What’s your main role as staff at IAFR Jonathan House?
As the Jonathan House Church Engagement & Development Lead, my role involves connecting with congregations and larger church bodies.
The International Association for Refugees, of which Jonathan House is a part, sees itself as a tool in the belt of the church for doing ministry with forcefully-displaced people; in that respect I consider my role to be about sharing how congregations might utilize that tool, particularly with respect to congregations in the Twin Cities partnering with Jonathan House.
The other half of my position is focused on development and donor relations. In my experience, there are a lot of people whose hearts ache over the plight of those seeking asylum, but they just don’t know how they can make a difference. It’s never a hard sell raising support for Jonathan House; it’s simply about inviting people to connect that heartache with a tangible opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of asylum-seeking individuals in the Twin Cities.
How did you first learn about the plight of asylum-seeking individuals in America?
It’s hard for me to pin down one moment per se; it was more of a gradual awakening. I can say that I first resonated with the plight of refugees as an adult because of the Syrian refugee crisis and had a particular awakening to the United States’ responsibility (and lack of compassionate response to this humanitarian crisis) when I spent a number of weeks in Germany in May of 2017 for the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the reformation. The pastor’s congregation who hosted me while I was staying in Leipzig had opened their doors and arms to Syrian refugees and I was incredibly moved by the faithfulness of their actions to provide hospitality to our global neighbors in need, particularly at a time when the United States was actively closing doors to Syrian refugees.
Sometime later, I learned that as the US federal government was radically decreasing the numbers of individuals and families admitted into the refugee resettlement program, the numbers of those seeking asylum in America had been radically increasing (because these are simply two different legal categories of forcefully displaced people, but often they can be the very same people). From that point on, I became dedicated to figuring out how I could make a positive difference in the lives of asylum-seeking individuals in the US.
How did you first get involved in Jonathan House?
In September of 2019, Bethany Ringdal and I began exploring the possibility of starting a new Lutheran ministry rooted in a mission to share God’s radical hospitality among global neighbors. One aspect of that ministry model was to support a housing ministry for asylum-seeking individuals. I heard about Jonathan House through the MN Asylum Network, and seeing as providing supportive housing for asylum-seeking individuals was a primary aspect of our exploration, we had a strong interest in learning more about Jonathan House. I attended one of IAFR’s “Foundations of Refugee Ministry” trainings, and later sought out a volunteer opportunity to be a resident advocate with Jonathan House.
The more we got to know IAFR and Jonathan House, however, the more it became clear that rather than starting a new ministry, we both felt called and encouraged to join IAFR to support and help expand the incredible ministry of Jonathan House. I feel truly honored to be part of this team.
What’s something that everyone can do to help the cause of asylum-seeking individuals in the US?
Get to know an asylum-seeking individual or family in your area. It may seem like a hard prospect to even find, let alone get to know, an asylum-seeking individual, but there are lots of organizations around the US that are working to support asylum seekers and refugees. A quick web search and anyone can find a starting point for meeting and supporting asylum-seeking individuals in your area. Specific needs can vary significantly from one person to another, but the human need for friendship is universal.
Is there a statistic or fact that has surprised you concerning asylum-seeking individuals?
I was pretty surprised when I discovered that there are estimated to be ~3,000 asylum-seeking individuals in Minnesota and South Dakota (with the majority concentrated in the Twin Cities metro area). I guess I had falsely assumed that the vast majority of asylum-seeking individuals were clustered near the southern border of the US. I found the concept of the refugee highway to be very illuminating, and helpful in understanding how and why we have such a concentration of asylum-seeking individuals in the Twin Cities and other large pockets all around the United States.
What is something asylum-seeking individuals have taught you?
Asylum-seeking individuals have taught me a lot about resilience and the important role of faith in remaining resilient in the face of such tremendous loss and trauma. When I started out serving as a Resident Advocate with Jonathan House I was really moved by the strength of faith and hope I heard from the resident with whom I was paired.
Any other line of work you’re in?
I am a Lutheran pastor ordained in the ELCA in 2011, though I started out as a youth minister in 2004. I served as a pastor in two congregations in WA and MN before joining IAFR, and I continue to serve on the board of a Christian outdoor high-adventure camping ministry called Amnicon, located WI on the Southern shore of Lake Superior. I also have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and have a tendency engage in a lot of techie side-projects.
What languages do you speak?
Much to my regret, I only speak English at any kind of conversational level. I am trying to improve on my very elementary Spanish skills, but that’s been slow-going and far too regularly back-burnered. I do write some Biblical Greek and a variety of programming languages though ;^)
Do you have any hobbies?
I love playing guitar, singing, and writing music—particularly for use in the context of Christian worship. I love downhill skiing, bike-riding, and canoeing. I have a long-lived passion for inter-religious dialogue, systematic theology, and learning about other faiths. I have recently been dabbling in music recording, video editing, 3D printing, laser engraving, and mobile app development.