Episcopal Migration Ministries excerpt

A Michigan Episcopalian Takes a Stance Against Dehumanizing Rhetoric

EMM recently heard from Rob Burgess, an Episcopalian who lives in Lincoln Township, just south of Benton Harbor, Michigan. Now retired, Rob remains active as a volunteer with many local organizations, including Southwest Michigan Interfaith Action, a local soup kitchen, and Emergency Shelter Services of Benton Harbor. Rob also serves as Treasurer on the Vestry at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Benton Harbor. Rob’s background, life experiences, and community engagement have made him especially sensitive to the vulnerabilities of people forced to flee their homes who seek safety and a new life in the U.S.

In response to the anti-immigrant rhetoric that has ramped up in this election season, Rob felt compelled to write an opinion piece for his local newspaper, The Herald-Palladium. Since the piece remains behind a paywall, Rob shared it with EMM, giving us permission to share his perspective along with further context on how he came to take this stance. 

Rob’s interactions and relationships with people who have come to the U.S. in search of safety and a better life have been important to his journey. Rob points, for example, to his friend, “Doña Teresa,” using the Spanish title of respect for a woman. Originally from Nicaragua, Doña Teresa came to the U.S. years ago fleeing domestic abuse, with two young children in tow. Offered refuge as a survivor of violence against women, Doña Teresa worked hard, made a new life for herself and her children, applied for legal permanent residency, and eventually became a social worker. Rob met her when he was serving as a volunteer for the United Way of Southwest Michigan, helping local residents fill out their income tax returns. The two became friends, and Doña Teresa eventually invited Rob to attend the ceremony when she became a U.S. citizen. “It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever attended,” Rob recalled. “New citizens from all continents (except of course Antarctica) were sworn in that day.”

Rob has also found inspiration in his involvement in the Episcopal Church, which has included service on the board of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship as well as his local parish. Rob was raised a Catholic, but after “drifting” for a while as a young man, eventually found his way to the Episcopal Church. As he tells the story, “I was a young CPA and auditor just out of college. My second client, straight out of school, was St Mark's Episcopal in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The bookkeeper at the time was Alida Densem.” Mrs. Densem had been serving in that role for a long time, and her skills made a big impression on young Rob Burgess. 

"In those days before personal computers, her books were all handwritten on a big black ledger. She kept the books, marriage, baptism, and other church records. Her handwritten records were meticulous. The importance of the dignity of all human work cannot be belittled. Alida clearly made an impact on that church, even if behind the scenes."

Rob was also impressed with the fact that the Episcopal Church was starting to ordain women. An organization that upheld the dignity of all people and recognized that gender did not in and of itself limit one’s gifts was one that appealed to Rob Burgess. And so he joined.

Rob’s belief in the inherent value of all human beings and the value of welcoming newcomers is also shaped by his family history and experiences he had while serving in the U.S. Navy, from 1974 to 1980. Rob explains these influences in his opinion piece, which we share here, under the title given by the Herald-Palladium editor:

We must not dehumanize refugees

(See a prior post for that Op-Ed)