{"id":27174,"date":"2026-05-21T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=27174"},"modified":"2026-05-23T02:41:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T02:41:29","slug":"pastoral-care-in-focus-in-honduras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/pastoral-care-in-focus-in-honduras\/","title":{"rendered":"Pastoral care in focus on a trip to Honduras to support deported church members"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Irv Heishman<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to share briefly on the trip I made to Honduras (March 9-16). The purpose of the trip was to provide pastoral care to two of my church members who had been deported and to learn what life is like post deportation. Overall, I have to say the trip exceeded my expectations. I felt the presence of God’s Spirit blessing time shared together with these members of my congregation, West Charleston Church of the Brethren in Tipp City, Ohio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mario and Arely Cantor, father\/daughter co-pastors of the Church of the Brethren in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, joined me and my two church members in a time away in retreat at the Panacram National Park. This eco-tourism park (which is connected with a ministry managed by Church of the Brethren member Chet Thomas) is in itself a remarkable and inspiring story worth telling. The retreat time was indeed a welcome time of rest and refreshment, both for the pastors and my church members, as I had hoped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New awareness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Cantors expressed gratitude for what they learned from the in-depth conversations we had with several recently deported (returned) people including the two members of my church. These men shared, often with tears and deep emotion, the pain of being separated from their families and children, the experience of not being understood upon return to Honduras, and the trauma they are still processing from being detained for months followed by forced removal from the US in chains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Irv Heishman (at right) shares a meal with church members Marlon (left) and Armando (center). Photo courtesy of Irv Heishman<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A conversation with several returned people in the new Church of the Brethren church plant in Talanga. Photo by Irv Heishman<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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We had an additional conversation with a deportee at a church in Talanga, a new Church of the Brethren fellowship. The Cantors said these conversations sensitized them in new ways to the experience and needs of returnees. Further, they were grateful that these conversations, which also included leaders of the two churches, helped their church leadership better recognize the challenges and spiritual care that returnees need. I encouraged several who had been quick to offer platitudes like, \u201cGod has a plan for you,\u201d to first listen well and to give space for lament and grief in the process of recovering faith and hope. The impact of this visit in sensitizing the churches to the need of the returnees was an unexpected gift of the trip. I was moved by the genuine heart-felt response of compassion and desire to find ways to expand their mission to support these traumatized people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Honduras, I wonder if it would be worthwhile to prepare church leaders in our various international Church of the Brethren bodies to minister to the unique needs of returnees as deportations continue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Apocalyptic crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A number of times, I heard church members say that the impact of US immigration policy is creating an apocalyptic crisis in Honduras. Families depend on the money sent to them by their family members living as immigrants in the US. It is very difficult for many to meet basic needs, much less pay for medicines for aging parents or grandparents, without outside support. When people are deported, their families both lose needed income and at the same time face the added financial stress of taking on new dependents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In all, 25 percent of the Honduran economy is based on money immigrants in the US send to the country. So the accumulative impact of deportation on so many families impacts the entire economy of the country. I took notice when I heard person after person saying that the impact felt apocalyptic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anointing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was invited to preach on Sunday at the church in Tegucigalpa and decided to use the opportunity to introduce the Brethren ordinance of anointing. The pastors indicated that many church members were not aware of the practice. So I made arrangements with them to invite church members to come forward after the sermon if they wanted to receive anointing from their pastors. Quite a number of people responded, and the Cantors ministered to them in a beautiful way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generous love and shared sorrow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I do not have time and space to share further about the conditions in which I observed returnees living, but my heart was broken for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thank the Cantors and Chet Thomas for their generous assistance, making for a very meaningful time of learning together, generous love, and shared sorrow mingled together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pray that the Spirit will help me share what I’ve learned in ways that can have a positive impact in understanding and compassionate response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Irv Heishman is co-pastor at West Charleston Church of the Brethren in Tipp City, Ohio, and has been heavily involved in support of those in his congregation and in the wider community who are affected by violent immigration enforcement in the state.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Armando quietly reads a letter from his congregation at West Charleston Church of the Brethren. Photo by Irv Heishman<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find more Church of the Brethren news:<\/p>\n\n\n