Michigan church reaches Muslim neighbors with faith and hospitality

Faith Facts

• Parkside Church of Christ in Dearborn Heights has hosted ESL classes, community markets, and block parties serving halal food to build relationships with Muslim neighbors.
• Minister Wayne Beason urges Christians to pray for peace and hospitality toward Muslim neighbors while maintaining the exclusive truth of the Gospel.
• The congregation opened its building to a weekday preschool serving mostly Muslim families, led by a Catholic and a Muslim director.

Wayne Beason, minister at Parkside Church of Christ in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, stood before his small congregation the Sunday after an anti-Islam rally rocked nearby Dearborn. He urged believers to reject fear-driven rhetoric and instead extend genuine Christian hospitality to their Muslim neighbors.

The rally, branded as a “Christian Crusader March,” drew armed participants and counter-protesters to the majority Arab-American city. Beason felt compelled to address the hurtful claims being made in the name of Christ.

“There’s a lot of talk about Muslim Americans and Arab immigrants right now, and a lot of it is pretty hurtful and deceptive,” Beason told his congregation.

“I have a hunch that many of us are wondering what we can do, how we can respond to the fear and hatred that’s being directed at our neighbors by people claiming to follow the same Jesus we follow.”

For years the Parkside congregation has quietly demonstrated that love through practical service. Members organized English classes for immigrants, helped sell goods at a local farmers market, and grilled halal hot dogs and hamburgers at the church’s annual block party.

Anita Roosa, a longtime Parkside member, said the relationships formed have been God’s work. “We don’t know where he is in that work with each individual, so I’m excited to see what he does in these lives.”

Beason also called the congregation to prayer. He asked members to pray for peace and safety for Muslim neighbors and for fellow Christians across the nation to respond with wisdom, hospitality, and grace.

James Moore, a retired minister in Florida, expressed concern about Islam’s growth and teachings but acknowledged that most Muslims are gracious and hardworking. He stressed the need for Americans to understand both the hospitable aspects of Islam and the implications of Sharia law.

Sammie Berry, minister and elder in Dallas, said he works alongside Muslim citizens for the common good while keeping his own faith central. “I will always share the message of Jesus Christ and his church.”

Monte Cox, dean at Harding University, warned Christians against buying into stereotypes. “Muslims in America don’t want to impose Sharia law,” Cox said. “That’s a boogeyman.”

Cox has spent decades taking students to visit mosques and has built a cordial friendship with Muslim leader Nabil Bayakly even while they openly disagree on the identity of Jesus.

Beason himself once believed the negative rumors about Dearborn. After living in the community for more than a decade he discovered that Muslim families were simply people who wanted safety and care for their children, just like anyone else.

One of his favorite memories is watching Arab Muslim mothers at the park insist on sharing their picnic food with his family. “Almost without fail, they would just kind of call us over and insist that we try what they had.”

Parkside’s building now houses a weekday preschool directed by Jennifer Danclovic, a Catholic, and Nina Alaouieh, a Muslim. The school serves about 65 children, most from Muslim homes. Beason runs sound for the preschool graduation and tears up every time.

Elder Bob Jones, a founding member of the congregation, summed up the simple lesson learned from years of interaction: “They’re people like you and I. We want the same things for our families and our kids. We want safety. We want somebody caring about us when we’re ill.”

Beason believes the Gospel will reach his neighbors most effectively through loving, long-term relationships. “Loving our neighbors is evangelism,” he said.

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