Building Justice: A Conversation with IJM Canada
Welcoming a Voice for Justice
This week, we had the privilege of welcoming Joash Thomas to Commons Church—a long-time partner and, as of late, the National Director of Church Partnerships for IJM Canada. Though we've shared connection and collaboration over the years, this was Joash's first time in our church space, making the visit even more meaningful. From the outset, Joash's warmth and gratitude for our community was palpable, rooted in a mutual commitment to justice and healing.
What is IJM?
For those less familiar, IJM (International Justice Mission) is the world's largest anti-human trafficking organization, committed to protecting people in poverty from violence. That mission, as Joash shared, often places them at odds with centuries of systemic injustice rooted in colonial history—from broken justice systems to endemic gender-based violence. But IJM isn’t just a watchdog; it’s a movement actively reshaping the systems that fail the most vulnerable.
They engage in everything from legal advocacy to trauma-informed care, ensuring that survivors of violence, including human trafficking and online sexual exploitation, receive justice in the fullest sense. This isn’t charity. It’s restoration.
How Justice Work Happens
Joash painted a vivid picture of IJM’s operations across the globe. In places like the Philippines, IJM works hand-in-hand with local law enforcement, legal professionals, and social workers. Their expertise in trauma-informed justice allows them to guide rescue operations, ensuring that survivors are cared for with dignity and sensitivity. It's not just about prosecuting perpetrators; it's about rebuilding lives.
And contrary to common assumptions, Joash pointed out that corruption is often not the biggest barrier. Instead, it's a lack of resourcing and political will. IJM fills those gaps through partnerships that bring expertise, funding, and accountability into the fold.
A Personal Call to Justice
Joash's story is deeply rooted in the church. Raised in India, he encountered justice work early through HIV ministry in youth group, and through mentors who were some of IJM India’s first lawyers and social workers. These experiences shaped his vocation.
He confessed to once seeking Jesus in the corridors of political power in the U.S., only to rediscover him among the oppressed during a return to India. That journey—from disillusionment to ordination in the Episcopal tradition—has only deepened his conviction that justice is core to discipleship.
Justice as a Unifying Force
In a world increasingly divided, Joash believes the pursuit of justice offers a way forward. IJM's work has become a point of convergence for churches across theological and political spectrums. Catholic bishops and evangelical pastors, progressive and conservative leaders alike, come together around the shared call to protect the vulnerable.
Even more powerfully, IJM is forging paths of partnership beyond the church—working with governments and secular NGOs, and advocating for just laws in both the Global South and here in Canada. It's a beautiful vision of unity forged not in uniformity, but in shared purpose.
Decolonizing Justice
As a Christian organization working primarily in postcolonial contexts, IJM is deeply aware of the baggage the church carries. Joash didn't shy away from naming this. But he also insisted that our response must be more than critique.
Through its local staffing model (99% of their on-the-ground staff are nationals), survivor-centered advocacy, and collaborations with historically complicit institutions like the Catholic Church, IJM models what decolonized justice can look like. Not as penance, but as faithfulness in the present.
Guatemala and the Victims Institute
Commons has supported IJM’s work in Guatemala for several years now, focusing particularly on the Victims Institute. This initiative addresses gender-based and sexual violence—some of the key drivers of forced migration from Central America.
What makes the Institute remarkable is its collaborative model. It doesn’t just lobby for change; it trains judges, advises prosecutors, and supports survivors throughout the legal process. In places where justice was once delayed or denied, it’s now being delivered with compassion and precision.
The Long Work of Change
Joash was clear: the work of justice is slow. In Bolivia, for example, IJM’s efforts have taken the conviction rate for certain crimes from 0.04% to 4% over a decade. That may seem small, but it’s massive in context.
This is work that doesn’t always make headlines, but it changes lives. And over time, it sparks movements that outlast the organizations that started them.
How We Join In
As a local church, Commons is committed to generosity, and part of that flows toward IJM. But Joash reminded us that partnership can go further. We can:
Pray regularly through IJM’s prayer updates.
Give directly, through a soon-to-be-created commons-specific giving portal.
Advocate by raising our voices with lawmakers, particularly around issues like online child exploitation.
Justice is not a spectator sport. It’s a practice of faith. And in a world aching for healing, it is one of the most powerful ways we can embody the gospel.
A Final Word
"We can’t change the past, but we can be faithful in the present."
That line, shared near the end of our conversation, lingers. It captures the heart of IJM’s work and the invitation extended to all of us. Justice may cost us our comfort, but in that cost, we find Christ.
May we continue to find ways—as individuals, as a community—to be part of that story.
