Apolline Guillerot-Malick / SOPA Images Sipa USA via AP
Immigrant Center
St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church's immigrant center in New York City is an example of the kinds of projects eligible to receive grants from the General Commission on Religion and Race. SPSA has not been specified as a 2025 GCORR grant recipient, as the names of all projects receiving grants are being kept confidential to protect them from raids by immigration enforcement agents and possible anti-immigrant attacks. (Photo by Apolline Guillerot-Malick / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
Aug. 7, 2025
The United Methodist Church’s racial monitoring agency is awarding grants to what it calls “bold ministries” on immigration, but it’s not telling who’s getting the money to protect the safety of ministries and their locations.
The General Commission on Religion and Race released news of the grants Aug. 7 without specifying either the recipients’ names or the individual amounts given. The release says the grants come from the commission’s U.S. CORR Action Fund “to support courageous ministries addressing the complex realities of immigration in the United States.”
“Due to the current sociopolitical climate and the potential risks faced by individuals and organizations engaging in immigration justice work, GCORR has made the intentional decision not to publish the names or locations of grant recipients,” the release said. “This measure ensures the safety, dignity, and confidentiality of those leading and participating in this vital ministry.”
Based on news reports of the past six months, the "potential risks" faced by churches and other agencies helping immigrants could include raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and attacks by anti-immigrant forces.
Jeehye Kim, Religion and Race’s media spokesperson, said in an email: “This year’s grants, totaling more than $160,000, are awarded to 17 innovative and justice-driven initiatives across the United States that support immigrant communities and equip United Methodist leaders for faithful, compassionate engagement.”
The denomination’s budget handbook says the 2020/2024 General Conference allocated Religion and Race’s Core Action Fund roughly $2.6 million over the 2025-2028 fiscal period. All of the money comes from the contributions of United Methodists; none of it comes from federal funding.
The commission’s leaders said the grants were given to applicants whose ministries showed both innovation and compassion for helping immigrants in the currently turbulent U.S. political situation.
“These investments are part of our broader commitment to equipping the Church for faithful, equity-centered ministry,” said the Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo, general secretary of GCORR. “We are responding to the urgency of this moment by resourcing ministries that reflect the Gospel call to justice, dignity, and inclusion.”
The Rev. Alka Lyall, chair of the CORR Action Fund Committee, said, “We are proud to support these remarkable efforts that reflect both courage and compassion. These projects are living examples of what it looks like to embody Christ’s love through action — creating safe, welcoming spaces and offering tangible support to those navigating the complexities of immigration in our time.”
The commission’s website says projects receive up to $10,000 for a 12-month period from Aug. 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026.
Also according to the website, the U.S. portion of its Action Fund provides grants to local congregations, church clusters, districts, campus ministries and United Methodist-affiliated colleges and universities. The website says projects must:
- “Have a direct impact on our immigrant siblings.”
- “Build alliances with community entities that serve the immigrant community.”
- “Integrate GCORR’s Vital Conversation on Immigration curriculum to educate congregation/organizational leadership, ensuring they are well-prepared to fulfill the objectives of this grant.”
Grant stipulations also state that projects should:
- “Demonstrate responsive approaches that address immigration realities of their community.”
- “Engage and serve immigrant communities with forethought and direct engagement with community partnerships and alliances.”
- “Create initiatives that have lasting change with the potential to be replicated in other local churches, districts, conferences, or UMC-affiliated entities.”
- “Intentionally incorporate and build upon existing GCORR immigration resources and tools.”
The racial monitoring agency, known by its logo “R2” or “R-Squared,” was established in 1972 after the merger of the former Methodist Church with its German-heritage cousin, the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In that union, the Methodist Church’s racially segregated Central Jurisdiction was abolished, resulting in the departure of some Southern Methodist churches that refused racial integration.
Today the commission monitors racial inclusion within The United Methodist Church and provides consultations, training/workshops, public speaking and facilitation on complex, sensitive challenges such as open space technology and human-centered design for churches.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011 as a media channel to amplify news for, about and by marginalized and under-served United Methodists.