Church Leaders Stand With Haitian Neighbors

by

Advocating Justice

Sept. 19, 2024 | UM News

Key points:

  • As false claims about Haitian migrants have led to bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio, United Methodists have stepped in to provide comfort and denounce hate.
  • United Methodists in Ohio and beyond are trying to live out the Bible’s teachings to welcome the stranger.
  • Church leaders also are speaking out as anti-immigrant rhetoric thrusts the small borough of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, into the national spotlight.

United Methodist leaders in Springfield, Ohio, and across the U.S. are standing in solidarity with Haitian migrants and condemning hateful rhetoric that targets them and their newly adopted homes.

“We are doing our best to support each other,” said the Rev. Vicki Downing, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in downtown Springfield. “It isn’t us and them; it’s just us.”

Her congregation is one of many in the western Ohio city that counts Haitians among its parishioners. On any given Sunday, she said, about eight to 12 Haitian residents attend worship at Grace. Over the past few years, Downing has baptized three Haitian-American babies.

But this past week has shrouded her entire community in a pall of fear.

Springfield — about 27 miles northeast of Dayton — has been rocked by at least 33 bomb threats since former President Donald Trump and his Republican running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, began pushing false claims that the city’s Haitian migrants were eating people’s pets. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, also a Republican, told ABC’s “This Week” that “there’s no evidence of this at all.”

All the threats turned out to be hoaxes. But they led to the evacuation of city facilities, closures of public schools, blockage of roads and lockdowns of two hospitals. The city called in Ohio state police to protect the children returning to school. The onslaught disrupted the lives of just about everyone in this city of 58,000 and terrorized the Haitian newcomers — people, it should be noted, who are in the U.S. legally.

In the midst of the upheaval, United Methodists have tried to offer both hospitality and comfort to the besieged community. In doing so, they are trying to follow God’s instruction in Exodus 23:9: “You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” It’s a sentiment familiar to most Americans, who like the Israelites, can trace their family origins to other lands.

After worship this past Sunday, Downing made sure her Haitian parishioners knew she was available to listen. One member asked if she should leave Springfield. Downing answered, “You belong here.”

To learn more

Both church and city leaders have shared information on what’s happening in Springfield, Ohio. The church also has resources on how to help immigrants.

Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, who leads both the East and West Ohio conferences, has issued a call to prayer for the people of Springfield.

The city of Springfield, Ohio, has put together a website to answer frequently asked questions about immigration in the city.

The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race condemns false claims about migrants.

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society has suggestions for welcoming and advocating for immigrants. 

The United Methodist Council of Bishops denounce political violence and authoritarianism. 

Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, who began his leadership of the East and West Ohio conferences on Sept. 1, also called on fellow United Methodists to pray for all the people of Springfield.

“We pray for Springfield and its citizens who are currently experiencing chaos and hurt,” Jung, an immigrant himself from South Korea, told United Methodist News. “We are concerned for the dignity and freedom of the Haitian community. I strongly believe immigrant justice belongs to all of us. Any discrimination and harm must stop.”

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society shared a similar message — urging “United Methodists to make a bold witness, stand against hate and take action” for all immigrants.

That witness is already happening. When the Revs. Chip Freed and Terry McHugh heard the news, the pastors of Garfield Memorial United Methodist Church in the East Ohio Conference offered to share their church’s “Love Your Neighbor” signs with their fellow clergy across the state. The West Ohio Conference has adapted the Garfield Memorial United Methodist design and printed signs it plans to distribute across the area on Sept. 20. 

By and large, the Haitian migrants who have moved to Springfield and other cities across the U.S. have received temporary protected status. The designation, administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, means that beneficiaries can live and work anywhere in the U.S. while conditions in their home country make it unsafe for their return.

Many of the migrants came to Springfield fleeing danger in Haiti, which has experienced civil conflict since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Homeland Security has granted Haitians in the U.S. temporary protected status through Feb. 3, 2026, and may choose to extend that date.

Bottom line: The Haitian migrants in the U.S. are here legally, and they are contributing to their new communities.

Springfield city and business leaders credit the estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians in the city and surrounding Clark County with helping to bolster the local economy. According to a city website of frequently asked questions, Springfield is now home to 10 new businesses started by Haitians.

City officials also have repeatedly debunked rumors that Haitians are abducting and eating people’s pets. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Trump campaign ran with the rumors even after city officials on Sept. 9 told a staff member of Vance’s that they were baseless.

The city also has refuted rumors that Haitian migrants have contributed to a rise in infectious diseases, including HIV.   

What is true is that the massive influx of immigrants over the past four years has brought challenges, including the need for more housing and school resources.

“The infrastructure was not prepared to receive as many immigrants who decided to come to Springfield,” Downing said.

However, she added, “all of us are created in the image of God. We can all be together and love and respect each other.”

High Street United Methodist Church in Springfield is among the groups helping to provide needed resources for new neighbors. The church holds English Language Learner classes with a high number of immigrants participating.

The Rev. Cynthia Atwater, the church’s pastor, said she has heard from fellow United Methodists from across the state and as far away as Washington state who also are eager to help with their prayers and support.  

“It makes me proud to be a connectional church,” she said.

United Methodists are also seeking to uphold the sacred worth of all people now that national attention is turning toward the western Pennsylvania community of Charleroi, a borough of just over 4,000. Former President Donald Trump used part of his rally in Tucson, Arizona, to bash the community’s Haitian immigrants. His rhetoric exacerbated already existing tensions in the borough, where some credit immigrant-owned businesses with revitalizing downtown and others worry about the changes the newcomers bring.

Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, who leads the Western Pennsylvania Conference, said she laments the hateful rhetoric toward the Haitian community in both Springfield and Charleroi.

“In these times of heightened polarization and division, it is more important than ever to foster a spirit of empathy, respect and understanding while working for the safety and support of our Haitian families,” she said.

She added that Scripture challenges United Methodists and all Christians to choose the more perfect way of living and to embody love and respect in all interactions.

“The Great Commandment directs us to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The letter to the Colossians tells us to put on compassion and kindness. And Genesis reminds us that every individual is made in God’s divine image and is therefore worthy of honor and respect,” she said.

The Rev. Don Wilson, who recently began his appointment at Covenant United Methodist Church in Springfield, said the unity that he and others so often preach must be more than a slogan.

“It must be lived,” he preached. “We are called to manifest love in radical ways, to stand in faith that lifts the weak, heals the broken and raises up the downtrodden. This is our moment to embody the love of Christ — a love that does not retreat but steps boldly into the fight for justice, truth and freedom.”

Heather Hahn is assistant news editor for UM News.