In Staten Island, the sanctuary of New Hope Community Church looked like a mosaic of nations.
Children ran through the halls with backpacks freshly packed. Mothers carried toddlers with tired eyes. Fathers stood quietly by tables, scanning pamphlets and nodding slowly when asked if they needed help with work permits or school information.
It could have been just another relief event. But for Pastor John Saldanha, this was something more.
“This isn’t just charity,” he said. “This is Acts 1:8 in real time. God said to go into all the world. But sometimes, He brings the world to us.”
From India to Staten Island
Pastor John understands migration on a personal level. Born and raised in India, his journey brought him to the U.S. through a career in technology before God called him into full-time ministry. Now the Senior Pastor at New Hope, he has dedicated his life to building bridges between cultures through the Gospel.
His passion for the immigrant community is not theoretical. It is personal, pastoral, and prophetic.
“Every year we celebrate Jesus Week,” he said. “But this year, one of our leaders came to me and said, ‘Why not invite the migrant families? The money has already been raised for book bags and clothes. Why not bring them in and bless them face-to-face?’”
And so they did.
The Innocent Victims of Crisis
With humility and warmth, Pastor John met the families at eye level—literally.
“What’s your name?” he asked a small child, crouching to shake her hand. “Jesus loves you, okay? You’re so good.”
There were smiles, laughter, and quiet tears.
“These people have walked through deserts. They’ve crossed rivers. Some of them have paid enormous amounts of money and taken unbelievable risks just to reach safety,” Pastor John said. “We can’t ignore the pain. We have to see it.”
The conversation around immigration is often politically heated, and Pastor John does not shy away from acknowledging that reality.
“I have my own opinions like everyone else,” he said. “And yes, this is a complex issue. But when I see people—especially children—in my community, I know why God has placed them here. He wants them to experience His love. And He wants us to be the ones to show it.”
The Gospel Among Strangers
During the event, families from Venezuela, Colombia, and other parts of Latin America received not only resources, but also the invitation to know Jesus.
“Some of them said they didn’t even know what a church was,” Pastor John recalled. “But by the end of the day, they were worshiping with us.”
At one point, he offered a gentle call.
“If you want to say, ‘Jesus, come into my life,’ you don’t have to raise your hand high. Just lift it where you are. God sees you.”
Hands went up quietly. Prayers were whispered. And heaven leaned in.
“This may be the day they remember forever,” he said. “The day Jesus touched their life for the first time.”
When Geography Becomes Divine Strategy
Pastor John believes the Church cannot wait for mission trips to reach the nations. The mission field has already arrived—in the form of families who live next door, shop in the same grocery stores, and wait in line at the same clinics.
“God appoints times and boundaries,” he said, referencing Acts 17. “He places people where they are so they might seek Him and find Him. These people have been brought here for a reason. We are that reason.”
The Opportunity in the Crisis
It would be easy for churches to stay silent, overwhelmed by the politics of immigration or afraid of saying the wrong thing. But New Hope is modeling another way.
They are not ignoring the tensions. They are walking into them with open hearts, open doors, and open hands.
“This isn’t about arguing on social media,” Pastor John said. “It’s about recognizing that we’ve been given a chance to love the foreigner, the sojourner, and the neighbor—not just in word, but in action.”
A Call to the Church
If your city is seeing a rise in migrants, Pastor John has a simple message: do not panic. Prepare.
Build relationships. Offer prayer. Learn names. Share meals. Be the Church.
“This is what I believe,” he said. “The Gospel travels fastest on the road of compassion. If we want to reach the world, we start by loving the one who just moved in down the street.”
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