Mission and Vision
Rural & Migrant Ministry works for the creation of a just, rural New York State through:
- Nurturing leadership
- Standing with the disenfranchised, especially farmworkers and rural workers
- Changing unjust systems and structures
Vision Statement
Rural & Migrant Ministry acts to overcome the prejudices and poverty that degrade and debilitate all members of our society by: building communities that celebrate diversity, achieve true mutuality and offer dignity and opportunity to all. Rural & Migrant Ministry is an interfaith organization whose members believe that inspiration comes from participation in the creation of a just world. continue here...
Our History
The rivers of Rural & Migrant Ministry trace their sources to the founding streams of the 1970’s and 1980’s. One of those streams was the commitment to collaboration through ecumenism, as five faith bodies looked at their own rural or farmworker ministry and decided it could be stronger through merging with others. These five were the American Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Reformed Church in America and United Methodist. continue here...
A Unique Organization
There are a number of aspects that make Rural & Migrant Ministry one of the most unique organizations in the United States.
A discussion about our uniqueness begins with our name. Our founders back in the 1970’s looked at the landscape of New York and realized that rural areas were suffering in the midst of many injustices and isolation. And those seemingly suffering the greatest disenfranchisement within these rural communities were migrant farmworkers. It struck our founders that there was little focus, let alone awareness, of the conditions in these communities; nor were there many organizations addressing the systemic causes of the disenfranchisement of these communities. RMM became one of the few organizations in rural New York committed to nurturing leaders for systemic change and justice. Our priority has always been rural food system workers and their families, especially farmworking families: as they developed the skills and resources to improve working and living conditions. continue here...