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BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

A hundred years ago the words "Gott ist gut," or "God is good" echoed through the pews of Salem UMC in Baltimore. Today, worshipers proclaim "Alabado sea el Señor" - God be praised.

In 1901, Salem was started in the Highland section of Baltimore as an immigrant church for the large number of Germans who were arriving in the United States.

In its heyday, in the 1930s and '40s this Evangelical United Brethren congregation had more than 800 worshipers on Sunday. In recent years, that number has shrunk to about 40.

But these 40 people are determined to make a difference in their community. In 2005, they opened their doors to a new group of immigrants - welcoming Baltimore Hispanic Ministries into their midst.

In situations like this one, in which two diverse congregations share space, a pastor and other resources, tensions often arise. But there has been no resistance, said the Rev. Giovanni Arroyo. "There are language barriers, but we are united by faith. People have begun to see each other as family. Our differences often make us even stronger."

When the church celebrated its anniversary in November, the service was bilingual, in recognition that its history and future are being shaped by the growing number of Latinos now living in the community.

But the number of people who worship at the church on Sunday mornings has shrunk to about 10, because of an uneasiness and mistrust that has spread through the Hispanic community following immigration raids last year, Arroyo said.

These raids have been a cause for concern for all the people at Salem as they explore the concepts of "who is our neighbor" and how Jesus "treated the alien and welcomed the foreigner."

Last January, Arroyo explained, Department of Homeland Security agents swept into a parking lot of a 7-11 store near the church and detained 30 Hispanic immigrants, carting them away in vans.

The parking lot was a known site for day laborers to gather to try to find work.

Advocates for the Latino community, including Arroyo, condemned the raids as "attacks on workers who are struggling to keep food on their tables for their families."

Three months later, in March 2007, 69 workers were detained in a raid on a temporary employment firm accused of placing undocumented workers with local companies.

These raids resulted in several families being split apart.

"The raids terrorized the community," said Arroyo. "Many Hispanics are scared to leave their homes. They go to work and come right home. They have as little contact as possible with those who have an image of authority. They don't want to put themselves or their families at risk."

Following the raids, participation in the church's English as a Second Language program went from 18 students to six.

Arroyo serves as a religious presence on community teams to address the raids and other issues immigrants face.

With his leadership, the church is moving toward a more community-based holistic approach to ministry - focusing on social, psychological, physical and spiritual well-being.

"People are called to this country," Arroyo said. "They feel displaced and scared. Many have left behind families, loved ones, social support systems. They've come here to find a way to survive so that their families can survive."

The congregation at Salem is convinced their church is called to be "open-doored, providing a place for all people to be safe and to be loved, rather than judged.

"People in our community are seeking someone who will be a voice for them," Arroyo said. "The church could be a voice for the voiceless."

To help accomplish this purpose, an office of Justice for Our Neighbors, a United Methodist law clinic for immigrants, which is sponsored by the Baltimore-Washington Conference, is run out of Salem UMC.

The church also provides supplies, translation help and other support to the community school. Almost 60 percent of Hispanics in Baltimore won't graduate high school, Arroyo said. "The church's work has to be multi-layered."

As Salem and Baltimore Hispanic Ministries learn to worship, work and live together they're learning that sharing their stories dispels the stereotypes, unites them and makes them stronger.

"I am a pastor and I am a bridge builder," Arroyo said. "We practice a hospitality here so that no one is a stranger."

"Gott ist gut."

"Alabado sea el Señor."