The Blessing of Presence: How Immigrants Contribute to Society and the Church

This content was originally posted on the National Association of Evangelical’s website and is part of their fall 2025 magazine, which we will be highlighting on our Telling a Better Story blog. Read the original blog post, written by Joanne Solis-Walker, here. 

Immigrants have long enriched American society — through music, art, sports, and through their work and entrepreneurship in every area of our economy. The Church has also benefited. As Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Association, notes, “Immigrants have been part of the backbone of the rapid growth of the Latino evangelical church,” contributing to church planting, leadership and the revitalization.

We can and should quantify these contributions, but if we are not careful, we may overlook their greatest contribution: the blessing of their presence.

Sociologist and theologian Jonathan Calvillo writes:

…for many of the Latino Pentecostals whom I encountered throughout my life, crossing borders, social and geopolitical — was a matter of survival, and as these Pentecostals crossed, the Spirit crossed with them.

This powerful image reminds us of the spiritual resilience and empowerment immigrants carry with them — of the Divine accompanying them in their journey. Not only are they strengthened; they bring strength. We must look beyond surface-level contributions of immigrants to recognize the resilience, empowerment and spiritual fervor that have significantly contributed to the avivamiento (“revival”) of the Church.

And so, we welcome the presence of immigrants among us as a blessing, embracing who they are and what they represent as their greatest contribution to the Church and society.

This is both simple and complex. As Itzel Meduri of World Outspoken says: “…we’re often tempted to measure the contributions of immigrants in terms of tax revenue or manual labor. But let us not forget their intrinsic worth and the vital role many play in sharing God’s message.”

Daniel Montañez writes, “… God chose a migrant and displaced community to bring the greatest blessing of all, the hope of salvation through the person and work of Jesus Christ.” God continues to do this for us today through the presence of immigrants, and what a blessing! When history tells this story, may the Church be known for recognizing and defending the inherent dignity of every immigrant — honoring their contributions and, even more, valuing them for who they are: a blessing.

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Joanne Solis-Walker is associate dean and professor at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She previously served as associate professor of practical theology and was a special assistant to the president on diversity at Northwest Nazarene University. Solis-Walker is a practical theologian with extensive experience in leadership, global missions and pastoral ministry. She is a visionary builder who has served in Christian higher education, innovating theological programs contextualized to serve diverse communities in Spanish and English. Solis-Walker earned her Ph.D. in organizational leadership and development with an emphasis on ecclesial leadership from Regent University. She also received her M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary.