The Rev. Samson Mamour speaking at the prayer vigil at the First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, N.C., on August 21, 2026. Photo courtesy, The Cultivator YouTube Channel

Sometimes, when I am on my trips to explore Eastern NC’s history, I see and hear things that move me deeply. This was one of them.

Of my recent visit to Murfreesboro, I have only this to say: I was there for a prayer vigil that was held to protest the opening of an ICE detention center a few miles to the east in Winton.

The gentle words of an Episcopal priest from South Sudan are my most lasting memory of the day.

From the pulpit at the First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, Father Samson Mamour spoke from his heart.

“I arrived in this country as a refugee, and I deeply understand the struggle that comes with leaving everything behind– your homeland, your familiar surroundings and cherished memories.”

He called on us to extend our love and compassion to those who are searching for a new home here in America.

“As human beings united under one Creator and one Lord, Jesus Christ, we are called to respond not with fear, which can isolate us, but with love, which connects us all.”