Conference Minister's Corner 6.10.26

Conference Minister's Corner

Rev. Gordon Rankin, Conference Minister

6.10.26

“Reclaiming the Narrative”

In nine days, we recognize an important day in American history – Juneteenth. This was the day in 1865 that African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned that they were no longer slaves. This was more than two years after they had legally been emancipated.

June is also Pride month. We celebrate the divine intention created in those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer and the giftedness these folks bring into our world. 

I pray for and encourage all of our churches to find faithful ways to mark these events within your community. If you are at a loss for how to do so, I have a suggestion. One of the cultural phenomena we are experiencing right now is the erasure of the history and cultural relevance of people who are Black and brown as well as folks who are LGBTQIA+. Their stories and their cultural impacts are intentionally being erased from our shared cultural narrative. I can’t think of a more wounding sin.

So here is something I believe every one of our churches can do. Be those who reclaim this narrative. As those who believe that the Divine spark is found in all God’s children, let us not be complicit in accepting the cultural erasure of anyone. Let us in our church communities be telling the stories of Antoinette Brown Blackwell and Bill Johnson, of Valerie Russell and Andrew Young. Share the poetry (with copyright permission) of Phillis Weatley and Amanda Gorman. Share the music (again with copyright permission) of Spencer Lovejoy and Sweet Honey in the Rock. (And if you don’t know who some of these who I have names are, what a wonderful opportunity to learn more about them.) Every one of these folks is a profound person of faith. By sharing their stories and their contributions, we are reclaiming from society the ability to erase these faithful legacies. We are reminding the world that their stories are our stories in this one great narrative of faith.

This year, there is an intentional effort among some of our UCC churches to find a way to liturgically mark Juneteenth with prayer vigils. It would be of great impact for some of our New Hampshire UCC churches to do as their sibling churches are doing. Should you be planning or desire to plan a Juneteenth Prayer Vigil, your neighbors in the Southern New England Conference have assembled these liturgical resources for your use: https://www.sneucc.org/juneteenth-worship-resources-page

Gordon

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Melt the ICE HATS

The NHCUCC’s unique Immigrant Bond & Support Fund, managed by our Immigrant & Refugee Support Group (IRSG), is under tremendous strain. As we’ve all read in the news, ICE detentions have become more and more sweeping and indiscriminate.

As a result, the Strafford County Jail in Dover (which has an ICE detention contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) is packed with individuals in ICE detention. One of our conference's most compelling ministries is our commitment to making very modest monetary deposits ($35 per deposit) to our ICE-detained siblings’ jail commissary accounts so they can purchase food to assuage their hunger, a warm sweatshirt, personal hygiene items—and, especially, desperately needed phone calls to the outside world. The IRSG is now spending $3,000 or more monthly for this essential “lifeline” -- as we endeavor to bring a little hope and UCC love of neighbor to 80 or more individuals in ICE detention in Dover each month.

To help shore up the IRSG's rapidly dwindling funds, generous and creative knitters from South Church UCC in Concord stepped in by knitting and selling miniature “Melt the ICE hats” as pins!

These “hat pins” helped South Church raise over $2100 to benefit the jail commissary ministry of the IRSG, resulting in support for over 60 individuals in ICE detention. South Church Knitters crafted 200 of these small "Melt the ICE" hat pins and made them available within their congregation and at the No Kings Rally for a donation to the Immigrant Bond & Support Fund. The hats are appealing, and the stories and needs of those in ICE detention are compelling. Donors were generous! The hats can be pinned onto clothing, representing year-round resistance to ICE activities plus support for immigrants in our state and nationwide.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE THROUGH THE LENS OF DIVERSITY

Not all experiences have been joyful. It’s a truism these days that this country is not welcoming to immigrants. The stress on them and the people who love and care for them is palpable. I have seen terror and tears in the eyes of men targeted by immigration authorities. I have witnessed instability in families not knowing who would be detained or deported or when. Some are hiding in their homes, unable to work or even shop for food, and wondering if it was a mistake to come to this country. I especially worry for the mental health and future of immigrant children; my photo of a small boy, terrified that his father would be deported, continues to haunt me.

Some in our communities are adding to the fear and separation of families. Several local police departments have signed 287(g) agreements, whereby the Department of Homeland Security provides funding to local police departments, and in return the police can arrest any immigrant they suspect of being here illegally (NHPR, 5/7/2026). Our legislature is currently working on a bill, NH SB625, that would gut the refugee resettlement program by prohibiting the allocation of any state funding. According to the Anti-Defamation League, neo-Nazi groups located in our state continue to champion antisemitic and anti-immigrant hate.

Yet, there’s hope. Many New Hampshire residents have rallied to help their immigrant neighbors. Faith groups, nonprofits, community organizations, and individual volunteers are standing with frightened families, providing essential aid and nurturing hope. Some city councils have voted to become certified Welcoming Communities. The national program, Welcoming Week (September 10-19, 2026), is celebrated each year throughout our state. Our multicultural festivals draw large, supportive crowds. Churches have sponsored individual families, a labor of love requiring dedicated care and navigation of the confusion and uncertainty facing their immigrant friends.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to witness and photograph cultural diversity throughout our state over 15 years. I have taken countless photographs, but I have been given much more. I have been inspired by the strength and resilience of immigrants, many of whom fled unspeakable violence to start over in a new land with a new language and new traditions. My own faith has been strengthened by experiencing similarities and differences with other religious traditions. I have admired the young people who work so hard on their studies, not taking education for granted and excelling in their grades.

The road ahead is rocky for our immigrant neighbors. Uncertainty and fear will not ease up soon. Nevertheless, with the combined heart-felt work of many, we can be a force of compassion and security. Our state is strong, vibrant, and more resilient because of the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity that immigrants bring. My hope for our future is that New Hampshire will move above and beyond the current political and social divides and recognize that diversity, welcoming, and inclusion enrich all our lives.