Kansas Churches Train Volunteers to Support Immigrants

When Pastor Rick Behrens of Grandview Park Presbyterian Church moved services to the basement, he wasn't running from faith. He was running toward it.

Churches across Kansas City are transforming into training centers where volunteers learn to spot immigration enforcement, accompany immigrants through difficult moments, and monitor court proceedings. It's faith in action, turning Sunday sermons into weekday service.

Behrens calls his church basement the new sanctuary. It's locked, it's underground, and it's where his congregation now gathers after federal policy changes allowed immigration enforcement in houses of worship earlier this year.

The change reversed a previous policy that designated churches as protected spaces. Now, faith leaders are redefining what sanctuary means.

Jess Ferrell, who runs the Center of Grace community center, organized 48 volunteers after receiving a tip about a possible enforcement action. Each volunteer walked a child home safely after school, ensuring families could reunite without fear.

"We realized we needed a way to safely get kids home," Ferrell told local reporters. The solution was simple: dozens of caring adults showing up when families needed them most.

The Ripple Effect

The movement is growing beyond single congregations. Jacob Poindexter, senior minister at Wichita United Church of Christ, is calling on larger churches to join the effort, especially as Kansas City prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches this summer.

His message resonates with a timeless truth: doing nothing is its own kind of risk. Doing something, even when it's hard, creates meaningful change.

Last month, Kansas City Council passed a five-year ban on permits for non-municipal detention centers after community members spoke up. Residents packed council meetings, faith leaders testified, and neighbors organized.

The volunteer training programs teach practical skills: how to document interactions, when to call lawyers, and how to stay calm in tense moments. It's community organizing at its most grassroots level.

These churches aren't making political statements. They're making sandwiches, giving rides, teaching English classes, and showing up at court hearings. They're doing what faith communities have always done: protecting the vulnerable.

When institutions feel overwhelming, local action becomes powerful.