News 21's July 2007 video piece can be viewed online at:
http://newsinitiative.org/story/2007/07/19/the_refugee_city_filling_empty
Public Broadcasting's Religion and Ethics Newsweekly program's
Spring 2008 video segment is at:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week1134/feature.html
Christians in Utica, New York are resettling the world one displaced soul at a time.
Tabernacle Baptist Church in Utica, NY, with Mark S. Caruana as pastor, continues in their ministry with Karen refugees. In the baptismal photos are: Rev. Dr. Augustus Spurgeon (with red stole), Saw Baw Htoo, Naw Christina, Saw Su Hta, and the Rev. Dr. Mark Caruana.
Sunday, October 30, 2005, was a day of celebration and consecration at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Utica, NY. We began the service with three young people making a public profession of faith in the waters of Baptism. As a congregational act of commitment to the ministry God has entrusted to us, we dedicated our financial commitments for the coming year. The service concluded as we extended the right hand of fellowship to 37 new members (all recently arrived Karen refugees from Burma). It was a high and holy day!!!
On Sunday, November 13, 2005, we celebrated the births of several babies born in recent months within the Karen community at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Pictured here are the nine babies dedicated together with their parents and siblings. Please continue to hold our congregation in prayer as we embrace a this exciting and challenging multi-cultural ministry.
Two documents describe more details of their story.
In June 2007 three journalists (recent graduates of Columbia University's School of Journalism) visited Tabernacle Baptist Church as part of a summer internship/fellowship sponsored by the Carnegie and Knight Foundations. The theme of the journalism project they are working on is: "Faces of Faith in America" . They specifically wanted to know the impact that welcoming Karen refugees has had on the Tabernacle congregation.
To view their words and video, go to the project's homepage: http://newsinitiative.org/
At the homepage, click on "The New Americans: Homelands and Diasporas" (Far left side of page). A new page will open. Click on "Refuge" (Far right side of page). A list will drop down. Click on "The Refugee City." If this doesn't work, go to this link: http://newsinitiative.org/story/2007/06/26/the_refugee_city You will read a brief introduction to Tabernacle's ministry of welcome to Karen Refugees. If you click on the associated image, it should take you to a video report. If this function does not work you can view the video by going to this link: http://newsinitiative.org/project/media/803
How do the Karen get to America?
USA Today - October 16, 2007
Rev. Dr. Mark S. Caruana
Tabernacle Baptist Church
13 Clark Place
Utica, New York 13501
315-735-7534 Voice
315-734-9030 Fax
pastbctor@adelphia.net