Fellowship Southwest has launched a program to help immigrants to the United States gain legal status.
As of this month, the U.S. Department of Justice recognizes ELIM—Educational and Legal Immigration Ministries—as a U.S. Department of Justice-accredited immigration provider under the umbrella of Fellowship Southwest.
In addition to providing free or low-cost basic legal services to immigrants, ELIM also will offer a continuum of educational opportunities for churches and individuals, including training accredited representatives to offer legal services related to immigration.
Jesús and Elisa Romero, who have led ISAAC—the Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated Immigration Service and Aid Center—since 2010, will continue to serve immigrants through ELIM, working primarily from an office on the campus of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.
ELIM also will serve clients from the campus of Woodland Baptist Church in San Antonio, which should gain federal recognition as an immigration services center later this year.
The organization’s name refers to an oasis mentioned in Exodus 15:27, where the people of Israel camped beside 12 springs and 70 date palms after they began their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.
“Elim was not the final destination, but a life-giving stop between where they had left and where God was leading. The Romeros and Fellowship Southwest resonate with the imagery of respite expressed in this verse and hope that ELIM will provide the same sense of relief to many immigrants in the future,” a public statement from Fellowship Southwest read.
The BGCT Christian Life Commission and Buckner International launched ISAAC in 2007, expanding the Baptist Immigration Services Network begun about a year earlier. Richard Muñoz initially directed the ISAAC project, with financial support provided through the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.
In 2010, Baptist University of the Américas replaced Buckner as the lead partner for ISAAC with the BGCT, and Jesús Romero became director.
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CLC remains committed to immigrant ministry
Katie Frugé, director of the Christian Life Commission and Texas Baptists’ Center for Cultural Engagement, expressed appreciation to Jesús and Elsa Romero for their years of service to ISAAC.
The Romeros “have made a remarkable impact through this ministry, blessing the lives of countless immigrants and those who seek to serve them,” Frugé said.
“While I was saddened when Dr. Romero notified me at the end of the year that he sensed a calling to pursue another ministry opportunity, I was so pleased to learn that he and Elsa made plans to continue their fruitful ministry, serving the immigrant population of Texas.
“Since its inception, the ISAAC project has grown into a legacy ministry of Texas Baptists, providing critical services to members of the immigrant community. The Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission remains committed to continuing this vital ministry as we seek to meet the needs of the foreigner among us. We look forward to beginning the search for the next director of the ISAAC project in the days ahead.”
The Romeros likewise expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve with Texas Baptists’ ISAAC program, saying: “We are grateful to the BGCT for trusting us with pioneering an immigration ministry more than a decade ago. The seeds of love and care for the strangers among us that were planted then have grown immensely. We are excited about those seeds growing exponentially in Texas and beyond through our partnership with Fellowship Southwest.”
Stephen Reeves, executive director of Fellowship Southwest, said he had known and admired the Romeros since his days as a public policy director with the CLC.
“Their ministry fits perfectly with Fellowship Southwest’s mission and I believe will help expand our immigration work to communities and churches far from the border,” he said. “The needs are great, but I’m confident that through ELIM, [Fellowship Southwest] will help churches respond in creative and faithful ways.”
Cameron Mason Vickrey of Fellowship Southwest contributed to this article.
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