United Methodists, Muslims partner to ease suffering

By Kathleen LaCamera*

LONDON (UMNS)-Religious leaders, diplomats, British government ministers and members of Parliament are praising the new partnership between United Methodist and Muslim relief agencies as "bold," "significant" and one that "confounds stereotypes."

British government minister Stephen Timms signs the partnership agreement between the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Muslim Aid at the House of Commons in London. UMNS photos by Ginny Underwood.

The New York-based United Methodist Committee on Relief signed a partnership agreement with the London-based global relief and development agency Muslim Aid on June 26 at the House of Commons.

Stephen Timms, the British government minister who hosted the event, said UMCOR and Muslim Aid both were formed out of an "ambition to relieve suffering."

Referring to joint projects already under way, Timms said the partnership is special because the two faith groups have worked together across a divide thought to be "unbridgeable."

UMCOR and Muslim Aid already have put $9.8 million into joint projects in Sri Lanka to provide tsunami recovery and support to displaced civilians affected by renewed fighting between Tamil Tigers and government military forces. The new partnership agreement could result in as much as $15 million more to combat the effects of disaster, war and poverty around the world.

"No one should underestimate the potential for good that Christians and Muslims (working together) can do in the UK and in the rest of the world," said Timms. "This shows what distinctive faiths can achieve when the focus is on shared values."

'Only a beginning'
Signing the agreement on behalf of UMCOR, United Methodist Bishop Edward Paup said "responding to human need will make this partnership succeed." Paup, who is the agency's president, said the coming together of two organizations from different religions is "only a beginning."

"We are responding as partners to human need, not proselytizing," says Farooq Murad of Muslim Aid.

"We hope we have set the table, and we are now inviting others to join us," he added.

The Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of UMCOR's parent organization, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, said that "while we come from different theological positions, we have the same humanitarian values to relieve the suffering of those in need, no matter who they are or what they believe."

UMCOR is part of the 11.5 million-member United Methodist Church and is active in more than 80 countries.

Farooq Murad signed the agreement on behalf of Muslim Aid, an organization with a 20-year history of relief work in more than 60 countries with 500 local partners. As Muslim Aid's chairman, Murad believes that practical cooperative work across religious traditions reduces people's suspicions of faith-based organizations.

"We are responding as partners to human need, not proselytizing," he said.

Guy Hovey, UMCOR's Sri Lanka director, has seen the powerful difference interfaith cooperation makes in that nation. In 2006, when fighting broke out between Tamil rebels and government troops in Mutur, UMCOR workers met with a level of violence and threats that made it impossible to deliver much-needed aid and support to displaced civilians.

Turning to their Muslim Aid partners-who had proved so valuable in tsunami relief and recovery efforts-the two groups joined forces and reached out to Buddhist leaders as well.

"We are responding as partners to human need, not proselytizing," says Farooq Murad of Muslim Aid.

Together through grassroots community faith groups, they addressed crucial local needs such as irrigation, health care, education and security.

"We were able to walk through villages where before people would have thrown stones at us. Now they were smiling at us," Hovey told United Methodist News Service. "We built unique relationships with faith leaders. Seeing us trusting and working with each other, people felt they could trust local faith communities.

"We didn't look at it as a Muslim/Christian project," he said. "First it was a desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with those working with displaced people. It started on the ground as an effort to bring relief and development to more than 50,000 people."

Improved credibility and effectiveness
Faith-based organizations gain credibility and effectiveness when they work across faith boundaries, said British Methodist Relief and Development Fund representatives attending the UMCOR/Muslim Aid launch.

"Government officials as well as individual people can be suspicious of faith-based organizations. They worry about proselytizing. They have an assumption that these groups will only be interested in looking after their own," said Kirsty Smith, the fund's director.

In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Sri Lankan Methodist Church, one of the fund's partners, has worked closely with local Buddhists. Like Hovey, Smith said interfaith cooperation has been crucial in identifying and addressing key local needs.

While Muslim Aid and UMCOR don't have all the answers, Day said that working in partnership allows them to deliver aid more effectively without leaving aside the particularities and distinctiveness of their individual faiths. He hopes other non-proselytizing, faith-based organizations will join with UMCOR and Muslim Aid to work for peace and against poverty and suffering.

"Doing this work together we have seen that we can relieve the effects of conflict without being a part of it," Day told those gathered for the launch.

"We are two communities looking at the same problem: the outbreak of global poverty and inequality," explained Murad of Muslim Aid. "We want to increase our effectiveness together. We can do a great deal more. … The Koran says to cooperate in what is right and what is just."

*LaCamera is a United Methodist News Service correspondent based in England.

The United Methodist Church in Senegal

from a report by the Rev. William E. Lovell

Ordained Class of 2007, Senegal United Methodist Church. Left to right: Dembo Diatte, Joseph Bleck, Antoine Ndecky, Jean Pierre Ndour, Dibor Fatou Ndour (Marie-Agnes), Jean Noel Diouf, Bishop Benjamin Boni, Leon MBu Kitete, Valentin Ilonga Bayemon, Jerome Bako

Woman reporter asked why the UMC came to Senegal? Pastor Djungu answered and Bishop Boni also responded by saying, “A man by the name of Mamadou Djiaye invited the UMC to Senegal because he saw many of social concerns which the United Methodist were addressing.”

Another reporter asked if the church was growing and about relations with the Roman Catholics and other groups. Djungu said, “The first missionary couple came to Senegal in 1955. After two years they returned to America and Pastor Djungu’s family came in 1997 and have been here ever since.”

Bishop Boni spoke about the influence of Wesley from the 19th century. Bishop also explained the Wesleyan organizational system. Another reporter asked what is the difference between the UMC and other churches. He also asked how the UMC was formed. Bishop Boni responded by speaking about grace, salvation by faith, social service, the Bible, and faith for the whole person.

Another reporter asked about the number of persons to be ordained and the steps of beginning the UMC here. Djungu spoke of the beginning of house churches in 1998 and how that is done even today. Bishop Boni spoke about the number of persons to be ordained.

Another reporter spoke about the role of women in the church and asked about the Biblical reference for the ordination of women. Bishop Boni responded by talking about the women as resurrection witnesses. He said that Marie-Agnes was the first woman in all Christianity to be ordained in Senegal. He emphasized the responsibility of the pastor to work with all people. Bishop Boni continued to address the issue of women pastors.

Isaac spoke about the importance of training in a pastor’s life. He spoke of the period of waiting for four years for each pastor. And that after seven years the candidate who progresses well is recommended and ordained. Ellis said, “For fifty years we have accepted women pastors in the USA. It has taken a long time to learn that. The Bible says there is neither slave nor free, black or white, male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.”

Another reporter asked if other church groups had been invited to the ordination service. Djungu answered yes, that all religious leaders had been asked to come and represent their religious group at the Ordination Celebration. Another reporter asked if women were ordained in the Roman Catholic Church. And what nationality and ages were the candidates for ordination.

Another reporter asked why Americans were present and why the word UNITED is in UMC. All questions were answered carefully. Ellis said, “At Wesley Seminary where I have been a teacher, we have 800 students and 300 of them are African-American. A reporter asked Bill “Why has Christianity not solved all the world’s problems? Has it failed? Bill attempted to answer that question by saying that Christianity had not failed but failures had come through the weakness of human beings.