The United Methodist Social Principles affirm the inherent dignity of every person, the right to seek asylum, and the fundamental humanity of migrants and refugees. They call us to support immigration policies that are humane, just, and rooted in the recognition that every person bears the image of God. Current enforcement practices violate these principles at every turn.

In June 2023, the Methodist Federation for Social Action Board of Directors took a clear step forward by creating the Racial Audit Implementation Team. This team was formed in response to the findings of MFSA’s racial audit, with a shared goal: to help reshape the organization so that equity and justice are not just values we name, but practices we live out—within MFSA, across the church, and in the world around us.

Since then, this team has been doing the steady, often behind-the-scenes work of implementing the Racial Audit's recommendations. Originally composed of seven members, the team has been guiding how these recommendations take root in real structures, relationships, and decisions. Now, that work is growing.

My internship with the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) was a meaningful experience even though it was done online. At first, I was unsure if I would really learn much since everything was done through Zoom meetings, but I later realized that learning and service can still happen in an online setting.

During my internship, I attended Zoom meetings that focused on what MFSA does with their local chapters or  the churches they work with. Through these meetings, I learned how MFSA partners with churches in addressing social issues such as human rights, poverty, and justice. These discussions helped me understand how the church can stand with communities who are facing different struggles.

Methodist Federation for Social Action grieves the devastating loss of life following the recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel in Iran, as well as the retaliatory violence that has followed. Civilians—children, families, workers, and elders—are again paying the highest price for decisions made by governments and militaries. Every life lost is sacred, and every act of war deepens the suffering of people who did not choose this conflict.

As a movement rooted in the Gospel’s call to justice, MFSA rejects the logic that violence will create peace. The teachings of Jesus point us in another direction—toward courage, mercy, and the hard work of peacemaking. War does not liberate people from oppression, nor does it bring lasting security. It multiplies trauma, destabilizes communities, and endangers countless lives across the region and beyond.

Clergy are being arrested outside detention facilities. Denominations are filing First Amendment lawsuits against federal immigration enforcement. Congregations from Manhattan to Los Angeles are posting "ICE-free zone" signs and training rapid response teams. This surge of coordinated response to the dangerous and harmful actions of the Trump administration is part of a mobilization of Christians at a scale unseen since the civil rights movement.

For United Methodists, the call to faithful nonviolent resistance emerges from our deepest theological convictions. John Wesley refused to separate personal piety from social transformation, writing that "the gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness.”^[1] The 2024 General Conference codified this heritage when delegates adopted Social Principles explicitly supporting civil disobedience against unjust laws, provided such witness remains nonviolent and respects human dignity.

As a young Filipino leader trying to engage in racial justice work within the church and the society, I have come to realize that understanding racism requires more than just good intentions; it requires humility, accountability, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths within the organizations we are part of.

My ongoing experience with MFSA has been an active learning process, revealing ways the organization tries to address racial justice and the ways it still struggles with systemic white dominance. This journey is teaching me to understand how real racial justice works in the church and in society by dismantling structures that prioritize white comfort and moving beyond so many symbolic actions toward real and authentic accountability to People of Color.

Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) extends deep gratitude to Cynthia Tuell, who concluded her term of service on our Board of Directors at the end of 2025. Cynthia’s leadership, insight, and unwavering commitment to justice have made a meaningful impact on our organization and movement.

A lay member of First United Methodist Church of Upland, California, Cynthia has been a faithful and persistent presence in the California-Pacific MFSA chapter for over fifteen years. As a member of the Leadership Team and the long-time coordinator of the MFSA booth and coffee bar at Annual Conference, she helped create spaces of welcome, learning, and solidarity year after year.

Every year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day invites us to pause and ask what kind of world we are shaping together. Dr. King’s vision was never passive. He called people to gather, organize, and demand a society where every person could live with dignity. His dream doesn’t depend on the approval of those in power. It depends on communities that refuse to give up.

I was visiting a new church a while ago when a bulletin insert caught my eye. It announced the church's food pantry expansion, written with genuine compassion about serving families in crisis. Beautiful words about feeding the hungry and loving our neighbors. I held that bulletin while the congregation prayed for those struggling to make ends meet.

Just days before, Congress had failed to pass a continuing resolution, sending the country into a government shutdown. It didn't take long for this crisis to be weaponized.  SNAP benefit cuts that would push hundreds of thousands of families toward hunger were implemented, and a renewal of a policy that would maintain low healthcare premiums for low-income Americans was nowhere to be seen. Many of those served by this food pantry would be the people directly impacted by these decisions. They were the same neighbors we were praying for.

On this Christmas Eve, we send you love, peace, and deep gratitude. As we gather in many places and carry many emotions, the story we remember tonight is rooted in courage, welcome, and the relentless hope of people longing for justice. May this night strengthen your spirit, ground you in community, and remind you that the work we share continues to make room for all. We offer this Christmas Eve prayer as a companion for the night, a reminder that the Christmas story still speaks into the struggles and hopes of our world today.