Last week, I engaged in four different types of advocacy. I have experience in advocacy, but this was a rare week for me. One thing I did wasn’t more important than another. And one kind of advocacy isn’t more impactful than the others. All are needed. And all of us can do one of these things.

Calling all Texans! The Senate is getting to pass two terrible immigration bills that would encourage racial profiling and create a lot of fear and chaos.

The conversation in Austin seems so very far from the realities of those making their way to our southern border.

Last week, as elected officials at the Capitol were debating further militarizing the border and passing punitive policies hoping to deter migrants, Fellowship Southwest was coordinating teams of volunteers to offer those same neighbors a warm welcome, and to work alongside our partners who do so every day.

Today, 39 national and local organizations launched a new campaign to #LetAsylumSeekersWork faster. The effort comes at a time of historic national labor shortages. People seeking asylum in the United States are eager to support themselves and join the labor force yet are currently required to wait up to six months or more to access work permits. Groups behind the effort are calling for urgent congressional action to reduce the amount of time asylum seekers must wait before being eligible to apply for work permits. 

Kaitlin Curtice spoke at the Fellowship Southwest Compassion & Justice Conference. As a citizen of the Potawatomi nation, she is a strong leader for Indigenous rights. She gave the audience a handful of easy ways we can learn, understand, and support organizations that advocate for Indigenous peoples and their rights.

Take action now!

Estamos a las puertas de una crisis mundial de hambre y desnutrición sin precedentes, y tu apoyo puede hacer la diferencia. La Ley Agrícola de los Estados Unidos o Farm Bill –un proyecto de ley crucial que no solo afecta a la agricultura estadounidense sino también a la seguridad alimentaria mundial– expirará el 30 de septiembre y necesita que el Congreso la reautorice. Por eso, necesitamos tu ayuda para que el Congreso apruebe y fortalezca el Farm Bill antes de que culmine este mes.

We are facing a global hunger and malnutrition crisis of unprecedented proportions, and time is running out on a bill that would make a difference. The Farm Bill –a crucial piece of legislation that impacts not only American agriculture but also global food security–  is up for reauthorization, with the current bill set to expire on September 30. We need your help to ensure that Congress passes and strengthens the Farm Bill to address these pressing issues.

We are at a critical juncture where our faith and values call us to stand up for justice and compassion. We invite you to join us in a vital advocacy effort alongside various faith-based organizations and religious leaders. Together, we aim to address the injustices perpetuated under Operation Lone Star in Texas.

Our Christian faith calls us to stand alongside our immigrant neighbors, particularly Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, known as 'Dreamers.' These young individuals were brought to the U.S. as children and enrolled in the DACA program, which provides protection from deportation and allows them to work. However, our commitment to solidarity is now urgently needed as recent developments have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the lives of nearly 600,000 Dreamers, who have known no other home than the United States.

Marianela Hernandez knows what it’s like to immigrate to the U.S. from Venezuela. She and her family went through the process just seven years ago. But a lot has changed since then, and on her recent trip to Brownsville, Texas, to serve migrants, she saw people who could have been her, had her family waited until now to leave.

No hay manera de que los soldados romanos que pusieron la corona de espinas sobre Jesús reclamaran que no sabían que estaba mal y era insultante. Tampoco, podían alegar que no sabían que Jesús estaba siendo crucificado por agenciarse facultades exclusivas al Mesías, poniendo de relieve que hoy ni el César ni Herodes eran el Hijo de Dios.

The Roman soldiers who put the crown of thorns on Jesus knew that it was wrong and insulting. They also knew that Jesus was being crucified for claiming to be the Messiah, highlighting that neither Caesar nor Herod were the sons of God. And yet, at the end of the day, there was no way to prevent the Kingdom of heaven from being at hand.

This past May, we issued an urgent call for volunteers to come to Brownsville, Texas, across the border from Matamoros, Mexico, where numbers of migrants were spiking. Our ministry partner in Brownsville, Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville and their pastor, Carlos Navarro, needed help serving the migrants coming through the bus station near them. Many Fellowship Southwest friends made quick plans and answered the call. Though the immigration numbers have stabilized, help is always needed, and this past weekend, three churches from around Texas convened in Brownsville.

Today is “Meet the Teachers” at my daughter’s school, so let’s go ahead and “Meet the Preachers” for our upcoming conference today too!

Both days of the Friday-Saturday conference, Sept. 8-9, will conclude with a brief worship session. The preacher for Friday’s worship is Zach W. Lambert, and the preacher for Saturday’s worship is Rev. Victoria Robb Powers.

Stephen Reeves offered this pastoral prayer at First Baptist Austin on Sunday for migrants, for law enforcement, for our politicians, and for all of us. For the video of the prayer, click here. It begins at 38:55.

Imagine que tratar de cruzar hileras de alambre de púas fuera más seguro que quedarse en casa.
Imagine que el sumergirse en un río embravecido con su bebé les ofreciera una mejor oportunidad de sobrevivir que el regresar a su país.

Ahora imagine que aquellos que toman tales decisiones fueran blancos y hablaran inglés. ¿Podría usted imaginar que se pusieran en efecto las actuales políticas y tácticas del Gobernador Abbott que resultan en más muertes innecesarias?

Last week Fellowship Southwest brought these four pastors pictured above to Puerta Vallarta for a few days. Left to right, they are Juvenal Gonzalez from San Diego/Tijuana, Israel Rodriguez from Piedras Negras, Carlos Navarro from Brownsville, TX, and Rosalio Sosa from El Paso.

Imagine that trying to cross rows of razor wire was safer than staying at home. 

Imagine that plunging into a raging river with your toddler offered them better odds of survival than going back to your country. 

Now imagine if those making such choices were white and spoke English. Could you imagine Governor Abbott continuing policies and tactics that result in more unnecessary deaths?

At the annual luncheon for the Baptist Joint Committee, a group of six women in BJC leadership were asked this question: How do you want to expand our understanding of religious freedom with a broader justice lens?