Thoughts from the Director – Spring 2009

Some people call me the pastor of a church without walls.  If that is true, I have one of the largest congregations in this United Methodist Conference.  If you have paid attention to the news or watched Oprah, my “church” (the people I serve) has received quite a bit of media attention lately.  Since the Oprah Winfrey show featured Sacramento’s Tent City in late February, news crews and cameras arrive daily from all over the world, including Switzerland, Germany and Australia.  Crews come from The Today Show, The Early Show, The BBC; reporters from National Public Radio, AARP, Newsweek, The London Times, The New York Times, the Sacramento Bee and various international radio shows and more.

Under international scrutiny, the City of Sacramento, working with homeless advocates, residents of Tent City, and others agreed to provide alternative, more sanitary accommodations, such as modules at Cal Expo, for the 150 or so people living in Tent City.  They will be asked to move some time in April.

Moving, again, is the mantra of the constituents of Side-By-Side.  Always moving from place to place like the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness in search of the Promised Land.  The only constant thing is God.  That is what the ministry of Side-By-Side seeks to remind our “congregants.”  God is with them.  They are not forgotten or alone in the wandering and wondering.  They are not alone in the dark tent at night.  They are not alone in their journey of loneliness and despair.  They are not alone in the stressful light of world-wide attention.  No matter what, God is still here.  To listen to the stories with an ear to God helps make God more real and the situation more tolerable.

Please keep our “church” in your prayers and pray for peaceful and adequate resolution.  All God’s children deserve a safe and sanitary home.

With a listening heart,
Linda Kelly-Baker, Director

A DVD of The Oprah Winfrey Show on Tent City is available on loan from the Delta District Office at the United Methodist Center.