Wesleyan Christians wage war on hunger

SANTIAGO, Chile––The men’s affiliate of the World Methodist Council (WMC) has invited the Wesleyan Christians within the World Methodist Council member churches to help feed hungry people around the world.

Larry Malone, president of the World Fellowship of Methodist and Uniting Church Men, invited the WMC executive committee to encourage support and provide funds to package and deliver 13-ounce Stop Hunger Now food packets to hungry families.

A Stop Hunger Now packet contains rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and 21 vitamins and minerals. After boiling in water for 10 minutes, the packet will provide six meals for hungry people in Third World nations

After boiling in water for 10 minutes, the rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and 21 vitamins and minerals in each Stop Hunger Now plastic packet provide six nutritious meals at 25 cents per serving.

Over the last 10 years, the Raleigh, N.C.-based hunger-relief agency has already provided over $56 million dollars worth of direct aid and 15 million meals to more than 70 countries.

After comparing the $500 weekly amount a typical four member family in Germany spends on groceries with $1.23 that a six-member family in Chad spends each week on food, Malone challenged the 200-member executive committee to address these inequities and declare a “Wesleyan world war on hunger.”

“If only one million of the 78 million members of the world Wesleyan family were to commit a sustained sacrificial giving gift of $1 a day,” we could sustain 4 million lives, while addressing both poverty and global health issues” said Malone who also serves as a staff executive on the General Commission of United Methodist Men.

The WMC men’s affiliate hopes to raise $1 million so when the council meets in Durban, South Africa 2011, the conference attendees will be able to package and deliver 1 million packets to the host nation. A designated account for Wesleyan giving has been established by Stop Hunger Now, at www.stophungernow.org/WMChunger.

Larry Malone, president of the men’s affiliate of the World Methodist Council joins Ray Buchanan, founder of Stop Hunger Now, during the executive committee meeting of the council in Santiago, Chile.

Malone’s report was received with enthusiasm by members of the executive committee. "Stop Hunger Now offers Wesleyan Christians all over the world a glorious opportunity to feed starving people," said North Georgia Area United Methodist Bishop Mike Watson. "We can do this in answer to Christ's call upon us to reach out in love to the least of these who are members of our human family."

The Rev. Dr. Ray Buchanan, a member of the Virginia Conference is the founder and chairman of Stop Hunger Now. He attended the meeting in Chile and was warmly received and encouraged by the support for this global initiative. “Stop Hunger Now has a vision of ending hunger in our lifetime. This is a big step in turning that vision into a reality,” said Buchanan.

Some reactions from 2009 Sager-Brown Volunteer in Mission Team members -- sent to team leader Gary Wedgewood

I have so many feelings about my trip to Sager Brown it has taken me a while to gather and sort them.  I am overwhelmed with the history of Sager Brown,  I can't stop thinking about how in the beginning the school was for orphans.   A place,  probably one of very few places, where black children could get an education.  When I am there I see the children,  I hear their laughter, I can imagine them playing on the grounds and along the bayou.  Then it was reborn after a long dormant period into service a second time.  Working in the Depot I tried to imagine the people who would receive the kits that were being check and packed for shipment.I could hear the laugher of school children receiving new school supplies,  see the grateful smiles of mothers receiving a layette kit with beautiful new baby clothes,  feel the joy of having personal hygiene supplies, things I take for granted everyday soap, toothbrush, a towel,  see young ladies in the dresses they had made with supplies in the sewing kits.  Sager Brown was born to service and the tradition carries on.  I am so honored to have played a part during my week of working there.

There were so many things about the UMCOR Sager Brown Depot staff, volunteers, location that "do one's soul good" that the list would be soooo long!  There are 4 kits to work on with 8 tables of about 4-6 volunteers at each table.  Okay, so at the beginning I decide I will float from table to table just to get to know more people.  After first morning, "maybe I'll just stick here for the afternoon, it's fun and I love the people here".  The following morning I determinedly make a change.  Well, what a hoot they were!  Soooo, stuck there for the afternoon.  With more resolve, the next morning I again change tables, nothing new, same old fun and camaraderie.  Unfortunately, the end of our week had come and I didn't get to the 4th kit.  Guess I'll have to go back!

Having gone to Sager Brown last year, I wondered if my second trip would “measure up”. It is one of those places that stayed in my mind after I left.  As I think back on it, I am still amazed at the profound feeling of things being right with this mission agency of the United Methodist Church.  It represents our connectional church at work. From the gracious hospitality and welcoming Christian spirit of the staff and long-time volunteers, to the fellowship with volunteers from Columbia District of the Tennessee Conference and other parts of the country, and the emotional departure of a truck packed full of kits, I loved it all. There is no way to express to someone who has not been just how you will come to feel about a place that is more than buildings and a piece of ground located along a lazy bayou. Sager Brown represents love and generous caring by thousands of individuals, and when you think about what it takes to prepare a shipment of kits from start to finish, it’s pretty overwhelming. God was in our midst. This year’s experience at UMCOR Sager Brown more than measured up.

Gary, as I said before, This was a very spiritual retreat and an awaking even for me. It was like walking around with God holding hands with you. His presence was felt so much. I enjoyed meeting everyone and getting to know them. I tried to explain all of the event to my wife and well there were not words to explain it. I told her it was something that you really had to experience to understand. I know before I went I could not believe what I was in for. Like I told you the other day at the hospital, It is had to understand how you can be dog tired, and happy, and spiritually and crying all at the same time. This is something I will never forget. I met so many wonderful people for different parts of the country and I am still amazed at how well everyone worked together to get the job done.And really with no training. It is really hard to explain. God surely had a hand in it. I just wish I could tell everyone how much I enjoyed being with them. Another thing was I was surprised to find out that at 73, I was really one of the younger ones there. So age had nothing to do with doing what had to be done. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to go and do something that I had wanted to do for so long. And Gary, I want to thank you for your leadership and for all you did to make this a very nice trip.

The Russia Initiative, a mission program of the General Board of Global Ministries

The Russia Initiative began in 1991 as a renewed ministry of United Methodism in Russia. This year we celebrate the 120th anniversary of the first Methodist ministry in Russia and the 100th anniversary since a Methodist Church was officially recognized in St. Petersburg. There are 129 churches and Bible groups in the Eurasia Episcopal Area, including Russia, Ukraine and other surrounding countries of the former Soviet Union. There are 128 pastoral leaders and 5 missionaries serving in the area. In a few weeks Bishop Hans Växby will lead the five annual conferences of the Eurasia UMC in developing a “road map” as a six-year vision for the whole Episcopal Area.

The heart of the Russia Initiative is in the partnerships between United Methodist congregations in the United States and Eurasia. Relational and financial support sustains many churches in their ministries throughout a vast area of eleven time zones.

This letter comes to you at a time when we have been seeing a decline in contributions through the Russia Initiative. We are now concerned whether there will be sufficient funds over the course of this year to support pastoral salaries and various important ministries. No doubt the economic downturn over the past year has been a factor. This letter is to let you know of the critical need in the Eurasia UMC. We kindly ask you to consider making a contribution to the Russia Initiative if at all possible in the next few months.

You may be a leader of a congregation that is currently partnered with a church in Eurasia. We are very grateful for your continuing support. Your congregation may be a former partner or may have made occasional contributions to the Russia Initiative. Whether you contribute to your respective partner church or give an undesignated gift “to be used where needed” – we thank you for your support that is urgently needed for our brothers and sisters at this time.
Funds transmittal forms are available on our website at: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/work/initiatives/russia

Grace and peace,

Jim Athearn
Dr. W. James Athearn
Coordinator, Russia Initiative
GENERAL BOARD OF GLOBAL MINISTRIES
The United Methodist Church
116 Frasher Drive, Clear Brook, VA 22624
Tel: 540-662-2066 Fax: 540-662-6998

Young Named Assistant General Secretary for Campus Ministry

General Secretary Jerome King Del Pino is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Bridgette Young as assistant general secretary for campus ministry in the Division of Higher Education, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

Upon the Search Committee recommendation and approval of the appointment by Bishop Michael B. Watson, Young joins the Board on July 6.

“We are delighted that the Rev. Young will join with us in addressing the challenges and pursuing the opportunities of developing principled leaders for church and society who are ‘. . . characterized by intellectual excellence, moral integrity, spiritual courage, and holiness of heart and life,’” Del Pino said.

Young has 12 years’ experience in campus ministry or chaplaincy. She has served as senior associate dean of the Chapel and Religious Life at Emory University since 2000 and was the director and campus minister at the Wesley Foundation at Georgia Tech prior to joining Emory University.

An ordained elder in the North Georgia Annual Conference, Young received her M.Div. at Gammon Theological Seminary, a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources management from the University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science in business management and marketing from Illinois Institute of Technology. She brings additional leadership and experience through her previous work in pastoring local churches, serving twice as a delegate to General Conference, and holding leadership roles in the North Georgia Annual Conference.

In her role as assistant general secretary for campus ministry, Young will oversee the promotion, interpretation, and resourcing of campus ministries and college chaplaincies for The United Methodist Church. She will provide staff support to associations of United Methodist campus ministers and chaplains, technical assistance and consultative services to annual conference and campus ministry boards, and leadership in the ecumenical arena related to campus ministry.

“She will provide leadership to The United Methodist Church in articulating the theological and practical role of campus ministry including interaction with bishops and annual conference leaders as well as others that can assist in promoting the role of campus ministry in The United Methodist Church,” Del Pino said. Young will also handle tasks associated with implementation of GBHEM’s strategic plan.

Young will be relocating to Nashville, Tenn., from her home in Atlanta.

Wilke to lead Upper Room Ministries

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 28, 2009/GBOD/ — The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) today announced the election of Sarah E. Wilke as world editor and publisher of Upper Room Ministries, a ministry of GBOD.

In her new capacity, Wilke will lead an international staff of 81 with offices in Nashville and Johannesburg, South Africa. The division publishes The Upper Room daily devotional guide read by almost 3 million people in more than 100 countries in 76 editions and 40 languages.

Wilke, 46, was elected to head the Nashville-based Upper Room Ministries by the 58-member GBOD Board of Directors. She will also serve as associate general secretary.

“I am very pleased to announce and certify the election of Sarah Wilke as our new world editor and publisher of Upper Room Ministries,” said Board President Charlene P. Kammerer, bishop of the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference. “On behalf of GBOD, I welcome Sarah to our staff team. She will bring energy, passion and deep commitment to continue the excellent quality of ministry made possible through The Upper Room,” said Kammerer.

An ecumenical organization that produces resources for encouraging deeper spiritual formation, Upper Room Ministries (http://www.upperroom.org/) also publishes five other magazines and a line of books and programs for youth and adults.

“Sarah brings tremendous experience in publishing through her work at United Methodist Reporter. She links the daily, reflective spiritual practices of prayer, Bible study, journaling and worship with active expressions of faithful ministry in the church and world,” said the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive of GBOD.

“Her energy and creative ability will join well with the commitment of the staff and board to reach millions of new people through Upper Room Ministries’ work in spiritual formation,” Greenwaldt said.

Wilke has served as the CEO of UMR Communications and United Methodist Reporter, in Dallas, Texas, since 2004. She is credited with successfully turning around the operation — increasing revenue from $3.8 million in 2004 to $6.3 million in 2008. A new product line was launched that offers church communication through digital color printing. Today the organization is debt free.

“It has been such a joy to be a part of the ministry of the United Methodist Reporter and to lead UMR Communications through change and growth,” Wilke said. “I look forward to leading the Upper Room Ministries with the same level of energy and enthusiasm.”

Wilke replaces the Rev. Stephen D. Bryant, current world editor and associate general secretary of Upper Room Ministries, effective July 27, 2009. The position has a 12-year tenure limit set by General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative body. Bryant’s term ends June 30.

“We celebrate Steve’s work at Upper Room Ministries. His tenure is marked by the expansion of program ministries such as Companions in Christ and publishing ministries on the continent of Africa through Africa Upper Room Ministries, based in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said Greenwaldt.

Africa Upper Room Ministries prints nearly 150,000 copies of the devotional guide in Portuguese, English and Arabic, and broadcasts a radio edition in Kiswahili, French and Zulu.

In addition, 1 million copies of Prayers for Encouragement, a devotional for people suffering with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses, have been printed and distributed through Africa Upper Room networks.

Wilke previously served on the extended cabinet of the North Texas Conference as urban strategist and as executive director of Wesley-Rankin Community Center, a Methodist mission in inner-city Dallas. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer. She earned a master of business administration at Southern Methodist University in 2004 and a bachelor of general studies from the University of Kansas in 1984.

Eleven Women -- including our Annual Conference's Sherry Cothran Woolsey -- Receive Seminary Scholarships


Sherry Cothran Woolsey, 2008 Session of the Tennessee Annual Conference

The 11 women chosen to receive the 2009-2010 Georgia Harkness Scholarship will visit the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to advance their leadership development globally.

“They will meet with students and leaders of The Church of Canada, and will visit local churches. They will also share their commitment to ordained elder’s ministry. In Canada, ordained clergywomen in the local church are still rare,” said the Rev. HiRho Park, the director of Continuing Formation for Ministry at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

Park said there were fewer applicants this year. The seminary scholarships go to women over 35 who are preparing for ordination as elders in The United Methodist Church as a second career. The recipients are chosen by a committee of United Methodist elders and GBHEM staff. She believes the economy might be the reason for the decline in applicants.

“We suspect that working women might choose to remain at their job rather than starting full-time theological education,” Park said.

There was an increase of racial-ethnic applicants. “We were especially impressed to see applicants originally from Puerto Rico, Africa, and the Philippines,” she added.

Last year, the 11 scholars visited Honduras.

Harkness, the first woman theologian to teach in a Protestant seminary in the United States, dedicated her life to dismantling discrimination because of race and gender in The United Methodist Church and the world.

Harkness, who taught at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., died in 1974. She was instrumental in the 1956 decision giving women full-clergy membership in The Methodist Church.

Park said the scholarship program is a valuable investment in the future of the church, especially in light of findings from this year’s Lead Women Pastors Survey, which found that one-fourth of senior women pastors who are serving churches with more than 1,000 members began ministry as a second career.

“It is evident that these women bring life experiences and professional skills that enhance their ministry,” Park said.

The 2009-2010 scholarship recipients, their hometown, their schools, annual conferences, and church are:

· Edna Andreas of Milipitas, Calif.; Pacific School of Theology; California-Nevada Annual Conference; St. Paul United Methodist Church, Freemont, Calif.
· Robin Dillon of Indianapolis, Ind.; Methodist Theological School of Ohio; Indiana Annual Conference; Avon United Methodist Church in Avon, Ind.
· Nancy Geske of Ames, Iowa; Saint Paul School of Theology; Iowa Annual Conference; Christ United Methodist Church, Independence, Mo.
· Meg Hegemann of Fulton, Mo.; Saint Paul School of Theology; Missouri Annual Conference; Sturgeon United Methodist Church in Sturgeon, Mo., and Riggs Union United Methodist Church in Riggs, Mo.
· Wendy Inman of New Braunfels, Tex.; Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary; Southwest Texas Annual Conference; Gruene United Methodist Church in New Braunfels, Tex.
· Tonya Lawrence of Princeton, N.J.; Princeton Theological Seminary; North Georgia Annual Conference; Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Ga.
· Genova McFadden of Atlanta, Ga.; Gammon Theological Seminary; South Carolina Annual Conference; St. John United Methodist Church in Hartsville, S.C.
· Mary Miriti of Dallas, Tex.; Perkins School of Theology; North Texas Annual Conference; Lover’s Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, Tex.
· Virna Solis Ortiz of Maunabo, Puerto Rico; Jenninario Evangelico de Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico Annual Conference; pastor of Iglesia Metodista Meson de Amor in Guayama, Puerto Rico, and a member of McCabe Memorial, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
· Diana Phillips of San Antonio, Tex.; Perkins School of Theology; Southwest Texas Annual Confere
· Sherry Cothran Woolsey of Whites Creek, Tenn.; Vanderbilt Divinity School; Tennessee Annual Conference; West Nashville United Methodist Church.

Methodist Review Begins Publication on May 1

Methodist Review: A Journal of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies, a new open-access, peer-reviewed electronic academic journal, begins publication on May 1.

The board of directors and the sponsors of The Methodist Review, Inc., are pleased to announce the launch of Methodist Review: A Journal of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies. As an open access, peer-reviewed electronic academic journal, Methodist Review (MR) publishes scholarly articles in all areas and eras of Wesleyan and Methodist studies, including biblical, theological, ethical, philosophical, practical, historical, biographical, and social-scientific topics and methodologies. The journal’s URL is: www.methodistreview.org.

Methodist Review is sponsored by Candler School of Theology, Emory University; Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University; the Association of United Methodist Theological Schools (AUMTS); and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church (GBHEM). The corporate office of The Methodist Review, Inc., is located at GBHEM in Nashville; the MR editorial office is located at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. Technical support is provided by the Digital Systems division of the Emory University Libraries, where MR is hosted.

Methodist Review is partly a successor to and partly a transformation of Quarterly Review: A Journal of Theological Resources for Ministry (QR), which was published jointly by GBHEM and The United Methodist Publishing House from 1980 to 2005. Russell E. Richey (Candler) and Ted A. Campbell (Perkins) serve as the general editors of MR; Rex D. Matthews (Candler) is the managing editor; and Valerie J. Loner (Candler) is the current editorial assistant.

Although its entirely digital format and blind peer-review policy are new, said Richey, MR seeks to continue a rich intellectual tradition that dates back far beyond QR, its immediate predecessor, to the establishment in 1818 of the Methodist Magazine, a North American Methodist effort to emulate John Wesley’s own Arminian Magazine which began publication in 1778.

Campbell observed that the rigorous peer-review procedure used will help to ensure the academic credibility and quality of Methodist Review. To that end, MR has assembled a large editorial board of highly qualified senior scholars, including non-U.S. Methodist/Wesleyan scholars, all of whom serve on a voluntary basis, reviewing and evaluating articles submitted for publication in MR and advising the editors about their suitability for publication in the journal.

Methodist Review will not be published on the regular schedule of a print journal. Instead, articles will be published on the MR Web site when they are ready, and registered users will be notified of their publication by e-mail. Matthews noted that the electronic format was purposely chosen for the journal to best serve an increasingly global Methodist/Wesleyan academic audience by allowing for more timely delivery of articles and lower production costs. The financial support provided by its sponsors enables MR to provide immediate access to its content at no cost to its readers. A one-time, free user registration is required to access the articles published in the journal.

The first articles to be published in Methodist Review are these:

• Sarah Heaner Lancaster (Methodist Theological School in Ohio), et al., “What Makes Theology ‘Wesleyan’?” featuring contributions by Catherine Keller (Drew University Theological School), Donald A.Thorsen (Asuza Pacific University), Dennis C. Dickerson (Vanderbilt University), and Charles M. Wood (Perkins School of Theology), with an introduction by Sarah Lancaster.
• Russell E. Richey (Candler School of Theology), “The United Methodist Church at 40: Where Have We Come From?”
• Woodie W. White (Candler School of Theology), “The United Methodist Church at 40: How Have We Done?”
• Mary Elizabeth Moore (Boston University School of Theology), “The United Methodist Church at 40: What Can We Hope For?”

The first of these articles originated in a program session of the Wesleyan Studies Group at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion. The other three derive from the plenary addresses given to the consultation on “The United Methodist Church at 40: Considering Our History, Teaching Our Traditions, Anticipating Our Future” hosted by the Candler School of Theology, 14–17 August 2008.

Call Issued for More Covenant Relationships Between Congregations and Missionaries

By Elliott Wright*

New York, NY, February 27, 2009—"Missionaries feel they are in mission with local churches rather than for churches," says the Rev. Lynn DeMoss of the West Michigan Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

"I've been a missionary, and Covenant Relationships let the missionaries know that the local church feels the same way," he adds, recalling his days of mission service in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Covenant Relationships build partnerships between United Methodist congregations and particular missionaries, and an expanding number of such partnerships are needed to spiritually and financially sustain the church's missionary community.

The General Board of Global Ministries is challenging the annual (regional) conferences in the US to increase the number of their covenants by 10 this year. Most conference secretaries of Global Ministries, such as Rev. DeMoss in West Michigan, are saying, "Yes."

Covenants Strengthen the Whole Church
"Covenants between congregations and missionaries strengthen the whole church as we go about God's mission," says Rachael Barnett, a Global Ministries' staff member with The Advance, the denomination's designated mission giving channel. "Covenants involve prayer and personal contacts as well as economic support. Covenants help to make disciples of Jesus Christ, build up the church, and respond to human needs."

"Without the support of the congregations, we could not carry out our ministries that reach out to the poor and others who need new hope in life through the gospel," agrees the Rev. Emmanuel Barte, a missionary in Cambodia. He and his wife, Beverly, are among the 300 United Methodist missionaries in 60 countries available for Covenant Relationships.

At present, some five percent of all United Methodist congregations have Covenant Relationships with missionaries through the General Board of Global Ministries. In 2008, the California-Pacific conference had the highest percentage of churches that participated in a Covenant Relationship, over 10 percent. The Virginia conference contributed the largest dollar total, or $509,429. One hundred percent of all gifts through The Advance go to the designated ministry. The annual financial contribution for a covenant is at least $2,500, or five dollars per church member.

Supportive Relationships
"On the hardest days, we fight the temptation to believe that we are all alone," writes Missionaries Ardell and Gordon Graner from Bolivia. "Then we receive glimpses of God's unending faithfulness through an email from a conference mission secretary or a letter that has taken a month to come from a member of a covenant church."

Covenant Relationships underscore the advantages of the United Methodist connection in accomplishing the goals of mission. The relationship allows congregations and conferences to "meet and be in contact with real live missionaries," according to Katie Peterson, a church and community worker, a category of missionary in the US. They also give the missionaries a "wonderful opportunity to be with and in mission with people from all over the world," she adds, noting that the sense of connection helps her to share "how God's love is at work through The United Methodist Church."

"Missionaries are part of the lifeblood of the church, and the board has dedicated a considerable part of its investment income over the decades to missionary costs, pensions, and benefits," says the Rev. Edward B. Paup, general secretary of Global Ministries. "Investment income has virtually dried up in this time of economic downturn. We are increasingly dependent on World Service, the basic benevolence fund of our church, and designated giving through The Advance to maintain and increase the missionary community. Covenant Relationships are a viable means for a congregation or individual to supplement their World Service giving."

Broadening Mission Vision
Joining hands with missionaries broadens the mission vision of a congregation. Jeanne Mustain, treasurer of Cleora United Methodist Church in Cleroa, Oklahoma, recalls:

Our mission committee approached the financial committee of our church and said, "We need to be mindful about spreading God's word in more than just the local area." We are very involved locally, but when you give to God, you can't out-give Him.

The Cleora church in December 2008 established its first Covenant Relationship with Umba and Ngoy Kalangwa in Tanzania. The Kalangwas are originally from Congo. The Rev. Umba Kalangwa is an evangelist, and Ngoy Kalangwa, his wife, works in a refugee camp and leads a community center.

The Advance recently announced the opportunity for individuals to make covenants with missionaries at the level of $500 per year. It is also encouraging United Methodist youth groups and young adult groups to forge relationships with short-term young adult missionaries, such as US-2s, who serve two-year terms, and mission interns, who spend 15 months in an international placement and an equal time in a US setting.

An increase of covenants means that congregations must understand the value the relationship brings to them and their members. Often the best promotion is to invite a missionary or missionary couple to visit a church. That is what happened at the Red Bank United Methodist Church, Red Bank, New Jersey, when Missionaries Mutwale Wa Mushidi and his wife, Kabaka Alphonsine, also working in Tanzania, visited. Jane Schildge, chair of the outreach committee, recalls:

When they came to church, Mutwale preached and spoke at Sunday school…. The children in Sunday school just loved Kabaka. They sang together with the children…. I think the people in the church liked this, and we want to keep following them and their work. Our church over the years has not been supporting Global Ministries, and we should, and it was time to start. We need to reach outside ourselves."

Missionaries connect personally with their covenant congregations through a program of itineration. "Itineration is not simply visitation; it is, even more, invitation," says Fred Price, who heads the Office of Missionary Itineration at Global Ministries. "It is an invitation to take a bigger role in God's story of life in Jesus Christ."

Missionaries: An International Community
The community of United Methodist missionaries is increasingly international. This greatly strengthens mission productivity and an awareness of the global nature of the church but can be a challenge in promoting covenants. A missionary from Africa working in Cambodia does not have a natural base of support, as is often the case with missionaries coming through annual conferences in the US.

The Rev. James Gulley, a retired missionary now serving as chairperson of the United Methodist Missionary Association, tells this story:

In a recent presentation, I showed the "changing face of mission" with a photo of the Gulley family in Nigeria in 1975, then showed a picture of Emmanuel and Florence Mefor, an MD and RN, a Nigerian family, also Global Ministries missionaries, who serve at Mutambara Hospital in Zimbabwe. I emphasized the challenge of securing funding for missionaries who originate outside the US because they have no US home church or conference to support them.

The Rev. Jeff Childs of Grand Island, New York, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, and secretary for Global Ministries in the North Central New York Conference, thinks there may be a way to address that challenge and also to reach and exceed the goal of 10 new covenants per annual conference. The answer, he suggests, is to get church people to think about missionaries in general; then more specifically how "someone" should support them, and moving on to the realization that the someone could be "me" and "my" congregation!

Congregations with a strong sense of mission want connections with missionaries. Covenant Relationships bring a sense of real engagement in mission by forging partnerships that enrich the congregations and benefit the work of missionaries. In a covenant, both congregation and missionary share the journey in God's mission.

"Covenant relationships have sustained me for more than two decades," says Missionary Kathleen Masters, now in West Virginia, who has served in several parts of the world. "They form my family in Christ and have shared my burdens and joys, life and death, and we work together, thriving in God's mission. I absolutely depend upon the unbreakable nature of the covenants to sustain me in joyful service."

Developing a Covenant Relationship
For more information about establishing a Covenant Relationship, please contact the Tennessee Conference secretary of Global Ministries.
Rev. Jason Brock
304 S. Perimeter Park Drive Suite 1
Nashville TN 37211
Office: 615-329-1177
Fax: 615-329-0884
Email: jbrock@tnumc.org

Information on Covenant Relationships is also available online at www.advancinghope.org or by calling The Advance at 212-870-3718.

*Elliott Wright is the information officer of the General Board of Global Ministries.