Two Roads, One Destination: Eric Ockrin’s Journey in Welcoming Refugees

Deuteronomy 10:18: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” 

Wearing two hats as both a pastor and a real estate investor, Eric Ockrin is using the gifts that the Lord has given him to welcome and love our new neighbors. As the pastor of Trinity Communion Church (TCC), he is cultivating a Jesus centered missional community to reach people of all cultures. Through his investments, he uses his properties as a mission opportunity. Eric’s passion for refugee work has grown over the years and World Relief has become a part of his story. 

The Work of the Church 

When Eric’s church began helping at Faith in Action, they were introduced to the world of refugees. Through Faith in Action’s involvement with School 50, an international school, the team began to encounter refugee families and quickly realized that they were not experienced in this type of work. Taking a posture of humility, Eric reached out to World Relief WNY for trainings and resources, where they were encouraged to push themselves closer rather than take a step back. 

Beginning to build relationships with the families, the team members were soon invited into their homes and shared meals with their new friends. They noticed that families began to take an interest in their church, with one family even attending a service. Realizing that there was a growing desire from the refugee families to attend their church, the TCC team members got creative.  

The TCC congregation set up a driving ministry to pick-up families and bring them to church, however, they quickly discovered that they did not have the means to transport all of the interested families. The congregation began to pray for a church van, hoping to find something that could reliably transport all of the refugee families. The miraculous happened when a neighbor put their van up for sale, answering their prayers. Today, Trinity Communion Church picks up between 20 and 30 refugees each Sunday and brings them to church. 

A Heart for Housing 

In addition to serving as a pastor at TCC, Eric is in the real estate investment business with his older brother, operating Oak Brothers Properties LLC. With the intent of using these properties to serve a mission, he has previously partnered with other agencies, including Willow Domestic Violence Center and human trafficking agencies.  

Together with World Relief Western NY, Eric and his brother decided to designate a handful of their apartments for refugee resettlement. Currently, at least 3 of their apartments are occupied by refugees through World Relief. Oak Brothers Properties is also working to secure 2 more locations for this mission. 

One Mission 

In his time working with World Relief, Eric has found that being in close proximity to people, how Jesus lived, is the driving force behind the work. Through his partnership with World Relief, Eric has opened his apartments to refugees, and in turn he has created close and personal relationships. In the future, Eric hopes to marry his business mind with the mission of the church and educate churches on how they can buy a house for use as a ministry for refugees. 

Eric believes that as people who embody the care and love of God, World Relief fosters an authentic group of people who want to be an extension of God’s kingdom. When we live out our Christian identity, we are bringing heaven to earth.