Welcoming the Stranger – Christ Church Refugee Ministry a Conversation with Melanie Gray

Welcoming the Stranger – The Christ Church Refugee Ministry celebrates its 10-year anniversary

A brief look at the conscious discernment and inception of this ministry that began in 2015 and where we are today 10 years after working with our first families, we have now worked with 121 families. Our goal has been to help families living in Alexandria make this their home and we help them reach self-sufficiency. Most of the people we work with today are from Afghanistan and Pakistan who are now here in Alexandria trying to make a life for themselves. Times are very difficult with immigration status being uncertain, resettlement supports unstable and opinions about immigrants vary widely. Our ministry is ecumenical and is made up of 6 active faith communities, and 14 faith communities that partner with us in different ways. Our model is based on healthy strength-based relationships, which is the key to our success.

Speaker: Melanie Gray, MSW, Director of Outreach and Mission, Historic Christ Church,  oversees 13 outreach ministries in the City of Alexandria and currently one overseas mission partnership with an HIV/AIDS Clinic in Kampala Uganda. They have just under 200 parishioners involved with outreach and mission and we have partnerships with a variety of faith communities, nonprofits, and city government.  Melanie has been a social worker for 32 years and worked in the church for 14 years.