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This week’s Church Potluck is a powerful crossover episode with American Angst. Dale McConkey is joined by fellow United Methodist pastors Rev. Ash McEuen and Rev. Karen Kagiyama, along with political scientist Dr. Michael Bailey, for a wide-ranging conversation about immigration, protest, and what it means to follow Jesus in public life.

The discussion begins with the real-world impact of current immigration policies. Ash McEuen, whose ministry is deeply rooted in immigrant and Latino communities, describes the daily fear many families face—detention uncertainty, deportation confusion, and the emotional toll of accompaniment. Karen Kagiyama offers theological grounding, framing clergy protest not as partisan politics but as Christian witness, solidarity, and lament, shaped by prayer and Jesus’ own challenge to injustice.

Michael Bailey brings historical and political insight, exploring when protest actually works and why nonviolent movements have often driven lasting change. Dale McConkey guides the table through key faith questions, including Romans 13, Jesus turning over the tables, and the United Methodist baptismal vow to “resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.”

Blending seriousness with warmth and humor, the conversation provides an honest, pastoral conversation that insists immigration is not abstract, protest is not simple, and Christian discipleship is inseparable from how we treat the most vulnerable among us.

The views expressed on Church Potluck are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.