ABOUT BECOMING BELOVED
Our “why” at Midway Hills Christian Church is embedded in our values of be inclusive, do justice, and embrace diversity. MHCC will be a hub for advocacy and training opportunities sharing resources in immigration/refugee faith rooted advocacy. Working in partnership with other immigrant community based organizations in our area and other congregations. Our innate desire is to make the DFW metro a community of radical welcome so that together we lean into the beloved kin-dom (Becoming Beloved).
As people of faith, MHCC has a rich history of being active in social justice issues. Through listening campaigns (one to one conversations), it was discovered there is a deficiency in congregational accompaniment or “Sanctuary” initiatives and coordinated refugee work in the DFW area.
Background
Midway Hills Christian Church (MHCC) is a progressive faith community, building bridges to transform the future by striving to be inclusive, do justice and embrace diversity. MHCC is actively pursuing the justice issues which impact our community today; focusing on immigration/refugee and (anti) racism. Over the years MHCC has been active as God’s church in a time of great turmoil in our nation. A sample of activities:
Supporting schools in South Dallas
Sponsoring refugees
Participating in school desegregation
Supporting the farm workers’ movement
Nesting a Korean and Latino congregations
In the following decades MHCC was the first church in Dallas County to elect women to be elders (early 1970’s). In 1993 MHCC voted to being an Open and Affirming congregation, following about two decades of increasing membership, involvement and leadership of LGBTQIA folks. It was not unusual for the church to bear witness in the community with over 600 hours a month given to local, state and national organizations. MHCC is a founding member of North Dallas Shared Ministries, and continues to be so.
MHCC has a new senior minister, Laurie Anderson, who accepted the call in May 2020; arriving in Dallas during the pandemic in July. Rev. Anderson’s experience includes founding a Kansas City Metro Sanctuary coalition, Immigrant Justice Advocacy Movement (IJAM) a Sanctuary Movement coalition of immigrant and Anglo congregations. She also was a national immigrant coordinator with the United Methodist -GBCS and national coordinator for Sanctuary Movement.
The campus of MHCC has several ministry partners but particular to immigration is the Hispanic Congregation Casa De Adoracion ABBA, and Worker Defense Project (WDP). MHCC is also active with Faith in Texas and Faith Commons. MHCC is active in the Christian Church of the Southwest and area DFW congregations.