BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Greater Bloomfield Interfaith Partners will hold its second annual meeting Sunday, Feb. 19. The meeting will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Park United Methodist Church. Park UMC is located on Broad Street, at 12 Park St., in Bloomfield.
Congregates from three houses of worship established the partnership last year. They are Park UMC, the Glen Ridge Congregational Church and Temple Ner Tamid. The Church on the Green and the Brookdale Reformed Church, both in Bloomfield, are expected to join, Pastor Joel Hubbard, of Park UMC, said earlier this week.
The purpose of the partnership is threefold: working with Church World Services to help immigrants resettle in Northern Jersey; supply food banks; and support the Interfaith Hospitality Network. The IHN is an Essex County organization assisting homeless families.
Park UMC is a host site for the IHN.
Hubbard described the partnership as an alliance of faith communities finding practical applications of their core beliefs and values. Its first meeting was this time last year because of a refugee resettlement issue. The houses of worship themselves can be part of a resettlement solution.
“New Jersey law allows up to 14 people to stay up to seven nights in a church facility without going through housing regulations,” Hubbard said.
As a consequence, to stay within the law, people must move from church to church to shul, week-by-week, until a permanent home is found. Hubbard said this can take up to half a year.
The Greater Bloomfield Interfaith Partners are currently co-sponsoring a Syrian refugee family. The six-member family is living in Bloomfield. Hubbard, who is on the steering committee for the organization, wrote to the membership reminding them to attend the meeting this Sunday: “The recent Executive Orders signed by Mr. Trump have created heartache and trauma for countless persons and families and as a result our work together has become more critical and significant.”
Despite political rhetoric, Hubbard said there was no reason for anyone to feel threatened by refugees moving into their towns.
“The State Department vetting takes two years,” he said. “It’s intense and the scrutiny of families is extensive. It goes beyond a background check.”
Hubbard said he was not taking issue with the current process. It is effective and provides a community with safety and stability. “Every aspect of family history has to be corroborated repeatedly,” he said. “There are fingerprints and iris scans — men, women, children. My ire gets raised when there are unfounded accusations and inferences made toward persons who have been subjected to the most trying and humiliating experiences.”
Hubbard said the partnership was alerted by Church World Services that a refugee family from Syria was coming to New Jersey. The family hopes to relocate to Clifton.
“It’s a family of six,” Hubbard said. “They have temporary housing in Bloomfield and have been here three weeks. Within a 30-day period, the children have to be enrolled in school. They’re 9 to 18 years old.”
Eighty people are expected to attend the meeting this Sunday. Hubbard said there will be a review of the refugee effort and the meaning of sanctuary city.
Considering the publicized killings of unarmed black men by law enforcement officers, and the public reaction to the presidential election results, Hubbard said, the Greater Bloomfield Interfaith Partners is especially needed at this time to build relationships among people.
“This is not something the clergy started,” he said. “It was stated by the people. The people are doing the work.”
About the Author
