Immigrant welcome will be focus of Sept. 13 interfaith prayer service online

The United Church of Christ will again take part in an annual Greater Cleveland interfaith prayer service. It will focus on the city’s welcome to immigrants from around the world.

Global Cleveland, in partnership with the UCC, will present the online service at noon EDT Monday, Sept. 13. The public can register here to take part via Zoom.

The service is part of Global Cleveland’s “Welcoming Week,” Sept. 10-19. The organization works to attracts newcomers to the area and connect them with opportunities.

The UCC’s Amistad Chapel hosted the service in 2019. This year, as in 2020, Global Cleveland opted for an online service because of an uptick in local COVID-19 cases.

One of the speakers will be the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson. She is the UCC’s associate general minister for Wider Church Ministries and co-executive of Global Ministries.

“Welcoming Week in Cleveland acknowledges the racial, ethnic and cultural diversities present in the city and across the U.S.,” Thompson said. “This interfaith service reflects the religious diversity and the immigrant communities residing in the Greater Cleveland area.

“This event reflects the values and mission of the UCC. In the UCC, we believe all are welcome. Welcoming week says, similarly, all are welcome in this city.”

That message, Thompson said, will be at the core of her remarks. She was 14 years old when her family moved from Jamaica. “As an immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for many years, it is important for me to extend this welcome and be a part of Welcoming Week, which brings us all together in this way.”