Sanctuary as a Form of Resistance

A national organizer with Church World Service, based in North Carolina and working with sanctuary congregations and coalitions, on sanctuary as a form of resistance. She defined public sanctuary, traced the movement from the 1980s Central American refugee era through the Obama-era resurgence to the post-2016 expansion to 46 people in sanctuary, and walked through the logistics congregations must weigh: volunteer capacity, funding covenants, media strategy, anti-racist training, and following the lead of those most affected. She screened a short film about a Chicago sanctuary church, then took about 20 minutes of audience questions, including on ICE activity and local law enforcement cooperation in Champaign County.