This week our country observes and celebrates Juneteenth National Independence Day as a federal holiday for the third time. Of course, many in our country have been celebrating Juneteenth for over 150 years.

On June 19, 1865, news of Emancipation finally reached Galveston, Texas. The legal status of enslaved people across the American South was officially changed from “enslaved” to “free” two and a half years prior with President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. But enforcement of the executive order took that long to reach Texas.

MiscellaneousCameron VickreyJune 18, 2024Cameron Vickrey

Behind the scenes at a board meeting, learning about Native history

Fellowship Southwest is committed to compassion and justice around four priorities: immigration, racial justice, hunger and Native American topics. To help us navigate our work with Native compassion and justice, we are currently working with Mariah Humphries, a Mvskoke citizen. She is guiding us in a process of discernment toward our place in this conversation.

NativeCameron VickreyMay 15, 2024Cameron Vickrey

Chaplain law is just another way to politicize our schools

A commentary by Cameron Vickrey for San Antonio Express-News, Feb. 9, 2024

The deadline looms. Every public school district in Texas has been given until March 1 to choose between what seems to be two options for the role of chaplains in their schools.

But many are finding their way forward with a third way. This third way might at first seem like a people-pleasing, nondecision that avoids conflict and ignores the issue, but there’s wisdom in it.

MiscellaneousCameron VickreyFebruary 14, 2024Cameron Vickrey

Holy families of today

In nearly every moment of the Christmas story, characters heed promptings from angels. An angel announces to Mary she is chosen to be the mother of God, and she accepts. An angel encourages Joseph to support Mary in this calling, and he does. The magi return home from Bethlehem by another road, and the new family flees to another country in order to protect their child, all thanks to divine messengers.

IMMIGRATIONCameron VickreyDecember 13, 2023Cameron Vickrey

An example of neighbor-love

It was a normal Monday night in a middle class neighborhood full of busy families driving kids to and fro activities, cooking dinner and doing homework. A fellow mom, Nancy, texted 22 of our neighbors, including me, with this:

IMMIGRATIONCameron VickreyDecember 6, 2023Cameron Vickrey

Four types of advocacy in one week. Can you pick one to try?

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.

Social Justice, MiscellaneousCameron VickreyNovember 2, 2023Cameron Vickrey

Christians can be an important voice for public schools in Texas right now

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is already celebrating the gains for what he calls religious freedom in the state's 88th Legislature. The Texas Tribune quoted him as saying, “I believe that you cannot change the culture of the country until you change the culture of mankind. Bringing the Ten Commandments and prayer back to our public schools will enable our students to become better Texans.”

MiscellaneousCameron VickreyMay 3, 2023Cameron Vickrey

The power of prayer with migrants in Reynosa

Our new friend Alma Ruth says, “You can’t unsee what you have seen at the border. What you see makes you a witness to the humanitarian crisis. And then you have the moral authority to advocate.” Let me tell you what we saw last weekend on a border trip touching base with our ministry partners.

ReynosaCameron VickreySeptember 8, 2022Cameron Vickrey

Understanding the new development with DACA

Have you seen the headlines that Biden is making DACA more permanent? This is something to celebrate! But it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Here’s the download, which I got from Elket Rodriguez, our immigration legal specialist.

PolicyCameron VickreyAugust 31, 2022Cameron Vickrey

Happy 5 years to Fellowship Southwest!

CAMERON:

Five years ago this summer I had just started a job working for a public affairs group with some dear friends. We had an exciting new client which they hired me to help out with. It was a network of churches and organizations brought together by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship all focused on mission and ministries in the Southwest. They were calling it “Fellowship Southwest.” My friends sought me out because of my experience with churches and my personal connections inside these networks. I was part of the team who would help strategize and assist with communications for this budding new organization.

Cameron VickreyJuly 28, 2022Cameron Vickrey

Migrant deaths are too common, and they will just keep happening

There seems to be an assumption that fewer people will choose to emigrate from their homes in the wake of tragic migrant deaths they hear about along with us in the news. But these tragedies should not be used by politicians as a deterrence method. First of all, it doesn’t work. Secondly, it’s callous and inhumane.

Cameron VickreyJuly 28, 2022Cameron Vickrey

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