Online Prayer Vigil Offers Hope

“It is my pleasure to join you in a conversation this evening about how our immigrant leaders and churches in the Christian Reformed Church are experiencing the current environment, especially in the United States, around immigration,” said Rev. Zachary King, general secretary of the CRCNA, as he welcomed viewers to a special, online prayer vigil Sept. 10. 

This was the first time the CRCNA led a denomination-wide event in which members of churches across North America could join simultaneously for a time of prayer. The impetus for this prayer vigil was a letter sent on behalf of Consejo Latino (a leadership group for Hispanic CRCs) outlining many of the challenges that immigrant communities in the United States have been experiencing in the past several months. 

After receiving the letter, senior leaders of the CRCNA invited several leaders of immigrant churches to a meeting to share their stories, and decided to request that CRC members join them in prayer about this situation. The request included a prayer that churches could incorporate into their Sept. 7 worship services, as well as an invitation to attend the online prayer vigil Sept. 10.

“The Christian Reformed Church is a denomination that in the past 30 years has grown from being 5 percent primarily non-Caucasian churches to over 25 percent today,” King added during his introductory comments at the prayer vigil. “We are a denomination that wants to live out our scriptural values, and our values have led us to declare that we want to be a welcoming and embracing denomination.”

Before opening the time of prayer, denominational prayer shepherd Jon Hoekema invited two guests to share a few words on behalf of their churches. 

Rev. Joseph Bae from Ann Arbor Hope CRC shared a vision from Revelation 7:9 of one church made up of several nations. Bae’s community in Ann Arbor, Mich., represents this vision, he said, since it serves many international students, Korean immigrants, and others in the University of Michigan area. Bae shared some examples of how second- and third-generation Koreans still face discrimination as minorities in their communities, and how recently employees of Korean companies based in the U.S. have been sent back to Korea.

“We may not fully understand all the political reasons [behind what is happening], but I believe that cooperation, understanding, and unity will create even greater strength,” he said. “This is why prayer is so important.” 

Bae then shared the following thought in both Korean and English: “We trust that the Holy Spirit, who works everywhere, will guide us. And we believe that the God who created every nation and every language hears our prayers in whatever language we pray. In the name of Jesus Christ, who unites us in justice and mercy at the cross, we pray with confidence that God will hear and answer us tonight.”

Rev. Jose Rayas of Valley Ridge Community Church in El Paso, Tex., also spoke. 

“Some of the things that are happening right now with immigration are not just outside of the church,” he said. “They are actually affecting some of us.” 

Rayas shared stories of how he, himself, was pulled over and asked for papers even though he is a U.S. citizen. And he noted that when he was visiting Albuquerque, N.Mex., recently, he learned that many local Native American residents had stopped going out in public because Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were questioning them about being undocumented immigrants.

At his own church, Rayas said, “We have had four visits [while holding evening classes at the church] where the sheriff, ICE officers, and police officers have come in to check and see what we are doing. . . . These visits do impact the church, as well, because a place of worship has been flagged as a possible place where undocumented people may be found.” 

This, he explained, has resulted in lower church attendance, discouragement among members, and fear in the community. Rayas shared the story of one particular member, Adrian, who was falsely arrested, then released on bail to members of the church, and later required to go to an immigration hearing. Prayer kept Adrian from being picked up by ICE agents as he left the immigration court, Rayas said.

“God protected [Adrian] that day, and I am very glad to say that right now he is now enrolled at the seminary,” said Rayas. “The role that we [pastors, leaders, and churches] have is to intercede, not only in prayer but also physically, to help folks in the church see that God is with them – and God will ultimately have the last word.”

Participants then spent time in prayer rooted in various Scripture passages. The prayers centered on three themes: affected communities, our governments and leaders, and CRC ministries and the global church. 

People who tuned in to the prayer vigil via YouTube were encouraged to share their prayers in a chat feed alongside the video. On screen, prayers were offered by King, Hoekema, Bae, and Rayas, as well as by Al Postma (executive director-Canada), Dan DeKam (director of U.S. ministry operations), and Lesli van Milligen (director of Thrive).

The evening also included two beautiful and meaningful songs led by Thrive’s Korean connector, Catheryn Jo Kim. 

Approximately 50 individuals or groups tuned in to watch the event live. This included a few congregations who hosted watch events for their communities. 

Darrin Compagner at Shawnee Park CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich., for example, arranged for four local congregations to gather at his church to watch the vigil together. Participants included people from Shawnee Park CRC, Christian Agape Church, the African Community Fellowship CRC, and Iglesia De Cristo Misionera / Missionary Church of Christ. 

“Hosting this time provided a way of hearing from some affected neighbors who are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and having the opportunity to pray together,” said Compagner. “Those who came seemed appreciative, and I think they received it as an expression of mutual care and concern.”

That sentiment was echoed by another congregation who hosted people in their building to watch the vigil but asked that their location not be named in this article.

“We did not advertise or share broadly that we were meeting, just in case someone was to be looking for a gathering of immigrants,” the pastor shared. Instead, through word of mouth, a small group gathered. 

“Most of those who came have no roots in the CRC. They came [to our local congregation] because they found a loving community. They stay because a community loves them. This prayer vigil was probably the first connection for most of them to something bigger than the local church. And they felt loved. . . .

“Our pastor translated all of the English dialogue so that they could understand. After watching the livestream, we spent more time in prayer. Their prayers were of such great thankfulness for a denomination to be part of and for a broader awareness of immigrant issues unlike theirs (Korean). What struck me most was that they spent a majority of the time thanking God for his sovereignty in all things. They prayed for President Trump, that God would bless him and give him a heart for true justice. And they prayed for all the people who worry about them, that they would not worry but instead live with trust that God is always with us.” 

At the end of the online prayer vigil, DeKam invited people to connect with Thrive if they would like more information or resources on how they can support immigrants in their churches.