“When you open yourself to something new, God will grab it by the tail,” says Pamela McNeil, pastor of the South Grey Bruce Parish in Ontario. The three congregations under her leadership have formed a refugee sponsorship partnership with Resurrection Lutheran Church in Halifax, N.S.

“We know resources are limited in rural communities, so bringing a refugee family here, well, it could be difficult for them to adjust,” says McNeil. “That’s the beauty of the arrangement with Halifax. The family will come to Halifax, and we will provide the funding.” 

The three Ontario churches have committed to raising $27,000–$30,000 over three years and the Halifax church will welcome the family and help them get settled when they arrive. So far, the South Grey Bruce parish has raised close to $20,000.

“It’s all come from donations from the congregations,” she says. “We haven’t had any fundraisers with the public yet because of COVID-19.”

The idea for the partnership came from McNeil’s seminary placement at the Halifax church. Resurrection Lutheran Church already had a dedicated ministry to refugees in place when she arrived. They had welcomed families from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Those families met other newcomers and invited them to come to church to practice their English.

“They just started coming,” recalls McNeil. “We had people from all over the world coming. And I witnessed the richness that came to the congregation through them.”

Arriving at her new parish, McNeil learned the congregations had been exploring what it means to be one in the body of Christ. Over the years they had each seen attendance wane as families moved to larger centres for work and education opportunities—a familiar story in rural life. They had their own worship spaces that they were attached to, but knew they needed to collaborate to keep going.

“To be one doesn’t necessarily mean you have to sell your building and meet in one space,” says McNeil. “So, I presented the idea for a refugee sponsorship partnership, and they were on board.”

It was a relatively easy ‘yes’ for the members of the three congregations — many of whom had refugee stories in their own families. 

“You’ll find that in many Lutheran churches,” says McNeil. “My mom came to Canada in the 1950s as a refugee from Ukraine. It was the Lutheran church that organized that. Like the congregation in Halifax, and the congregations here, my heart is for refugees because of my mom’s experience.”

Asked what she would say to other congregations who are considering refugee sponsorship, McNeil says go for it.

“Even if you are in an area that is not ideal for a new family to come, find partners. There are congregations in bigger centres. You’ll have a friendship with a new congregation and with the refugee family arriving. When you open to living like Christ, God will surprise in ways you can’t imagine.”

Photo caption: For the first time since the pandemic began, the three Ontario congregations met together on July 10, 2022 for a bbq fundraiser for the refugee sponsorship project, with some of the proceeds also going to CLWR’s work in Ukraine. (Photos courtesy of Pam McNeil)

Did your church sponsor a refugee to come to Canada through CLWR? We’d love to hear (and share!) your story! Please email us at clwr@clwr.org

You can find out more about helping refugees settle in Canada at clwr.org/rr

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