Members of Potomac Conference’s Sligo church in Takoma Park, Maryland, often distribute food to refugees who have been relocated within their local community near Washington, D.C.

Realizing he would be attending the General Conference Session, Anees Abdelnour, a General Conference employee and Sligo member who leads the church’s refugee ministry, expressed his desire to expand that ministry in St. Louis. He “wanted to bless refugees in St. Louis to share the love of God on behalf of the Adventist Church,” says Rick Johns, pastor of community outreach at Sligo.

This week, Sligo church and Abdelnour teamed up with Potomac Conference’s Hyattsville church to support the Central States Conference’s Agape church in St. Louis. Together, they distributed groceries along with hygiene and cleaning supplies to eight Haitian refugee families living in the area.

“Being in transition — given today's climate — a lot of [these families] are afraid to go out and be able to get things. And so, this is where God allowed us to open the door,” says Lionel Bailey, an elder at the Agape church, who added that the eight families contacted Agape asking for assistance.

“Of course, we are going to support that effort, as our church feels we must be doing everything we can to show Jesus’ love and compassion amidst the divisive climate that afflicts our nation at this time,” Johns says.

Bailey added, “We don't know them. But Jesus said that if you have done this unto the least of one of these, you have done it unto Me. And so, we are called by God. … His name is who we represent.”

—V. Michelle Bernard is the associate director of communication services for the Columbia Union Conference