Bishop Bickerton’s response to the Latest ICE Shooting: Rembmering Joan Sebastian Guerro

On July 14, the Bishop Bickerton released a statement in response to the latest ICE shooting in Houston. It reads – in part – “On Monday morning, Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old from Colombia, died in a shooting involving federal immigration officers on Pool Street in Biddeford, Maine. According to the Portland Press Herald, Mr. Guerrero was from Colombia, was authorized to work in the United States, and was on his way to work.  Reports are coming in that Mr. Guerrero was not the man the agents were looking for.  This ICE killing comes less than a week after ICE shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo of Houston Texas.”

The complete statement is published on the United Methodist Church & Society website, HERE. The photo above is from another statement about the shooting, published yesterday (7/13) by the Unted Meethodist Immigration Task Force, which you can read HERE.

I am excited to dive into a new preaching and worship series this summer, based on the New Testament Letters to Timothy. True confession: the epistles (letters) are not my typical go-to preaching texts. Give me a puzzling parable or winding Hebrew Bible saga any day; stories are interesting! But the letters are often so…preachy.

For a while I’d thought it might just be me, but Rev. Edward Pillar, commentator at the Working Preacher whose outlines we’ll expand upon in this series, feels similarly. He shares that the epistles are often tough to preach on because they are themselves sermons: commentary on the not-yet-written-down scriptures as well as the lived experiences of the early churches. 

Yet the context of Timothy caught my eye: what does it mean to be a church in generational transition? How do we strike a balance between preserving tradition and leaving plenty of room for new faith expressions? How do we raise up leaders with integrity when those with shakier foundations are happy to take charge? It sounds like—to use a term of my generation—a hot mess there in Ephesus. And at the center is a young leader, receiving (likely unsolicited) advice from a seasoned veteran about how to handle it all.

Lest one think that I see myself in Timothy’s shoes, rest assured, I do not. Likely, he was about half my age (or younger!) and a native to the community where he was serving. Our situation is not theirs when it comes to the players, cultural context, or demographics. But questions about how to hold together a diverse body of believers, how to articulate a mission that is both grounded and expansive, and how to confront messages that are not of Christ, those are all quite relevant for us today. And I’m far from the only one with thoughts to share.

Therefore, consider yourself officially invited to Tuesday Lectio Lunches, beginning on July 14 at noon in the Crawford parlor. Lectio Divina (sacred reading) is a form of Bible study that requires no commentaries or study guides, just a willingness to prayerfully show up and listen deeply to the text. Each week, we’ll hear the text for the coming Sunday several times, holding both silence and space for sharing. And at the end we’ll break bread together–whatever bread we bring for ourselves in a sack lunch. 

This practice will allow us to get to know each other as we wrestle together with teachings that aren’t always easy. And it will better inform Sunday’s preaching, giving us all a chance to hear and respond to these lessons for a church in transition.

I recognize that the date, time, and location will not work for everyone. We will have further get-to-know you opportunities later in the summer, both in person and online, during and after working hours.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Pastor Jen

Tuesday Lectio Lunches Schedule (meet at noon)
July 14: 1 Timothy 6:6–19
July 21: 2 Timothy 1:1–14
July 28: 2 Timothy 2:8–15
August 11: 2 Timothy 3:14–4:8, 16-18;

[Note: No meeting August 4.]

Greetings, Crawford UMC!

I wanted to take a moment to share our deepest thanks for the ways you have been supporting our family through this major transition. The cards, meals, and space to settle in have each been so welcome as we get our feet under us in Winchester.

And, indeed, we have been on our feet! Our use of vehicles in the first week has gone way down. How lovely to walk to shops, the library, a playground and natural areas. A stroller that largely sat unused for the last year has been out almost daily. Our son is looking forward to walking or biking to school instead of taking the bus. 

We’ve been on our feet indoors as well. I’d love to say that we’re out of boxes and down to hanging pictures, but that’s not quite our reality. Yet even with plenty of remaining to-dos, the parsonage is proving a perfect fit for our family. The cats have ventured out of hiding, finding new favorite perches and sleeping spots. The kids are comfortable and confident (perhaps too confident!) navigating house and neighborhood. Chris has started back to work with relatively few interruptions. Relatively.

As to me, I am breathing deeply. I have been so touched by your understanding of how significant a change this is for our family in general and also for me as a pastor. Colleagues have shared with me (and I am now experiencing) the particular emotions that accompany a first move. The proximity of a big goodbye and a brand new start—to say nothing of the physical labor of moving—is enough to knock you off your feet. The Crawford community seems to have grasped this intuitively, extending grace and space at every turn. I am so grateful.

I am also grateful for the more relaxed summer schedule that seems to be the rhythm here at Crawford. This will allow me to establish and settle into needed routines for work and family. I do intend to hold regular office hours as well as some introductory meet-and-greet events, but it’s a bit early to get those on the calendar. Stay tuned for more updates, and for the time being, you can reach me at rev.jen.mihok@gmail.com.

A favorite hymn of mine is “Guide My Feet,” a spiritual found in The Faith We Sing. It became something like a theme song for my cohort of young adult missionaries (now Global Mission Fellows) in 2007: “Guide my feet while I run this race, for I don’t want to run this race in vain.” The race imagery comes from Hebrews 12 and depicts well the urgency of staying God’s course, especially amidst injustice and struggle.

Yet not all races are sprints. It is my prayer, that as my family finds its footing, and as we as pastor and congregation find our rhythm together, God will guide our feet, bringing us into step for the ministry that lies ahead. I have every confidence that it will be so.

With gratitude,
Pastor Jen

“The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued two devastating rulings that dismantle asylum protections and the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program in the United States.

Read the reaction of United Methodist Agencies, Faith Leaders, and Immigration Lawyers as shared by the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Church and Society, HERE.

“History is more than facts and figures. It is full of real people with real stories. Connecting with those people and stories helps us understand our lives and discern God’s direction for our future. That is why it is important constantly to connect our teaching back to the important people in our church history. To help you do that, we have gathered some interesting, and maybe even surprising, facts about John Wesley to help you connect United Methodist history to your next lesson.” Click HERE to learn more about John Wesley, brought to us by United Methodist Communications.

What is Miracle Sunday?
On May 17, the final Sunday of this year’s Easter season, more than 30,000 United Methodist congregations (Crawford Memorial UMC included) will take up a one-time offering to help permanently endow scholarships enabling 500 students each year to prepare for ordained ministry in Africa, Europe and the Philippines.

Why is it Important?
“In most cases, students who opt for ordained ministry in Africa, Europe and the Philippines come from families and communities with limited financial resources,” Nhiwatiwa said. “Without financial aid, these potential students could not proceed with their education. [It] is a different story with theological students in the United States who have access to loans and a variety of scholarships. In Africa, the Philippines and Europe, the inequality is stark.”
– retired Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa, of the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area

Learn more about the reasoning behind the Miracle Sunday and how the funds will be put to use in this article by Heather Hahn, written for UM News: What Churches Should Know About Miracle Sunday.

However you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (if you celebrate), as Christians, this is a good time to consider the holiday’s namesake and what his life and work has to teach us. “While many of the details of his life are shrouded in legend, on this scholars agree: The patron saint of Ireland left a legacy far more vibrant and lasting than the green food and beverages served on his feast day.”

Click HERE to read the full article about St. Patrick’s life and ministry, written by Heather Hahn for UM News.

Rev. Dr. Liberato (Levi) Bautista, Church and Society’s Assistant General Secretary for United Nations and International Affairs, offers his reflection on 2026 Black History Month and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ‘s Holiday.  The photo above is of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., winner of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, being congratulated by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Harold (left) and His Majesty King Olav V (back to the camera) in Oslo, Norway, December 10, 1964. Dr. King is joined by his wife Coretta on his left. photo by Associated Press

“Now that the remembrance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2026 holiday is over and the celebration for Black History Month is here, I’d like to take a moment to reflect: What does love really look like when fear fills our headlines and racist injustice influences our systems?

“Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day last month, we remembered not just a dreamer, but a dedicated justice advocate—someone who organized, negotiated, marched, prayed, and sacrificed for the vision of the Beloved Community. Dr. King showed us that peace isn’t just the absence of tension; it’s the presence of justice. February’s Black History Month also carries that truth with many stories of struggle and progress by Black people against incredible odds. That truth continues to guide us today.”

Read the full article on the UMC Justice website, HERE.

The following letter was recently shared by Bishop Thomas Bickerton on the New England Conference website and via email to subscribers.  In it, he reflects on the painful places we find ourselves in at the start of this new year. He also shares a letter written by Bishop Lanette Plambeck, Resident Bishop of the Dakota-Minnesota Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church, who encourages her congregations and all of us to make “our congregations to be places of refuge and prayer in the days ahead. Be attentive to grief. Listen deeply to those who are afraid. Stay rooted in Christ, who chose the way of self-giving love over the way of force.”

You can read the enirety of the Bishop(s) email(s) below, or on the neumc.orgwebsite, HERE.

From Bishop Bickerton, January 11, 2026

Each time we enter these early days of a new year, we find ourselves making new resolutions. We long for a fresh start, a new beginning, a course correction, and a movement of some kind that will signal that there is something different, something better about the journey before us than the road behind.

In the early days of this new year, we find ourselves facing, with dread in our hearts, even more of the same.

Events in Venezuela have only furthered the division in our country. Some believe it was a necessary action. Others believe it was an inappropriate exercise of power. But it doesn’t end there. With every passing day, plans are outlined for further occupations and actions that can only serve to increase the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots.” The seemingly irreconcilable differences between political parties and religious positions stoke the fear and anxiety that seem to be our constant companions these days.

And then, a shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in which a young mother is killed by ICE. The videos have jump started what we have come to know as the norm: debates around who is at fault, questions surrounding the rights of citizens, government, accusations and name-calling. That debate, fueled by media of all kinds, leaves us reeling.

In our Council of Bishops there is an unwritten covenant that the resident bishop of an area should be the one to take the lead in addressing issues that emerge from the region where they are serving. The beauty of our United Methodist connection is that we have outposts where leaders are called upon to weave our theology and our practice into the fabric of that region to make known how Methodism views and addresses situations that arise.

I am blessed to share that work with the Resident Bishop of the Dakotas-Minnesota Area of The United Methodist Church, Bishop Lanette Plambeck. Below you will find the pastoral message Bishop Plambeck has shared with her people, and now, with us. I believe that her words speak to who we are as the people called United Methodist and represent the way each of us can and should respond to what has happened in Minnesota as well what is continually unfolding in the events of our country and world. Bishop Plambeck puts it simply yet profoundly: The work of the Church begins here.

I stand with Bishop Plambeck, not only in her leadership among the people of Minneapolis, but in the manner in which she calls us all to exercise our faith and practice a better, more holy way.
 
May it be so. 

The Journey Continues, . . . 
 

Thomas J. Bickerton
Resident Bishop
The New Hope Episcopal Area, the New England and New York Annual Conferences.

From Bishop Plambeck

A Pastoral Letter to the Dakotas–Minnesota Episcopal Area 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; … those whose spirits are overwhelmed.” – Psalm 34.18 NLT, adapt. 
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; 
and what does the Lord require of you 
but to do justice, and to love kindness, 
and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6.8 NRSV 
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.

I write as one who, in my episcopal role, is called to guard the faith, shepherd the people, and work for unity. It is from this responsibility that I offer these words.

Today in Minneapolis, during a federal immigration enforcement operation, Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot. Investigations are underway. Accounts differ. Many details remain unclear. At the time of this writing, what we know, and must not move past too quickly, is this: a human life has been lost.
The work of the church begins here. Before we receive deep analysis or a full explanation of the events that led to the shooting, we enter into lament. We grieve a life ended too soon. We hold in prayer the family and loved ones who now carry an unimaginable loss. We acknowledge the fear and trauma this event has stirred, especially among immigrant and refugee neighbors for whom encounters with law enforcement already carry profound risk.

We also speak to the wider moment in which this tragedy occurred. Across our nation, we are witnessing a troubling willingness to normalize violence as a tool of order and to resist accountability as though it were a threat rather than a safeguard. The church must say clearly: power that is unexamined, unchecked, or unaccountable stands in tension with the way of Jesus Christ.
Scripture reminds us that authority is given for the sake of the common good. When power is exercised, its first obligation is to preserve life and protect the vulnerable.

The measure of justice is not how quickly actions are justified, but how faithfully truth is sought and responsibility is held.  This word is spoken not in condemnation, but in love. Love for communities living in fear. Love for institutions that must be called back to their highest purposes. Love for a nation whose soul is shaped, for better or worse, by the choices it makes in moments like these.

As your bishop, I call our congregations to be places of refuge and prayer in the days ahead. Be attentive to grief. Listen deeply to those who are afraid. Stay rooted in Christ, who chose the way of self-giving love over the way of force.

In moments of grief and uncertainty, most of us naturally lean toward news voices we already trust. In our vulnerability, we rush to make complex situations clear-cut. While that is human, it can also narrow our understanding. I encourage us to broaden our listening, seek out careful reporting from news sources representing multiple perspectives, and remain open to voices that may challenge our assumptions. Expanding how we listen is one way we practice humility and love in the pursuit of truth.

In this fragile space between tragedy and truth, may we be a people who lament honestly, seek justice humbly, and refuse the lie that violence has the final word. We hold fast to the resurrection promise that love endures and that life, not death, will have the final say.

May the God who binds up the brokenhearted draw near to all who mourn, and may the Spirit lead us in the way of justice, mercy, and peace.

Grace and peace,

Bishop Lanette Plambeck
Resident Bishop
Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church

Prayer
God of mercy and nearness,
we come to you with heavy hearts.
We grieve a life lost and hold close all who mourn.
Be near to those whose hearts are broken,
to those who are afraid,
and to all who are waiting for truth to come into the light.
In this tender space between tragedy and understanding,
teach us to lament honestly,
to seek justice with humility,
and to walk gently with one another.
Guard us from haste, from hardened hearts,
and from the temptation to let fear or violence shape our way.
We place our hope in you, O God of resurrection.
When death and grief seem to have the final word,
remind us that life and love endure.
Make us instruments of your peace,
and keep us faithful in the days ahead.
We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus,
who brings life out of death
and hope out of sorrow.
Amen.

Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of Jesus. It can be a deeply meaningful, holy season if we allow space for reflection and time with God.

But Advent can be complicated. Some are grieving the loss of past holiday joy. Others are feeling guilty about their crowded calendar and not having enough time for the “real reason for the season.”

This article by Laura Buchanan was published on umc.org on November 7, 2025. Read the full article, HERE.