$7.6 Million in AID approved by UMCOR board
By Linda Beher
STAMFORD, CT, April 24, 2007—Economically vulnerable Sri Lankans who are still finding their footing after the 2004 tsunami are among those to receive aid worth millions of dollars. The action was among several approved April 24 by the board of United Methodist Committee on Relief meeting in Stamford, Conn., and adding to more than $7.6 million.
The aid bolsters a “challenging, complex and often dangerous environment,” the Sri Lanka request stated in part. Total granted to the Sri Lanka project was $4,715,395. UMCOR board president Bishop Edward W. Paup, Pacific Northwest, praised the program’s comprehensive approach. “It’s not only about what we’re doing for individual families but how our service will strengthen their sense of community,” he said.
Included in the funding was $159,764 for upgrades to disaster response capacity of the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka. Funds will be disbursed, as is UMCOR’s usual practice, based on actual expenditures in the field.
In another action, directors voted to provide aid to some 650 vulnerable families returning home to Kabul and Wardak in Afghanistan. Valued at $177,868, the funds will purchase livestock with the grant and training for the families in animal husbandry as a means to earn a living. The funds will close out the account “Love in the Midst of Tragedy,” the United Methodist response to recovery needs following 9/11.
Sri Lanka Holistic Response
Women and children, as well as displaced families and the elderly, are struggling to rebuild in Sri Lanka while in the midst of civil conflict that has intensified the damage caused by the tsunami. Church funds will augment public grants to repair or construct homes for some 150 families, many of them woman-headed, as well as provide job training or small loans to benefit another 8,000 families.
Congruent with UMCOR’s policy of providing holistic solutions in disaster recovery, small-scale rehabilitation of vital community services will also be part of the program, and will affect some 14,000 families in four towns. Examples include increasing access to fresh drinking water, repair to electrical networks, and ensuring that schools have adequate sanitation facilities. “These grants demonstrate the strength of UMCOR’s humanitarian presence in regions of the world that struggle to recover from the losses of disasters,” said Bishop Paup.
Banda Aceh Revitalization
The UMCOR board also approved $2,077,473 for community development in Banda Aceh. Rebuilding homes continues to be a priority for UMCOR in the remote areas Sumatra’s northern tip. Like the Sri Lanka programs, these will address holistic needs of new or repaired homes, the need for strengthened business skills, and restoration of roads, water sources, and schools. UMCOR partners with local communities, other international nongovernmental organizations, UN agencies and the Indonesian government for its work in Indonesia.
Pakistan, Sudan Development
Funding was earmarked for earthquake recovery in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Church World Service is UMCOR’s implementing partner in the region, serving 75,000 individuals with health programs, provision of fresh water, and other health and psychosocial benefits. UMCOR’s share in the recovery was approved at $500,000.
The board gave a nod for office construction in Yei, Southern Sudan, and ratified emergency releases, approved by a subcommittee of the board in the previous six months, amounting to $2,650,753.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Caring for the Children of Kamina
The Tennessee Annual Conference has set a faith goal of $100,000 as we continue “Caring for the Children of Kamina”. For almost a decade this annual conference has been in ministry with the Children of Kamina through our partner relationship with the North Katanga Conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bishop Ntambo has spoken to the annual conference about the needs of the children who are orphaned because of the HIV/AID crisis and years of war in Africa. Together with the Memphis Conference, the Carder Bantu Home-School and the Mary Morris Orphanage have been built.
The offerings will be divided between three important children’s ministries that have been designated as General Advance Specials. These ministries include:
.assistance for abandoned/malnourished children through the Kamina Children’s Home and the external feeding program
.provide homeless and abandoned children basic necessities including medical care, clothes, blankets and school supplies
.the nutrition program which provides nutritional education for parents and meal supplements for high-risk children
Feel free to check out the North Katanga Conference website at http://www.northkatangaumc.org/ for more information and pictures of the children.
On Sunday, June 10, 2007 at 4:00P at Brentwood UMC there will be a short worship experience for the children of your congregation to bring your church’s faith offering for the Children of Kamina. Please make checks payable to Tennessee Annual Conference and mark it “Kamina”
Susan Groseclose
Director of Nurture Ministries
TN Conference Connectional Ministries
304 South Perimeter Park, Suite 1
Nashville, TN 37211
sgroseclose@tnumc.org
615-329-1177 or 1-800-403-5795 (W)
615-417-1753 (cell)
The Tennessee Annual Conference has set a faith goal of $100,000 as we continue “Caring for the Children of Kamina”. For almost a decade this annual conference has been in ministry with the Children of Kamina through our partner relationship with the North Katanga Conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bishop Ntambo has spoken to the annual conference about the needs of the children who are orphaned because of the HIV/AID crisis and years of war in Africa. Together with the Memphis Conference, the Carder Bantu Home-School and the Mary Morris Orphanage have been built.
The offerings will be divided between three important children’s ministries that have been designated as General Advance Specials. These ministries include:
.assistance for abandoned/malnourished children through the Kamina Children’s Home and the external feeding program
.provide homeless and abandoned children basic necessities including medical care, clothes, blankets and school supplies
.the nutrition program which provides nutritional education for parents and meal supplements for high-risk children
Feel free to check out the North Katanga Conference website at http://www.northkatangaumc.org/ for more information and pictures of the children.
On Sunday, June 10, 2007 at 4:00P at Brentwood UMC there will be a short worship experience for the children of your congregation to bring your church’s faith offering for the Children of Kamina. Please make checks payable to Tennessee Annual Conference and mark it “Kamina”
Susan Groseclose
Director of Nurture Ministries
TN Conference Connectional Ministries
304 South Perimeter Park, Suite 1
Nashville, TN 37211
sgroseclose@tnumc.org
615-329-1177 or 1-800-403-5795 (W)
615-417-1753 (cell)
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Nigerian prelate receives Methodist peace award
By United Methodist News Service
His Eminence Sunday Mbang, prelate emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria,will be honored April 24 with the World Methodist Peace Award. A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose.
The prelate emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria is the latest recipient of the World Methodist Peace Award.
His Eminence Sunday Mbang will be honored during an April 24 ceremony at the Methodist Cathedral of Unity in Abuja, Nigeria. He will be presented the award by the Rev. John Barrett, chairman of the World Methodist Council.
The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Matthew Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, will represent the country of Nigeria at the event. The council named Mbang as the peace award recipient in 2006, but the presentation was delayed.
Established in 1976, the World Methodist Peace Award recognizes courage, creativity and consistency in a person or group's efforts to be a peacemaker, seek justice and reconciliation in the name of Jesus Christ and effect positive changes in society. Previous recipients include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, South African civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, President Boris Trajkovski of Macedonia and Casamira Rodriguez of Bolivia.
"Sunday Mbang, the son of a pastor, has always had a concern, vision and commitment to see a new future," said the Rev. George Freeman, the council's executive director.
The Methodist Church of Nigeria grew out of British Methodism. But conflict emerged after the church became autonomous. According to Freeman, some practices that were adopted resulted in a dramatic departure from the church order that the people had known.
When Mbang became prelate in 1984, the Nigerian church was severely divided over the sweeping changes made by his predecessor toward a more Eastern direction in its liturgy, worship practices and church leadership roles.
From the time of his installation, Mbang set aside the symbols of those changes and worked toward reconciliation, and his example spread to other countries, according to Freeman. Within two months, reconciliation teams were formed through the World Methodist Council to meet with leaders in two other nations where major conflicts threatened church unity.
Mbang forged relationships with other Methodist church bodies in Nigeria and throughout Africa and formed friendships that strengthened Christian witness throughout the country.
"His leadership has enabled Christians and Muslims in Nigeria to live together in peace," Freeman said. "He has been outspoken against corruption in government and has been a leader in movements that seek to avoid civil strife. The Nigerian government awarded him the Commander of the Order of Niger award, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the government."
Mbang received his doctorate in Old Testament studies from Harvard University. He served on the World Methodist Council executive committee from 1982 to 1991. In 1991, he became a member of the council's presidium and was elected vice-chairman of the council in 1996 and chairman in 2001.
As chairman, he led the council through its initial phase of self-study and was a strong impetus to the council's adoption of statements on "Unity and Sexuality" and "Wesleyan Witness in Islamic Cultures."
He represented World Methodism at the 2003 Day of Prayer for Peace in the World under the leadership of the late Pope John Paul II, and led a delegation to meet with Pope Benedict XVI on the progress of 40 years of dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council.
By United Methodist News Service
His Eminence Sunday Mbang, prelate emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria,will be honored April 24 with the World Methodist Peace Award. A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose.
The prelate emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria is the latest recipient of the World Methodist Peace Award.
His Eminence Sunday Mbang will be honored during an April 24 ceremony at the Methodist Cathedral of Unity in Abuja, Nigeria. He will be presented the award by the Rev. John Barrett, chairman of the World Methodist Council.
The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Matthew Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, will represent the country of Nigeria at the event. The council named Mbang as the peace award recipient in 2006, but the presentation was delayed.
Established in 1976, the World Methodist Peace Award recognizes courage, creativity and consistency in a person or group's efforts to be a peacemaker, seek justice and reconciliation in the name of Jesus Christ and effect positive changes in society. Previous recipients include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, South African civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, President Boris Trajkovski of Macedonia and Casamira Rodriguez of Bolivia.
"Sunday Mbang, the son of a pastor, has always had a concern, vision and commitment to see a new future," said the Rev. George Freeman, the council's executive director.
The Methodist Church of Nigeria grew out of British Methodism. But conflict emerged after the church became autonomous. According to Freeman, some practices that were adopted resulted in a dramatic departure from the church order that the people had known.
When Mbang became prelate in 1984, the Nigerian church was severely divided over the sweeping changes made by his predecessor toward a more Eastern direction in its liturgy, worship practices and church leadership roles.
From the time of his installation, Mbang set aside the symbols of those changes and worked toward reconciliation, and his example spread to other countries, according to Freeman. Within two months, reconciliation teams were formed through the World Methodist Council to meet with leaders in two other nations where major conflicts threatened church unity.
Mbang forged relationships with other Methodist church bodies in Nigeria and throughout Africa and formed friendships that strengthened Christian witness throughout the country.
"His leadership has enabled Christians and Muslims in Nigeria to live together in peace," Freeman said. "He has been outspoken against corruption in government and has been a leader in movements that seek to avoid civil strife. The Nigerian government awarded him the Commander of the Order of Niger award, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the government."
Mbang received his doctorate in Old Testament studies from Harvard University. He served on the World Methodist Council executive committee from 1982 to 1991. In 1991, he became a member of the council's presidium and was elected vice-chairman of the council in 1996 and chairman in 2001.
As chairman, he led the council through its initial phase of self-study and was a strong impetus to the council's adoption of statements on "Unity and Sexuality" and "Wesleyan Witness in Islamic Cultures."
He represented World Methodism at the 2003 Day of Prayer for Peace in the World under the leadership of the late Pope John Paul II, and led a delegation to meet with Pope Benedict XVI on the progress of 40 years of dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council.
Friday, April 13, 2007
United Methodists join in Sudan water mission
A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*
Adel Dut holds seeds for planting outside a refugee camp in the South Darfur region of Sudan. The United Methodist Committee on Relief and a United Methodist church in Ohio are collaborating to improve water and sanitation systems in the camps. UMNS file photos by Paul Jeffrey, UMCOR.
Water is a basic need everywhere and is particularly important for displaced people in camps in South Darfur, Sudan, and their host communities.
Now a four-year relief project is focusing on re-establishing water supplies and improving sanitation in refugee camps in the war-torn African nation. The ministry is an outgrowth of a continuing collaboration between Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
The project is coming together at a time when continuing violence and political instability pose a threat to humanitarian assistance in Darfur, where at least 400,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million driven from their villages during four years of fighting between rebels and militias.
"Water is absolutely the most critical health need in Darfur," said Karen Smith, a Ginghamsburg staff member.
The Ohio church's fundraising efforts for Sudan have inspired other congregations, including a New York church where musicians and actors performed in a March 26 benefit concert called "Songs for Darfur: The Water Project."
In all, the Ginghamsburg church has raised more than $1.8 million for its work with UMCOR in Sudan, which started in February 2005.
The initial focus was on providing basic needs for displaced people but now includes ministries involving education, agriculture and health.
'Miracle offering'
The first contributions came at the end of 2004, when the Rev. Mike Slaughter challenged the 4,000-member Ohio congregation to give half of what they would spend on Christmas gifts to the Sudan offering. UMCOR and Ginghamsburg used the $317,000 raised for a self-sustaining agriculture program.
The 2005 Christmas "miracle offering" raised $530,000, and a five-year child protection and development ministry was launched with UMCOR and now serves 15,000 children.
"Our goal with the 2006 miracle offering was to raise at least $500,000 for year two (of the child protection program)," Smith explained, adding that Slaughter also encouraged the Ginghamsburg church family "to go above and beyond that."
The result was a $1 million "miracle offering," including donations of some $81,000 from other churches and organizations in Ohio, Alabama, California and Wisconsin.
Ginghamsburg approached UMCOR about the idea of starting a water project with the additional half million dollars raised. Marc Maxi, who leads UMCOR's nongovernmental division, said a need exists for clean and potable water because the same water "was being used not only by animals but by human beings."
The plan is to rehabilitate wells and drill bore holes at the sites of 10 existing water yards, which are protected areas where separate water resources will be available for humans and livestock. The project will benefit about 220,000 people.
Placing the water resources near operations for the child protection ministry - which includes education, food security, teacher training and school rehabilitation - completes "the holistic approach that we are taking," Maxi said.
The approach also enhances child protection, according to Smith, because "generally, in Darfur, it is the job of the girl children to go out and collect the water for the family."
A delegation from Ginghamsburg, UMCOR and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries will visit South Darfur in June to evaluate the ministries and get updates on peace efforts.
Widening interest
Other churches have started their own fundraising efforts to help Sudan. Last December, the Rev. Paul Dirdak, then UMCOR's chief executive, spoke about the Ginghamsburg Christmas offerings at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, United Methodist, in New York City.
Victoria Clark, a long-time member and Tony Award-winning Broadway actress for "The Light in the Piazza," was among those inspired to respond and conferred with the Rev. James "K" Karpen after the service. "Paul was the inspiration that moved me into action," she said.
St. Paul and St. Andrew already had collaborated on a benefit concert for Sudan last November with an interfaith partner, Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, which netted a few thousand dollars for UMCOR.
This time, the goal was larger and involved the New York theater and music community. Concert hosts were Clark; Jane Kelly Williams, a singer-songwriter and church member; and Cheyenne Jackson, whose Broadway credits include "All Shook Up," "Aida," and "Thoroughly Modern Millie."
"With our belief that hope fuels the brilliant writers, the wise activists and those who work diligently for peace, we are here to answer the stronger calling in each of us that believes something can and will be done so that the spirit and homes of the refugees are restored and they are freed to flourish as a people," Williams wrote in the concert program.
More than 600 people attended the concert, which raised $20,367. Because most of the expenses were donated, the bulk of the proceeds will go to UMCOR, except for a $2,000 donation to the Darfur People's Association of New York, which ships clothes and school supplies to Darfur refugees in Chad.
Included in the total was a $1,000 grant from the Children's Relief Fund in Denver, secured by Jon Mikel Zeigler, a church member and the concert director. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS also gave a $5,000 grant in honor of the participating artists.
The water project and other work can be supported through donations to "Sudan Emergency," Advance No. 184385. Checks can be dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. To make a credit card donation, call (800) 554-8583. Online donations can be made at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=184385&id=3018444&CFID=1736337&CFTOKEN=23850443.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.
A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*
Adel Dut holds seeds for planting outside a refugee camp in the South Darfur region of Sudan. The United Methodist Committee on Relief and a United Methodist church in Ohio are collaborating to improve water and sanitation systems in the camps. UMNS file photos by Paul Jeffrey, UMCOR.Water is a basic need everywhere and is particularly important for displaced people in camps in South Darfur, Sudan, and their host communities.
Now a four-year relief project is focusing on re-establishing water supplies and improving sanitation in refugee camps in the war-torn African nation. The ministry is an outgrowth of a continuing collaboration between Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
The project is coming together at a time when continuing violence and political instability pose a threat to humanitarian assistance in Darfur, where at least 400,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million driven from their villages during four years of fighting between rebels and militias.
"Water is absolutely the most critical health need in Darfur," said Karen Smith, a Ginghamsburg staff member.
The Ohio church's fundraising efforts for Sudan have inspired other congregations, including a New York church where musicians and actors performed in a March 26 benefit concert called "Songs for Darfur: The Water Project."
In all, the Ginghamsburg church has raised more than $1.8 million for its work with UMCOR in Sudan, which started in February 2005.
The initial focus was on providing basic needs for displaced people but now includes ministries involving education, agriculture and health.
'Miracle offering'
The first contributions came at the end of 2004, when the Rev. Mike Slaughter challenged the 4,000-member Ohio congregation to give half of what they would spend on Christmas gifts to the Sudan offering. UMCOR and Ginghamsburg used the $317,000 raised for a self-sustaining agriculture program.
The 2005 Christmas "miracle offering" raised $530,000, and a five-year child protection and development ministry was launched with UMCOR and now serves 15,000 children.
"Our goal with the 2006 miracle offering was to raise at least $500,000 for year two (of the child protection program)," Smith explained, adding that Slaughter also encouraged the Ginghamsburg church family "to go above and beyond that."
The result was a $1 million "miracle offering," including donations of some $81,000 from other churches and organizations in Ohio, Alabama, California and Wisconsin.
Ginghamsburg approached UMCOR about the idea of starting a water project with the additional half million dollars raised. Marc Maxi, who leads UMCOR's nongovernmental division, said a need exists for clean and potable water because the same water "was being used not only by animals but by human beings."
The plan is to rehabilitate wells and drill bore holes at the sites of 10 existing water yards, which are protected areas where separate water resources will be available for humans and livestock. The project will benefit about 220,000 people.
Placing the water resources near operations for the child protection ministry - which includes education, food security, teacher training and school rehabilitation - completes "the holistic approach that we are taking," Maxi said.
The approach also enhances child protection, according to Smith, because "generally, in Darfur, it is the job of the girl children to go out and collect the water for the family."
A delegation from Ginghamsburg, UMCOR and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries will visit South Darfur in June to evaluate the ministries and get updates on peace efforts.
Widening interest
Other churches have started their own fundraising efforts to help Sudan. Last December, the Rev. Paul Dirdak, then UMCOR's chief executive, spoke about the Ginghamsburg Christmas offerings at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, United Methodist, in New York City.
Victoria Clark, a long-time member and Tony Award-winning Broadway actress for "The Light in the Piazza," was among those inspired to respond and conferred with the Rev. James "K" Karpen after the service. "Paul was the inspiration that moved me into action," she said.
St. Paul and St. Andrew already had collaborated on a benefit concert for Sudan last November with an interfaith partner, Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, which netted a few thousand dollars for UMCOR.
This time, the goal was larger and involved the New York theater and music community. Concert hosts were Clark; Jane Kelly Williams, a singer-songwriter and church member; and Cheyenne Jackson, whose Broadway credits include "All Shook Up," "Aida," and "Thoroughly Modern Millie."
"With our belief that hope fuels the brilliant writers, the wise activists and those who work diligently for peace, we are here to answer the stronger calling in each of us that believes something can and will be done so that the spirit and homes of the refugees are restored and they are freed to flourish as a people," Williams wrote in the concert program.
More than 600 people attended the concert, which raised $20,367. Because most of the expenses were donated, the bulk of the proceeds will go to UMCOR, except for a $2,000 donation to the Darfur People's Association of New York, which ships clothes and school supplies to Darfur refugees in Chad.
Included in the total was a $1,000 grant from the Children's Relief Fund in Denver, secured by Jon Mikel Zeigler, a church member and the concert director. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS also gave a $5,000 grant in honor of the participating artists.
The water project and other work can be supported through donations to "Sudan Emergency," Advance No. 184385. Checks can be dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. To make a credit card donation, call (800) 554-8583. Online donations can be made at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=184385&id=3018444&CFID=1736337&CFTOKEN=23850443.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Church campaign sends phone cards to soldiers
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
Children from St. Timothy on the North Shore United Methodist Church of Mandeville, La., display handmade greeting cards being sent to military personnel deployed to the Middle East. A UMNS photo by Bill Householder.
A United Methodist church more than 7,000 miles from the Middle East has shortened the distance for U.S. soldiers there to call home and speak with loved ones in the United States.
St. Timothy on the North Shore United Methodist Church of Mandeville, La., collected $10,700 during a churchwide campaign in March that will purchase 2,140 phone cards - almost triple its original goal.
Meanwhile, the children of the church made hundreds of greeting cards to send to United Methodist military chaplains for distribution to service members, along with the phone cards.
"This church has always been very supportive of our troops," said the Rev. Scott Adams, executive pastor at St. Timothy and an Air Force reserve chaplain.
"For service members, being able to call your family is a huge thing. It can make a world of difference in morale."
The United Methodist Endorsing Agency of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry started the phone card campaign on Veterans Day 2003 to pay for long-distance telephone minutes to help military families stay in touch with each other.
United Methodist Communications teamed with the endorsing agency in 2004 to design special phone cards featuring the United Methodist cross and flame and the message "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. The people of the United Methodist Church."
When soldiers use the cards, they hear a recorded prayer: "The people of the United Methodist Church are praying for your safety and sense of peace. Our hearts, our minds and our doors are always open to you."
Since 2003, more than 10 million minutes worth of phone cards have been sent to United Methodist chaplains to give any soldier in need of a kind word from home.
The 3,900-member St. Timothy congregation originally aimed to collect enough money to purchase 835 cards, said Bill Householder, chair of the church's mission team. A $5 donation buys one card with 120 minutes.
"The missions team decided in November 2006 to promote purchase of phone cards for our service members and started to plan a program to generate enthusiasm for the project that would involve all congregation members," Householder said.
The team's three-pronged plan included setting aside Sunday, March 11, to pay tribute to anyone in the congregation who was serving or had served in the military; promoting the purchase of United Methodist phone cards; and inviting children to make greeting cards.
"A key point was we had the support and encouragement of the church ministerial staff," Householder said. "I was very excited and proud how everything worked out. The missions team worked hard to make it successful."
For more information on the phone card campaign, contact the United Methodist Endorsing Agency, Board of Higher Education and Ministry, P.O. Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007 or visit www.gbhem.org/chaplains. The agency also can be reached at umea@gbhem.org or (615) 340-7411.
*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
Children from St. Timothy on the North Shore United Methodist Church of Mandeville, La., display handmade greeting cards being sent to military personnel deployed to the Middle East. A UMNS photo by Bill Householder.
A United Methodist church more than 7,000 miles from the Middle East has shortened the distance for U.S. soldiers there to call home and speak with loved ones in the United States.
St. Timothy on the North Shore United Methodist Church of Mandeville, La., collected $10,700 during a churchwide campaign in March that will purchase 2,140 phone cards - almost triple its original goal.
Meanwhile, the children of the church made hundreds of greeting cards to send to United Methodist military chaplains for distribution to service members, along with the phone cards.
"This church has always been very supportive of our troops," said the Rev. Scott Adams, executive pastor at St. Timothy and an Air Force reserve chaplain.
"For service members, being able to call your family is a huge thing. It can make a world of difference in morale."
The United Methodist Endorsing Agency of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry started the phone card campaign on Veterans Day 2003 to pay for long-distance telephone minutes to help military families stay in touch with each other.
United Methodist Communications teamed with the endorsing agency in 2004 to design special phone cards featuring the United Methodist cross and flame and the message "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. The people of the United Methodist Church."
When soldiers use the cards, they hear a recorded prayer: "The people of the United Methodist Church are praying for your safety and sense of peace. Our hearts, our minds and our doors are always open to you."
Since 2003, more than 10 million minutes worth of phone cards have been sent to United Methodist chaplains to give any soldier in need of a kind word from home.
The 3,900-member St. Timothy congregation originally aimed to collect enough money to purchase 835 cards, said Bill Householder, chair of the church's mission team. A $5 donation buys one card with 120 minutes.
"The missions team decided in November 2006 to promote purchase of phone cards for our service members and started to plan a program to generate enthusiasm for the project that would involve all congregation members," Householder said.
The team's three-pronged plan included setting aside Sunday, March 11, to pay tribute to anyone in the congregation who was serving or had served in the military; promoting the purchase of United Methodist phone cards; and inviting children to make greeting cards.
"A key point was we had the support and encouragement of the church ministerial staff," Householder said. "I was very excited and proud how everything worked out. The missions team worked hard to make it successful."
For more information on the phone card campaign, contact the United Methodist Endorsing Agency, Board of Higher Education and Ministry, P.O. Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007 or visit www.gbhem.org/chaplains. The agency also can be reached at umea@gbhem.org or (615) 340-7411.
*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
Monday, April 09, 2007
United Methodists provide food to Mozambique
By Antonio Wilson*
By Antonio Wilson*
Food for victims of Cyclone Favio is loaded onto ocean canoes for the journey to remote Chibo in the Machuuquele district of Mozambique.UMNS photos by Antonio Wilson.
NEW YORK (UMNS) - A severe food shortage in Mozambique caused by Cyclone Favio and its after-effects has been eased with emergency food supplies and other gifts from United Methodists in both the African nation and the United States.
But church leaders say the needs for food, shelter and medical assistance are still far beyond what the Mozambican government and various organizations are providing to the impoverished nation as it reels from a series of natural disasters.
The Inhambane North district of The United Methodist Church was "reduced to extreme poverty" by the Feb. 22 cyclone and subsequent rains, according to the Rev. Ana Maria Francisco, district superintendent. The central region already had been inundated by heavy rains since January, causing flooding and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.
Francisco is grateful that United Methodists in Mozambique - with particular support from the denomination's Missouri Conference in the United States - have distributed essential food supplies including rice, beans, cornmeal, cooking oil, soap and sugar.
"Thanks for food, for your heart of comfort and compassion as you share your resources with us," she said of the March 10-12 distribution.
The cyclone, which killed 12 people, affected the areas of Central-Vilanculos, Aeroporto, Chiruala, Mapinhane, Machanissa; Maimelane, Pande, Nhapele, Inhassoro, Chibo, Save, Mambone; and the Vilanculos and Inhambane North districts. Additional food was shipped by boat to benefit churches and communities of the Machuuquele district.
The storm's wake
At least nine United Methodist parsonages and church buildings were destroyed in the cyclone and its aftermath.
The Rev. Alberto Malangutane Mutuque, a district superintendent in Vilanculos, had never seen such a violent cyclone.
"It was a very strong wind that destroyed the roof of the district parsonage, (and) the Vilanculos United Methodist Church parsonage sustained huge damages in its structure," he said. "We had started building a Christian center and it collapsed, too. There are many more houses that were affected in the community. People have been left without food and products of immediate personal use."
Amelia Domingos, a member of Chiruala United Methodist Church, offered thanks to church partners who have sent aid.
"I give thanks to God because this happened during the daylight and this helped us to escape from the zinc sheets and other objects that were flying in high speed," she said. "We could have lost many people, I am sure."
The Rev. Aida Lambo Ngale, Maimelane United Methodist Church, was especially appreciative of emergency food supplies and mosquito nets.
"Soon after the cyclone had cooled down, we could easily witness the damages, deaths and complete uncertainty in families," she said. "There was no refuge in our neighborhood to be accommodated. I need to congratulate my church members for joining efforts and erecting some kind of shed for me and my family. They did this realizing the damages they had also suffered."
Rebuilding for the future
A permanent chapel under construction for Inhassoro United Methodist Church will need to be rebuilt from scratch, according to the Rev. Jose Jaime Joaquim, pastor. "Apart from huge damages in the chapel and parsonage, I lost my computer, my camera and church registration books," he noted. "It is hard to realize the extent of damages."
At Chibo United Methodist Church, the chapel is collapsed and a small clinic providing health assistance for the community is gone, Francisco said.
The Rev. Rita Choquico Quimbine, Nhapele United Methodist Church, lost her home and her bicycle. "It was a bicycle that helped me a lot to be able to visit my members," she explained. "I need to sincerely thank our members for erecting an alternate shelter. … They will be rebuilding the chapel as soon as they completely finish the parsonage."
The United Methodist Committee on Relief is assisting the United Methodist Church in Mozambique in their emergency response as well as working with Action by Churches Together partner agencies in the country.
Donations can dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087, with the words "UMCOR Advance #156500, Mozambique Emergency" written on the memo line. Credit card donations can be made by calling (800) 554-8583 or online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/advance/donate.cfm?code=156500&id=3018386.
*Wilson is the communications coordinator for the United Methodist Church in Mozambique.
But church leaders say the needs for food, shelter and medical assistance are still far beyond what the Mozambican government and various organizations are providing to the impoverished nation as it reels from a series of natural disasters.
The Inhambane North district of The United Methodist Church was "reduced to extreme poverty" by the Feb. 22 cyclone and subsequent rains, according to the Rev. Ana Maria Francisco, district superintendent. The central region already had been inundated by heavy rains since January, causing flooding and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.
Francisco is grateful that United Methodists in Mozambique - with particular support from the denomination's Missouri Conference in the United States - have distributed essential food supplies including rice, beans, cornmeal, cooking oil, soap and sugar.
"Thanks for food, for your heart of comfort and compassion as you share your resources with us," she said of the March 10-12 distribution.
The cyclone, which killed 12 people, affected the areas of Central-Vilanculos, Aeroporto, Chiruala, Mapinhane, Machanissa; Maimelane, Pande, Nhapele, Inhassoro, Chibo, Save, Mambone; and the Vilanculos and Inhambane North districts. Additional food was shipped by boat to benefit churches and communities of the Machuuquele district.
The storm's wake
At least nine United Methodist parsonages and church buildings were destroyed in the cyclone and its aftermath.
The Rev. Alberto Malangutane Mutuque, a district superintendent in Vilanculos, had never seen such a violent cyclone.
"It was a very strong wind that destroyed the roof of the district parsonage, (and) the Vilanculos United Methodist Church parsonage sustained huge damages in its structure," he said. "We had started building a Christian center and it collapsed, too. There are many more houses that were affected in the community. People have been left without food and products of immediate personal use."
Amelia Domingos, a member of Chiruala United Methodist Church, offered thanks to church partners who have sent aid.
"I give thanks to God because this happened during the daylight and this helped us to escape from the zinc sheets and other objects that were flying in high speed," she said. "We could have lost many people, I am sure."
The Rev. Aida Lambo Ngale, Maimelane United Methodist Church, was especially appreciative of emergency food supplies and mosquito nets.
"Soon after the cyclone had cooled down, we could easily witness the damages, deaths and complete uncertainty in families," she said. "There was no refuge in our neighborhood to be accommodated. I need to congratulate my church members for joining efforts and erecting some kind of shed for me and my family. They did this realizing the damages they had also suffered."
Rebuilding for the future
A permanent chapel under construction for Inhassoro United Methodist Church will need to be rebuilt from scratch, according to the Rev. Jose Jaime Joaquim, pastor. "Apart from huge damages in the chapel and parsonage, I lost my computer, my camera and church registration books," he noted. "It is hard to realize the extent of damages."
At Chibo United Methodist Church, the chapel is collapsed and a small clinic providing health assistance for the community is gone, Francisco said.
The Rev. Rita Choquico Quimbine, Nhapele United Methodist Church, lost her home and her bicycle. "It was a bicycle that helped me a lot to be able to visit my members," she explained. "I need to sincerely thank our members for erecting an alternate shelter. … They will be rebuilding the chapel as soon as they completely finish the parsonage."
The United Methodist Committee on Relief is assisting the United Methodist Church in Mozambique in their emergency response as well as working with Action by Churches Together partner agencies in the country.
Donations can dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087, with the words "UMCOR Advance #156500, Mozambique Emergency" written on the memo line. Credit card donations can be made by calling (800) 554-8583 or online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/advance/donate.cfm?code=156500&id=3018386.
*Wilson is the communications coordinator for the United Methodist Church in Mozambique.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Church leader: Africa University will survive
Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, is fulfilling its educational mission despite political and economic strife in the southern African nation. The United Methodist-related school's status was reviewed during the annual meeting of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.
CLEVELAND (UMNS) - "Government leaders, presidents and dictators come and go, but institutions of higher learning remain."
Such was the assurance offered by Africa University's director of institutional advancement to more than 500 members of Black Methodists for Church Renewal during the U.S. group's annual meeting.
In a March 23 report to the church's African-American caucus, James Salley said the United Methodist university, located in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, will survive the storm of political and economic turmoil gripping the southern African country under the repressive regime of President Robert Mugabe.
In recent weeks, the government reportedly has ordered a wave of arrests, detentions, beatings, torture of citizens and other violations of human rights.
Zimbabweans are struggling to survive widespread unemployment, poverty and an inflation rate reported at more than 1,700 percent. Tensions have risen sharply in recent weeks after police arrested and allegedly beat Morgan Tsvangirai and other activists of the Movement for Democratic Change.
Meanwhile, the 83-year-old Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, resists calls for political reforms and change, according to international reports. Mugabe's ruling Zanu (PF) party formally endorsed him March 30 as its candidate for presidential elections in 2008, potentially extending his leadership into a third decade.
"We have to be careful that we are not misled when we read the news we get here," said Bishop Ernest Lyght, leader of the West Virginia Area and president of the Africa University Development Committee.
Established in 1993, the committee works with the Africa University Development Office in Nashville, Tenn., and agencies of The United Methodist Church to raise money for the school's capital, endowment and operational needs.
Fulfilling its mission
In spite of severe economic conditions and hyperinflation, the university is still functioning as a university should, according to Lyght.
"It is providing quality education, housing, food and other needs to students, faculty and administrators, while using creative ways to make ends meet," he said.
The institution is teaching students new processes for farming and the "appropriate utilization of resources," while also benefiting from its special license to buy and store fuel from outside of Zimbabwe because the country is suffering from severe fuel shortages.
Despite high joblessness throughout the country, Africa University is a major source of local employment, and its buses are often full, transporting workers and students between the campus and the nearby city of Mutare.
The U.S. Agency for International Development is "still providing significant dollars for building construction at Africa University," even though the U.S. government has imposed economic sanctions against the Mugabe regime, Lyght said.
Balanced budget
Salley reported a balanced budget with a clean audit, no debt and an endowment fund of about $41 million. "This is your Africa University today," he proclaimed to the caucus.
CLEVELAND (UMNS) - "Government leaders, presidents and dictators come and go, but institutions of higher learning remain."
Such was the assurance offered by Africa University's director of institutional advancement to more than 500 members of Black Methodists for Church Renewal during the U.S. group's annual meeting.
In a March 23 report to the church's African-American caucus, James Salley said the United Methodist university, located in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, will survive the storm of political and economic turmoil gripping the southern African country under the repressive regime of President Robert Mugabe.
In recent weeks, the government reportedly has ordered a wave of arrests, detentions, beatings, torture of citizens and other violations of human rights.
Zimbabweans are struggling to survive widespread unemployment, poverty and an inflation rate reported at more than 1,700 percent. Tensions have risen sharply in recent weeks after police arrested and allegedly beat Morgan Tsvangirai and other activists of the Movement for Democratic Change.
Meanwhile, the 83-year-old Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, resists calls for political reforms and change, according to international reports. Mugabe's ruling Zanu (PF) party formally endorsed him March 30 as its candidate for presidential elections in 2008, potentially extending his leadership into a third decade.
"We have to be careful that we are not misled when we read the news we get here," said Bishop Ernest Lyght, leader of the West Virginia Area and president of the Africa University Development Committee.
Established in 1993, the committee works with the Africa University Development Office in Nashville, Tenn., and agencies of The United Methodist Church to raise money for the school's capital, endowment and operational needs.
Fulfilling its mission
In spite of severe economic conditions and hyperinflation, the university is still functioning as a university should, according to Lyght.
"It is providing quality education, housing, food and other needs to students, faculty and administrators, while using creative ways to make ends meet," he said.
The institution is teaching students new processes for farming and the "appropriate utilization of resources," while also benefiting from its special license to buy and store fuel from outside of Zimbabwe because the country is suffering from severe fuel shortages.
Despite high joblessness throughout the country, Africa University is a major source of local employment, and its buses are often full, transporting workers and students between the campus and the nearby city of Mutare.
The U.S. Agency for International Development is "still providing significant dollars for building construction at Africa University," even though the U.S. government has imposed economic sanctions against the Mugabe regime, Lyght said.
Balanced budget
Salley reported a balanced budget with a clean audit, no debt and an endowment fund of about $41 million. "This is your Africa University today," he proclaimed to the caucus.
James Salley
"We are 15 years old this month," Salley said, "and now we have 23 African countries represented among the 1,298-member student body, 32 buildings on campus including student residences and staff and faculty housing, and 119 faculty and staff from 14 countries."
The university operates largely without interference from the government because the people and government leaders are proud of Africa University, Lyght said.
"It is a bright star in a country that still emphasizes education and where the literacy rate is very high."
The bishop cited the university's innovative, 4-year-old Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance as an important resource for the entire continent of Africa. "It will play a significant role in helping men and women become capable leaders in their various countries - leaders who can tackle tough issues and resolve conflicts," he said.
Lyght wants the current $40 million endowment raised to $100 million. "This university will not become self-sufficient in the near future because it's not a tuition-driven school," he explained.
"It is scholarship-driven, and that means reliance on its endowment.
"It will continue to need the help of The United Methodist Church," he added. "We have to keep emphasizing that. It's a critical investment in our future."
*Coleman is director of communications for the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.
"We are 15 years old this month," Salley said, "and now we have 23 African countries represented among the 1,298-member student body, 32 buildings on campus including student residences and staff and faculty housing, and 119 faculty and staff from 14 countries."
The university operates largely without interference from the government because the people and government leaders are proud of Africa University, Lyght said.
"It is a bright star in a country that still emphasizes education and where the literacy rate is very high."
The bishop cited the university's innovative, 4-year-old Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance as an important resource for the entire continent of Africa. "It will play a significant role in helping men and women become capable leaders in their various countries - leaders who can tackle tough issues and resolve conflicts," he said.
Lyght wants the current $40 million endowment raised to $100 million. "This university will not become self-sufficient in the near future because it's not a tuition-driven school," he explained.
"It is scholarship-driven, and that means reliance on its endowment.
"It will continue to need the help of The United Methodist Church," he added. "We have to keep emphasizing that. It's a critical investment in our future."
*Coleman is director of communications for the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.
Liberian nursing school struggles to recover
A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*
For many years, United Methodist-trained nurses staffed Liberia's clinics, hospitals and even the Ministry of Health.
But the long-running civil war in that West African nation destroyed the nursing school's facilities and crippled its program.
Now returned to its original location in Ganta, the school is struggling to recover, along with the rest of Liberia, according to Cherian Thomas, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
"It is a priority for us to strengthen that school of nursing," he said. "The number of nurses in Liberia is so small. Investing in nursing education is one of the best things our church can do."
United Methodist missionary Sue Porter, a full-time instructor at the school, says it is a pivotal time for the 56-year-old institution. "Right now, the Winifred J. Harley School of Nursing is going through some difficult challenges, but it has a wonderful history that makes those involved want to see it back to its former grandeur and reputation," she said.
A legacy of mission work
The school, begun in 1951 with students who had an eighth-grade education, is named after Winifred Harley, who with her husband, George, served as Methodist missionaries for 35 years at the denomination's Ganta mission. They built the hospital, church, school and several other facilities.
In 1963, the school was recognized by the Liberian Nursing School Accrediting Board and graduated its first class of diploma-certified nurses. In 2001, the Winifred J. Harley College of Health Science was incorporated into United Methodist University as its second college. The college now offers a three-year associate of arts degree in nursing.
The prolonged civil war led the school of nursing to move in 2001 to Monrovia, Liberia's capital. But by the end of 2009, United Methodist University is expected to relocate to Ganta from its current location at the College of West Africa in Monrovia.
That relocation process began when the nursing school opened its current academic year at its original home in Ganta. Located in Nimba County, the town is 167 miles northeast of Monrovia, on the border of Guinea and near the border of Cote d'Ivoire.
Many of the faculty, however, did not want to move back to the "bush," Porter reported. Currently, she and the acting dean are the only full-time instructors, although a third instructor was expected to arrive this spring to become the clinical supervisor. The United Methodist Church in Norway has provided a grant to allow the acting dean to obtain a master's degree in nursing.
"Our other faculty are some of the doctors and nurses of the Ganta United Methodist Hospital who are graciously teaching in addition to their already heavy workloads," she added.
Another problem is that too many students were admitted while the nursing program was based in Monrovia. Although maximum capacity is 80 students, 100 have been registered. "We are trying to accommodate as many students as we can, but the classes are too large, dormitories are overcrowded and it is a challenge to find them clinical sites where they can practice the theory," she explained.
Rebuilding after wars
Porter, whose previous missionary assignment was in Central Asia, has had experience with reconstruction after long periods of war, which usually means relying on aid from the international community.
"The poor are very much on the periphery of everything with a large disparity between the rich and the poor," she said. "Some people have cell phones and other electronics, but then there are extended families jammed together in burned or bombed-out houses."
In rural areas with no electricity or water systems, life is even more difficult. Liberian houses are made of mud bricks or palm leafs with tin or palm leaf roofs. To generate income, people do subsistence farming or manual labor or operate simple shops.
Disruptions in education over the course of Liberia's long civil war resulted in few qualified teachers, overcrowded schools and a shortage of books and other resources. "Because teachers make such a low salary, they may take bribes from their students or have them work on their farms," Porter said.
At the nursing school, Porter's goal is to place more Liberian nurses on the full-time faculty. But she's also interested in nurses from other countries volunteering to teach for a few weeks or even a semester.
Other immediate needs include materials, especially anatomy models for the demonstration lab; office supplies including filing cabinets; and renovation of the student dorms.
Although Operation Classroom has provided a well-stocked library, the ideal setup would be to have 25 copies of each book so students can "rent" a book for a particular class, according to Porter.
Donations for the nursing school can be made to the Hospital Revitalization Program No. 982168, an Advance project.
Checks, payable to the local church, should include the Advance code number on the check and can be dropped in church offering plates. Checks payable to Advance GCFA also can be mailed directly to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068.
Credit card donations can be made by calling (888) 252-6174 or online at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/advance/, the Advance Web site.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.
A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*
For many years, United Methodist-trained nurses staffed Liberia's clinics, hospitals and even the Ministry of Health.
But the long-running civil war in that West African nation destroyed the nursing school's facilities and crippled its program.
Now returned to its original location in Ganta, the school is struggling to recover, along with the rest of Liberia, according to Cherian Thomas, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
"It is a priority for us to strengthen that school of nursing," he said. "The number of nurses in Liberia is so small. Investing in nursing education is one of the best things our church can do."
United Methodist missionary Sue Porter, a full-time instructor at the school, says it is a pivotal time for the 56-year-old institution. "Right now, the Winifred J. Harley School of Nursing is going through some difficult challenges, but it has a wonderful history that makes those involved want to see it back to its former grandeur and reputation," she said.
A legacy of mission work
The school, begun in 1951 with students who had an eighth-grade education, is named after Winifred Harley, who with her husband, George, served as Methodist missionaries for 35 years at the denomination's Ganta mission. They built the hospital, church, school and several other facilities.
In 1963, the school was recognized by the Liberian Nursing School Accrediting Board and graduated its first class of diploma-certified nurses. In 2001, the Winifred J. Harley College of Health Science was incorporated into United Methodist University as its second college. The college now offers a three-year associate of arts degree in nursing.
The prolonged civil war led the school of nursing to move in 2001 to Monrovia, Liberia's capital. But by the end of 2009, United Methodist University is expected to relocate to Ganta from its current location at the College of West Africa in Monrovia.
That relocation process began when the nursing school opened its current academic year at its original home in Ganta. Located in Nimba County, the town is 167 miles northeast of Monrovia, on the border of Guinea and near the border of Cote d'Ivoire.
Many of the faculty, however, did not want to move back to the "bush," Porter reported. Currently, she and the acting dean are the only full-time instructors, although a third instructor was expected to arrive this spring to become the clinical supervisor. The United Methodist Church in Norway has provided a grant to allow the acting dean to obtain a master's degree in nursing.
"Our other faculty are some of the doctors and nurses of the Ganta United Methodist Hospital who are graciously teaching in addition to their already heavy workloads," she added.
Another problem is that too many students were admitted while the nursing program was based in Monrovia. Although maximum capacity is 80 students, 100 have been registered. "We are trying to accommodate as many students as we can, but the classes are too large, dormitories are overcrowded and it is a challenge to find them clinical sites where they can practice the theory," she explained.
Rebuilding after wars
Porter, whose previous missionary assignment was in Central Asia, has had experience with reconstruction after long periods of war, which usually means relying on aid from the international community.
"The poor are very much on the periphery of everything with a large disparity between the rich and the poor," she said. "Some people have cell phones and other electronics, but then there are extended families jammed together in burned or bombed-out houses."
In rural areas with no electricity or water systems, life is even more difficult. Liberian houses are made of mud bricks or palm leafs with tin or palm leaf roofs. To generate income, people do subsistence farming or manual labor or operate simple shops.
Disruptions in education over the course of Liberia's long civil war resulted in few qualified teachers, overcrowded schools and a shortage of books and other resources. "Because teachers make such a low salary, they may take bribes from their students or have them work on their farms," Porter said.
At the nursing school, Porter's goal is to place more Liberian nurses on the full-time faculty. But she's also interested in nurses from other countries volunteering to teach for a few weeks or even a semester.
Other immediate needs include materials, especially anatomy models for the demonstration lab; office supplies including filing cabinets; and renovation of the student dorms.
Although Operation Classroom has provided a well-stocked library, the ideal setup would be to have 25 copies of each book so students can "rent" a book for a particular class, according to Porter.
Donations for the nursing school can be made to the Hospital Revitalization Program No. 982168, an Advance project.
Checks, payable to the local church, should include the Advance code number on the check and can be dropped in church offering plates. Checks payable to Advance GCFA also can be mailed directly to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068.
Credit card donations can be made by calling (888) 252-6174 or online at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/advance/, the Advance Web site.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.
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