Who We Serve
Three audiences.One ministry.
Accents was never built for just one kind of person in one kind of role. It exists at the meeting point of three groups who need each other more than any single program can capture.
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01
Immigrant & Intercultural Leaders
"Is this for someone like me?" is usually the first question we hear, whether from a pastor leading a congregation of forty or someone still discerning a call to plant one.
It's a fair question, and the honest answer is yes.
If English isn't your strongest language, coaching happens in Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean too.
If travel is out of reach, scholarships exist so cost isn't the reason you miss out.
If your migration status makes you hesitant to gather in a room full of strangers, much of Accents' work never requires travel at all. When leaders do gather in person, sessions like Know Your Rights training, led by people equipped to answer real legal questions, are part of the agenda rather than an afterthought.
That training was part of the April 2026 Friends on the Journey gathering at Zephyr Point, where 43 leaders from 13 nations spent four days together.
The need behind this work is not abstract. Pew Research finds that 68% of the 44.5 million immigrants living in the United States identify as Christian, a population the wider church has not always known how to see, welcome, or resource well.
Accents exists because that gap is real, and because immigrant and intercultural leaders themselves are the ones best positioned to close it.
Since 2018, more than 400 leaders across ten states have found coaching, community, and practical support here.
02
Established Congregations & Allies
"How can my congregation partner with an immigrant community without doing harm?" is the real question allies ask once they're ready to move past good intentions.
It's a good one to ask before acting rather than after.
Accents' answer starts with mutuality, not top-down aid.
Partnership means listening before offering solutions, sharing leadership rather than just funding, and expecting to receive as much as you give.
Pathways to Belonging andInspire are both built around that same premise, structured so an established congregation and an immigrant congregation meet as full partners rather than as helper and helped.
Congregations don't need to have it all figured out before reaching out.
Most partnerships begin with a single conversation, and a program, not a solo commitment, carries the relationship forward from there.
03
Mid Councils
Presbyteries and synods asking how to better resource the immigrant and intercultural leaders already serving in their bounds find that Accents is often already working alongside councils like theirs.
That includes the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, the Presbytery of San Francisco, and the Synod of the Covenant.
Co-founder Lindsay Armstrong's own portfolio at the New Church Development Commission, the startup studio of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, spans more than 32 new worshiping communities, over half of them immigrant congregations.
It's one working example of what a single mid council's sustained investment in this work can look like at scale.
Coaching, training, and gathering support can often be structured to align with a mid council's existing commitments, including partnership with the PC(USA)'s 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement.
That often means this work doesn't require a new budget line built from scratch.
Common Questions
- Is Accents for someone like me, even if my English is imperfect or my ministry looks different from what a denomination expects?
- Yes. Accents works in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean, and coaches are trained to value the full range of ministry experience leaders bring, not just experience that fits a familiar mold.
- What if I can't travel, or I'm not sure about my migration status?
- Scholarships are available so cost isn't the barrier, and much of Accents' work happens without ever requiring travel. When leaders do gather in person, sessions like Know Your Rights training are part of the agenda, led by people equipped to answer real questions, not an afterthought bolted onto a conference.
- How can my congregation partner with an immigrant community without doing harm?
- Start by listening before offering solutions, and by expecting to receive as much as you give. Pathways to Belonging and Inspire are both built around that same premise: partnership as a two-way relationship, not one-way outreach.
- Does my congregation need to be part of the PC(USA) to get involved?
- No. Accents partners closely with the PC(USA), but many of our resources and gatherings are relevant to congregations and leaders across different denominations and contexts.
- How can a presbytery or synod work with Accents?
- Reach out directly. Accents already partners with mid councils including the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, the Presbytery of San Francisco, and the Synod of the Covenant, on coaching, training, and gathering support that can often be structured to align with existing New Worshiping Communities funding.
Wherever You Fit
Not sure which audience you are? Reach out anyway.
Most conversations start before anyone's certain which pathway fits. Tell us where you serve and we'll help you find the right next step.