Justice is more than talking and organizing

As a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, I pride myself on having community organizing roots. I root myself and my organizing skills in non-white community traditions. My passion is moving beyond dialogue and organizing. I encourage measurable action in hallways, churches, and on the streets.

I practice post-colonial community organizing. In the model of Jesus, I enter a community to learn its culture, identify their needs, and then recruit people who I believe God is calling into ministry. I then equip and encourage the leaders to lead!

In New York City, I got my feet wet with organizing in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Many of my classmates were Occupy chaplains. I wanted to see what it was about. I joined the day that the city decided to kettle bell multiple groups of protestors. As we marched on city hall, armed police were ready to engage us, and snipers in police helicopters trained their sights on us as we demanded equality, justice, and a living wage.

In my time as a pastor and community organizer, I have marched in demonstrations for Black Lives Matter, Pride, Domestic Violence Memorials, and Immigrant Rights. I was a member of the Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition that advocated for fair treatment of migrant workers in the food, wine, and farming industries.

I served as a volunteer tutor for the Children’s Home Society Summer Camp held at Valle Lindo, a migrant farming community. While there, I tutored children who received special education services on reading, reading comprehension, and writing skills.

In my time as pastor, I helped create a multifaith clergy breakfast group that would meet once a month to connect and share ideas for ministry and community success. As well, I served as as street preacher doling out ashes on Ash Wednesday, meeting people where they work and live, and I served as a reserve indigent funeral chaplain.

I serve on our conference’s board on youth, help organize our annual youth convocation, serve as a camp pastor for children and teenagers, helped my former church plant fund-raise for over 1000 masks and ear-savers for children and healthcare workers during the quarantine, advocated for healthcare education during COVID, and I have served as a missionary to the Navajo Nation, Lapwai Tribe, and people of El Cajon, CA.

I will always and everywhere be an actionable servant of God.