Christian activist Anton Flores to speak about justice for immigrants Oct. 27-29

Lectures: Anton Flores – "Love Crosses Borders"
Dates, times and locations:
Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. in the Goshen College Church-Chapel
Friday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. in the Goshen College Church-Chapel
Cost: Free and open to the public
Event sponsor: Goshen College Campus Ministries

GOSHEN, Ind. – Anton Flores, from the Alterna Community in LaGrange, Ga., will bring his prophetic Christian message about justice for immigrants to Goshen College Oct. 27-29. He was named "Person of the Year 2009" by Atlanta Latino newspaper.

Flores will speak on the Goshen campus at 10 a.m. on both Wednesday, Oct. 27 and Friday, Oct. 29 in the Church-Chapel. On Wednesday, he will speak on "Justice Crosses Borders: A Personal Testimony inspired by Exodus 3" and on Friday, he will speak on "Jesus Crosses Borders: Lessons on Solidarity and Compassion from John 4.: Both worship services are free and open to the public.

In 2006, Flores left his tenure-track position as assistant professor and chair of the department of Human Services and Sociology at LaGrange College to follow a call to a life of solidarity with newcomers from Latin America, especially unauthorized and unwelcomed immigrants. He devotes his full-time energies, without compensation, to a ministry called Alterna in LaGrange, Ga. Alterna is a Christian missional community of U.S. citizens and Latin American immigrants devoted to the ancient practices of accompaniment, advocacy and hospitality.

Currently, Alterna consists of the Flores family, two families from Guatemala, two from Mexico and three young couples who are serving through a residential internship partnership with Mission Year.

Throughout the year, Flores can be found sharing common meals and prayers with the other members of Alterna, visiting detainees at the local jail and a nearby immigration detention center, and walking alongside immigrants in crisis. He also organizes public acts of resistance to the ways immigrants are treated, and leads delegations and organizes community development efforts in Guatemala.

Flores and his wife, Charlotte, have two sons, Jairo and Eli. Flores is a former member of the steering committee of Christian Peacemaker Teams and DOOR (a ministry of Mennonite Mission Network). He also serves on the board of directors of Jubilee Partners, a Christian service community in rural Georgia that serves as a place of welcome to refugees.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.