Town of Sweden resident Barb Deming has been named the first recipient of the George Exley-Stiegler Award for her work in migrant ministry. The recognition is given by the Rural & Migrant Ministry organization (RMM).
The award was presented at the “Harvesting Justice Symposium & Dinner,” held on October 29 at the Temple B’rith Kodesh in Rochester.
The inaugural award is named for the Rev. George Exley-Stiegler, a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester who died in January this year. As priest at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Brockport from 1956-1964, he led a migrant ministry. Much later, in 2001, the Western New York RMM office originated in St. Luke’s basement. “George’s work can be said to have laid the roots for St. Luke’s renewed commitment and support of the socially transforming work of both the BEOC and RMM,” Deming said.
“Barb Deming exemplifies the vision and presence of George Exley-Stiegler,” RMM literature states. “For twenty-five years, Barbara has been present in the quest for farmworker justice in New York State. She is persistent, passionate and engaged – all qualities she shares with George.” She has worked in migrant ministry through St. Luke’s since 1988 when she and her husband moved to Brockport. From that first activity, the Brockport Ecumenical Outreach Committee (BEOC) was formed uniting various Brockport churches in the migrant ministry. Deming chaired BEOC for nine years.
Deming was instrumental in bringing RMM, founded in the Hudson Valley in 1981, to western New York. The Western New York Council of RMM was created in 2000, based on her research and recommendations. For several years, she was president of the RMM Board of Directors and remains an RMM Fellow. She has been a farmer and has written a book on homesteading with her husband, Dick Deming, who has supported her work in RMM. They live on Redman Road in the Town of Sweden.
“Fr. George Exley-Stiegler was my friend and mentor which adds significant meaning to receiving this award,” Deming said. “He ‘walked the walk’ with the poor and the disenfranchised. He knew the life and work of farmworkers, the hardship of separation and their invisibility. My very best efforts just barely follow the footprints he has left us. I am truly moved and humbled to be the first recipient of the award in his name.”
RMM is a statewide, non-sectarian organization that seeks rural justice. Its mission is to create a just rural New York state by standing with the disenfranchised, especially farm and migrant workers, promoting their leadership, and addressing unjust systems and structures.
Photo by Dianne Hickerson
11/10/13
