St. Mary’s Joins Diocesan Efforts to Support Immigrants and LGBTQ+ Communities

On February 1, a St. Mary’s representative joined those from other local Episcopal Churches for the inaugural meeting of the Diocesan Community Responsiveness Committee to acknowledge the collaborative work of our churches and identify current needs: The immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities.

Our focus will be to identify what we know about sharing best practices in direct service, organizing advocacy actions, Christian formation and worship resources, and community education to protect asylum and support asylum seekers and those who the immigration detention system might harm. We include persons who are scared because they fear being persecuted based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and/or sex characteristics.

As members of the Body of Christ, we stand together and we will renew our commitment to live out God’s second greatest commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39)

Our Missions include:

• Educating congregations within the Diocese of Maine and ministries of other faith traditions about US immigration policy, the current plight of immigrants in Maine, the challenges facing LGBTQ+ people, transgender people and their families, and actions underway to support them.

• Advocating, in partnership with the Maine Episcopal Public Policy Network and the Maine Council of Churches, for a just immigration system and equal treatment of LGBTQ+ people.

Each of our churches will be addressing these missions in different ways, but we are committed to working collaboratively to become “a bright light for our migrant and LGBTQ neighbors.”

St. Mary’s has some experience and skills to bring to this table, thanks to the work of the Outreach Committee during our 2018 year of focus on immigration through which we built lasting relationships with several immigrants and the non-profits supporting them. In concert with the Outreach Committee, we now seek to expand relationships in both the Immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities and associated non-profits.

We need your help! Are you volunteering or have you volunteered-- or have you contacts --with any businesses or organizations supporting these communities? We need your guidance, expertise and welcome your involvement in this effort. Please contact Jennifer Gregg.