,” said Rev. Alan Kinney, chair of the UNY Immigration Task Force and Social Holiness Team. “We’re not political. It’s following the teachings of God through Christ to care about the immigrant, to care about the poor, the disenfranchised, and to tell everybody that you’re somebody.”

At Victor UMC, participants gathered for a livestream watch gathering before stepping outside to line Main Street with signs and prayers.

“In the Kingdom of God we are all immigrants, naturalized not by paperwork and processes, but by mercy and grace,” said Pastor Katrina Cappotelli.

“Churches in the United States have a long history of involvement in social justice, particularly the Methodist Church,” added Dr. Maggie Graham, lay leader at Victor UMC. “Standing up for immigrant justice is important every single day, and I’m blessed to be able to be a witness to that today and every day.”

Western Pennsylvania Joins the Witness

In the Western Pennsylvania Conference, the day began with prayer led by Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball and Conference staff. Roger White, Conference Treasurer, offered a reflection from the World Relief Prayer Guide, reminding participants that faithful resistance must first seek to “do no harm,” particularly to the vulnerable.

Asbury UMC hosted a livestream watch gathering in the northern part of the conference. That evening, Monroeville UMC became the site of a regional worship service organized by the Conference Connectional Witness Team.

“The service this evening… was a prophetic call to resist the present injustice visited on the immigrant community in our nation,” said Rev. Dr. David Morse, retired elder. “I personally felt challenged to do more to resist this injustice and fulfill the biblical call to discipleship as proclaimed in Matthew 25.”

Rev. Alyce Weaver Dunn, Director of Connectional Ministries, reflected, “The Western Pennsylvania Conference is grateful to be part of the larger United Methodist connection that can provide a powerful witness… As songs were sung, communion shared, stories heard, and candles lit, hope permeated the hearts of the participants.”

The evening concluded with the lighting of candles and the singing of “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love,” grounding advocacy in worship.

Baltimore-Washington & Peninsula-Delaware Area: Hospitality as Public Witness

While the streets of Washington, D.C., became a place of public witness, the Baltimore-Washington & Peninsula-Delaware Area embodied another essential expression of faith: radical hospitality.

In a gathering centered on immigration justice and welcoming the stranger, the act of welcome itself became a proclamation.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference partnered with the Northeastern Jurisdiction to ensure every participant was nourished. The NEJ Vision Table sponsored lunches for those traveling from within the jurisdiction, while the Baltimore-Washington Conference provided meals for those outside it.

When attendance exceeded capacity at Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, nearby Ebenezer United Methodist Church opened its doors as the first overflow worship site.

“We’re radically hospitable,” said Rev. Bresean Jenkins, Ebenezer’s pastor. “We wanted to make sure that all of God’s children felt naturally and spiritually welcomed in the space before they went to show their voice in Faithful Resistance.”

Though Ebenezer has fewer than 100 members, its sanctuary seats 800. On that morning, buses began unloading participants seeking warmth from the cold. Laity welcomed nearly 200 people before worship even began, serving coffee, offering conversation, and opening doors.

“Small churches are still having an impact,” Jenkins said. “You don’t have to be large to be excellent.”

He emphasized that Ebenezer and Capitol Hill UMC serve in an ongoing partnership. “This wasn’t Capitol Hill versus Ebenezer. Pastor Stephanie and I always work together.” Clergy and lay leaders stepped seamlessly into service. “No one was looking for who was in charge. Everyone was being served in service.”

That same spirit of active faith echoed throughout the Area.

Rev. Tina Blake, Peninsula-Delaware District Superintendent and Dean of the Cabinet, reflected, “It is the call of Jesus upon our lives to be the spokespersons for the less fortunate and the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Rev. Evelyn Romero, Pastor of College Park UnMC and Mount Memorial UMC, added, “It’s time for the Church to stand up… to advocate for others and to serve those who are being oppressed and marginalized.”

And Rev. Carlos Reyes Rodríguez of Immigration Law & Justice Network named the urgency plainly: “Faith cannot be passive. It needs to be active. This is a matter of life and death.”

At Capitol Hill UMC, welcoming the stranger is not symbolic. Since 2022, the congregation has served more than 10,000 migrants, operating as a welcome center, running a Free Immigrant Tienda, and delivering weekly groceries to families facing heightened enforcement pressures.

In worship, in shared meals, and in open doors, the Church practiced what it proclaimed: to welcome the stranger is itself an act of justice.

Eastern Pennsylvania & Greater New Jersey

From the coastal shore of New Jersey to the banks of the Susquehanna River, leaders from across both conferences stood in solidarity with the most vulnerable among us. Rev. Gina Yeske, Associate Superintendent, hosted a prayer vigil during the march. Forty people from across New Jersey prayed together as demonstrators made their way to Upper Senate Park. 

In EPA, thirty people gathered to livestream the service at Ross Street UMC in Lancaster, PA. Rev. Jason Perkowski was grateful for the opportunity to gather with like-minded leaders. “It was wonderful to watch locally in community and to know that there are others who care about our neighbors and to have conversations about how we can move things forward,” he shared. 

In addition to the larger gatherings, others, like First UMC Somerville, hosted small watch parties in the church kitchen. 

From DC, to Lancaster, to northern New Jersey, and in virtual spaces, United Methodists gather to witness to the essential dignity of every human life.

Take Action

From New England’s prayer gatherings to Upper New York’s public witness, from Western Pennsylvania’s worship services to Washington’s radical hospitality, the message across the Northeastern Jurisdiction was clear: the Church is called to more than words.

It is called to show up.
To speak out.
To stand alongside the vulnerable.

Grounded in Scripture and united in connectional ministry, United Methodists across the Northeast are embodying a faith that is both deeply spiritual and profoundly active.

As the movement continues, leaders are encouraging congregations and individuals to take further steps, engaging with elected officials, advocating for humane immigration policies, and continuing in prayer and public witness.

Make your voice heard. Reach out to your members of Congress. Call, email, or schedule a meeting and share why immigrant justice matters to you. Click the following links for resources to help guide your conversations, including information on 

Resources to guide your conversations:

United Methodists affirm that faithful citizenship includes advocating for laws and systems that protect human dignity and promote justice for all. In this moment, the Church is remembering who it is and whose it is. Across the Northeast, that calling is being lived boldly in prayer, witness, and love. 

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