Rural & Migrant Ministry's 30th Anniversary

Conference and Gala!!!

It was a joyous weekend as over 250 people gathered from across New York State and beyond at the Honors Haven Resort in Ellenville to celebrate RMM's 30th anniversary and Richard Witt's 20th anniversary. The day began with an array of workshops and panels led by leading practitioners.

We then moved on to a remarkable multi-faith liturgy led by such prominent musicians as Pat Humphries and Sand O, Kim & Reggie Harris and Jeannine Otis and Tyrone Aiken.

Our gathering took place around a table filled with dirt, as Joe Gilmore led us in a celebration of our connection to the earth and each other - pointing out that we are "all workers."

We then moved on to a festive banquet as we gave thanks to Jack & Irene Banning and celebrated the ministry of Richard Witt.

RMM also celebrated our Covenanting Congregations represented by Jane Konitz and Fred Wibiralske, who helped found Rural & Migrant Ministry and have volunteered for the past thirty years. The Reformed Church of America (RCA) has a wonderful history of sending forth missionaries from its congregations and for the past decade Jane has been present at RMM's main office on a daily basis. The best way to describe Jane is that she is always, always thinking about how to strengthen RMM and better serve the people of RMM. It is not uncommon to receive an email from Jane in the middle of the night, or know that she was up past midnight working on a RMM project. Through Jane's leadership and dedication, RMM keeps moving forward. Fred Wibiralske was born to be among people. Through his thirty years of RMM, Fred has been a vital part of every significant march, rally, protest, vigil and more than his fair share of meetings. During Fred's leadership as President of the Board of Directors, RMM developed its current three programmatic areas (Youth Empowerment, Education and Accompaniment.) It was Fred, at a critical point in RMM's history, who proclaimed firmly that the essence of RMM was advocating for, and with, disenfranchised farmworkers. Thus, RMM began it immersion in the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign. Fred is humble with regards to his own self, yet firmly assertive in honoring and including others. It is because of this combination, along with his long tenure in always being 'present,' that Fred has earned our deepest respect.  

 "Brothers and Sisters,   

We, the people of Rural & Migrant Ministry are a people that few understand, or perhaps want to know. We come together through an organization that cannot be easily described. And we seek to hold up a way of life that is at best uncomfortable and at worst threatening.

We live in the borderlands. Gloria Anzaldua in her poem, Borderlands captures the essence of living in the borderlands as not belonging to anything and yet belonging to everything - of facing barriers in a boundless terrain. She goes on to say: "To survive the Borderlands you must live 'sin fronteras', be a crossroads."

Many about us do everything to avoid the borderlands. For them it is a wilderness with a scary vulnerability. There is a tension, an uncertainty and a lack of comfort. How easy it would have been for our founders to have created a safer organization - one rooted only in charity, one that didn't challenge the status quo, one that didn't seek to bring all people to the table with equal voice - How easier that would have been (and how much easier it would have been to fundraise for it!)

Rural & Migrant Ministry lives in the borderlands - and because we do, it is very

 difficult to describe RMM to most people in a clear simple way:  

 · We are an organization, a movement - a part of the Church, not part of the Church. Quaker, Episcopalian, no: Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic - or is it Jewish, United Church of Christ, Reformed or Baptist - all of them - none of them - an independent 501©(3) organization.

· We are people with great connections and no connections - filled with voices and held voiceless.

· We live in cities, rural areas, farm camps and expensive homes - committed to rural justice in a state that often cannot see beyond 125^th street.

· We are disempowered and yet empowered

· We seek guidance and energy from our youth - and at the same time seek to provide wisdom and direction to them

· We call out in faith and are labeled ignorant and political

· Our people are invisible at the farm markets of our cities and yet very much present and nourishing through their labor

· At our roots lie prophets, martyrs, apostles. Some can trace our heritage to ancient Anglo-Saxons or conquistadors, Others' heritage runs into the dead end - in the bottom of a slave ship.

· Our Youth Arts Group fills out a grant requests for those who are disenfranchised - and they spent hours debating whether they were disenfranchised. They are. They are also - oh so powerful.

In the midst of this crossroads I remain hopeful - and I love living in hope! I live in hope because there is always the excitement of creating - because of the passionate people there are so many opportunities and possibilities. Every time you turn around at RMM someone is coming up with a way to nurture leaders for change, to create a new program, to bring people together. I live in hope because of the The Joy of Justice. For this past Summer Leadership Camp Ruth, Laura and Jane suggested the theme of JOY (Justice for Others and Yourself) and I thought - in all honesty - 'that is cute'. But as the summer went on I began to realize how easy it is to get caught up in the negatives of injustice - but when we have justice - what joy fills us. I live in hope, because I get to live and work with a diversity of passionate, creative and wise people. I am always learning through the people of RMM about the depth, and essence of life. I have to say that I have found a fulfilling life in the borderlands. And I thank you for living there with me."  

Excerpt - The Rev. Richard Witt