ATLANTA – In the opening worship service of Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry’s joint board of directors meeting in Atlanta, April 10-12, the 50+ year-old United Methodist hymn “Many gifts, one spirit” set the tone for the conversations to come.

Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways.
In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise.
One Giver, one Lord, one Word, known in many ways, hallowing our days.
For the Giver and the Gifts, praise, praise, praise!

The words affirmed that The United Methodist Church values difference as blessing and celebrates diversity as a reflection of God’s image within the global church. A powerful and intentional reminder in light of new U.S. policies that are denying people of their basic rights and dignity and causing reverberations of suffering around the world.

In his report to the boards of directors, General Secretary Roland Fernandes said, “The church cannot completely fill in for U.S. governmental support lost, but we can, indeed we must, do all that we can.” He affirmed the urgent need and Biblical mandate for the church to respond with compassion and be a source of solidarity with increasingly vulnerable communities worldwide: “We have a moral imperative to stand firm on the side of the gospel message, which calls us to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry and tend to the sick.”

The more than 50 Global Ministries, UMCOR, and Higher Education and Ministry board members discussed ways to expand support in education, migration, health, humanitarian aid and peace. Fernandes identified these as specific areas of focus for the agencies based on their mandates and the impact of current U.S. policies. The meeting facilitated rich presentations on these topics by leaders of partner organizations, institutions and church leaders. The resulting conversations energized the boards to deepen their engagement and ask how the church might be uniquely positioned to meet this moment.

Dr. G. Sujin Pak, dean of Boston University’s School of Theology, presented on the impact of new policies on education; Rick Santos of Church World Service (CWS) and Alba Jaramillo and Melissa Bowe of Immigration Law and Justice Network (ILJN) shared the impact of policy changes within foreign aid and immigration; the Rev. Dr. Kevin Murriel, senior pastor of Cascade UMC in Atlanta, urged the boards to not grow weary in working for justice and inclusion for all of God’s children in an era where “exclusion is gaining traction.”  

Both boards approved strategic grants and funding initiatives that will help agency partners “stand in the gap,” ensuring that their vital work with marginalized people and groups can continue. Some actions include a $1 million UMCOR grant to both CWS and ILJN, as well as $1.4 million to partners in Ukraine in support of migrant and refugee work. Higher Education and Ministry awarded the 13 United Methodist theological schools in the U.S. one-time subsidies of $400,000 each in Methodist Education Fund (MEF) supplemental support.

“Global Ministries is expanding and extending the compassion and hope of God right at a time when funding is being cut for disaster relief, health programs, food assistance, legal rights for immigrants and refugees, and Global Ministries is just leaning further into what it has always done,” said Dr. Elizabeth Corrie, chair of the Mission Programs Committee for the Global Ministries board of directors. “We need to step more into the gap and continue to offer the vital services that are needed by people around the world, whether it is for global health programs, the way we are able to attend to people after disasters, and the way we are able to educate and equip people in their own local communities to engage in the mission of God.”

Sara Logeman is the senior manager of content and marketing for Global Ministries and UMCOR and Higher Education and Ministry.

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ATLANTA — Directors of two of The United Methodist Church’s program agencies, both international in scope, were challenged by their shared leader to strengthen their work in response to suffering intensified by rapidly shifting global political landscapes. Roland Fernandes, general secretary of both the General Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, reinforced the Christian and moral imperative to “stand firm on the side of the gospel message, which calls us to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry and tend to the sick.”

Fernandes proposed that elected directors of the two agencies, meeting together, formalize actions in support of education, migration, health, food security and livelihoods, and peace, demonstrating a shared mission and ministry with the marginalized and ignored.  

Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry are in the process of aligning their goals and operations. Global Ministries includes the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Directors meet twice a year and hear a report from the general secretary on the state of matters that affect the agencies. 

While neither agency receives U.S. federal funds for its work, Fernandes described how the elimination or cutbacks in funding of international and domestic programs are creating a worldwide humanitarian crisis. He outlined how the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Aid (USAID) had wiped out thousands of grants and programs, many in health services and vaccines for the earth’s poorest people. 

“The church cannot completely fill in for U.S. governmental support lost, but we can, indeed we must, do all that we can,” Fernandes said in explaining his plan of response to the recent actions. 

Fernandes sharply criticized the elimination of the Department of Education. Dismantling the education department, he said, “…undermines the fundamental principles of justice and opportunity, disproportionately harming students who rely on educational opportunities and standards of excellence across the nation to break cycles of poverty and systemic inequity.” 

Quoting Genesis 1, “God created humanity in God’s own image,” Fernandes held up the inherent worth of every person. He criticized actions that conflict with the gospel message, saying, “When Christ invites us to the table, all are included on the guest list and all receive their portion. Since the dawn of humanity, God’s plan has unwaveringly affirmed the intrinsic value of every person and has issued a powerful call for justice, whenever that divine purpose is disrupted.” 

Fernandes’ words reflect the theology, social principles and teachings of The United Methodist Church. 

He said that Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry are well equipped, along with global and ecumenical partners, to strengthen their work in the areas of education, migration, health, food security and livelihoods, and peace. Examples given included: 

• Provide grants/scholarships where possible to fill in the gaps that emerge from withdrawal of support to educational institutions, especially Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s); 
• Expand support for organizations and networks that serve migrants in U.S. communities; 
• Support health care infrastructure in underserved areas impacted by loss of foreign aid; 
• Expand the church’s Yambasu Agriculture Initiative in Africa to increase food security in the communities the African central conferences serve; and  
• Continue and increase humanitarian aid in Ukraine, the D.R. Congo, Gaza and other parts of the Middle East. 

Fernandes ended his report with encouragement from Galatians 6:9: “Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up.”  

Elliott Wright is an information consultant for Global Ministries and UMCOR. 

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The general boards of Higher Education and Ministry and Global Ministries affirmed their partnership in mission and ministry during a joint meeting of their boards of directors in Nashville on Oct. 14-17.

The joint meeting signaled a new era in how The United Methodist Church accomplishes its work as these agencies intentionally align their operations to more effectively “support the church in its participation in the missio Dei, the mission of God,” in a time of widespread human distress and changing religious patterns, said Roland Fernandes in his first report as general secretary (chief executive) of both agencies.

Fernandes set his report in the context of the prophet Isaiah from the Book of Hebrews: “Lord, show us favor; we hope in you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress” (Hebrews 33:2).

The verse, he said, conveys a message of hope in challenging times.

Fernandes explored the meaning and value of church agency collaboration in speaking to directors at the start of a new four-year administrative and financial cycle. He acknowledged denominational challenges related to membership and revenue as the church emerges from a period of bruising division over social and ethical issues.

Higher Education and Ministry connects the church and the academy and prepares transformational leaders for the ministry of the church. Global Ministries connects the church in mission through missionary placements and seeks to alleviate human suffering. Global Ministries incorporates the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

Fernandes assumed leadership of Higher Education and Ministry in July 2024. He has served as general secretary of Global Ministries and UMCOR for five years, after serving 25 years in other executive positions. In his report, he spoke of the distinctive yet complementary natures of mission and education for ministry. Both agencies, he said, are “missional” in nature:

Sending missionaries and carrying out disaster relief and recovery is related to mission, but so is the church’s support of education and the work of raising up leaders who will lead the church forth in mission. We must have a holistic understanding of mission that encompasses all of the work of both agencies.

We must also have a view of mission and ministry that is not divided by geography or administrative structure…The goal for alignment between the two agencies is a unified presence and an integrated structure for both agencies. We need to have a unified presence so that as we are interacting with partners around the world, information can flow smoothly across agencies and units. This will help us best respond to and support our partners in their mission and ministry. We need to have an integrated structure so that the alignment is owned by all involved throughout the two agencies among directors, staff, and missionaries, not just me as general secretary for both agencies. This is the goal toward which we will be working in the months and years to come. Your support for this work and direction is critical, and my belief is that we can, God willing, model and live into this engagement across the fullness of our church.

Directors of the two boards – 23 for Higher Education and Ministry and 39 for Global Ministries – met in concurrent and separate sessions during the joint gathering. Committees, some distinctive to a particular agency, and some meeting jointly, will oversee governance, administration and programs going forward. Fernandes’ report describes these operational plans.

2025 is the first year that budgets include more than 50% reductions of denominational apportionments, a major source of revenue for the two agencies. But Fernandes reported that spending from reserves in 2025 budgets has allowed for minimal changes compared to 2024. Global Ministries’ budget for 2025 will be $48 million; Higher Education and Ministry will be $30 million; and UMCOR, including Global Health, will be $39.5 million.

In his closing remarks, Fernandes expressed his hope that board members would leave the meeting feeling enthusiastic about the possibilities for deep alignment and continued ministry by both agencies, even in these challenging times. “I pray than none of us grow weary in doing good, for at the right time we will see the harvest,” he said, referencing Galatians 6:9.

The full report of General Secretary Fernandes can be read here.

Elliott Wright is an information consultant for Global Ministries.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry are meeting together this week for a joint gathering of newly elected board members for both agencies. About a third of each agency’s directors are returning to serve an additional board term, despite the extra four years they served in the previous term because of the COVID-19 pandemic and delay of the 2020 General Conference. The benefit of their experience will aid the transition for new board members.

Global Ministries Board of Directors currently consists of 39 members who serve both Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee of Relief (UMCOR). To foster interagency connections, four members who have just finished terms as Higher Education and Ministry directors were welcomed to the Global Ministries’ board. Likewise, two directors who finished terms with Global Ministries will serve as directors with Higher Education and Ministry. Two directors from African central conferences will join once the central conferences have met and elected agency directors in 2025.

Committee structures have been modified as the agencies lean into their joint meeting structure. Global Ministries will have two major program committees, UMCOR and Mission Programs. Several committees will meet jointly for the two agencies: Administrative Matters (which includes financial matters), the Executive /Personnel committee and the Committee on the Elimination of Institutional Racism (CEIR/WIDEA). Another change is that directors will now each serve on one committee rather than two.

The full board of directors accepted the nominations committee report and elected the Global Ministries and UMCOR officers. The full board member list is included below. Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson will serve as president for Global Ministries, and Bishop David Wilson will serve as president of UMCOR. Newly elected bishops serving with Global Ministries include Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth, Greater Northwest Episcopal Area, and Bishop Israel Maestrado Painit, of the Davao Episcopal Area, Philippines, who was a Global Ministries’ missionary at the time of this election as bishop. Painit joins the UMCOR Board of Directors. Bishop David Wilson, Great Plains area, served on the board previously as a representative of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, Virginia Conference, and Bishop Joaquina Nhanala from Mozambique are returning directors who served in the previous quadrennium.

General Secretary Roland Fernandes welcomed new and returning directors and said he looked forward to exploring the wealth of ideas and perspectives they bring to Global Ministries. “I welcome this fresh quadrennium and connecting with the board members as they build relationships with one another and with staff, missionaries and our partners who help us extend God’s mission in the world. I appreciate the enthusiasm they bring to the task, and I’m thankful for the possibilities we have to create something new to fulfill what God calls us to do.”

Global Ministries and UMCOR Board Member Listing

Global Ministries
Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, President
Bishop Joaquina Nhanala, Vice President
Molly McEntire, Corporate Secretary
Charlie Moore, Treasurer

UMCOR, including Global Health
Bishop David Wilson, Chair
Rev. Katie Dawson, Vice Chair
Rev. Marian Royston, Secretary

Charlie Moore, Treasurer

Mission Programs Committee
Dr. Elizabeth Corrie, Chair
Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth, Vice Chair

Global Ministries directors, 2025-2028

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ATLANTA – The general secretary of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, Roland Fernandes, sees the denomination as currently transitioning from centralized governance to a regionalized and collaborative way of doing business.

In a report to the agency’s board of directors on March 7, Fernandes identified this shift as both sign and outcome of a series of disruptions that are shaking and, at times, shattering the mainline Protestant church in recent years. He spoke to the state of the church two months before a policy-making United Methodist General Conference, set for April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, NC, delayed for eight years first by the COVID-19 pandemic and then by organizational factors.

Fernandes cited both external and internal forces that are challenging an inherited centralized governance pattern rooted in American ways of thinking at a time when membership outside the United States is outpacing membership within it. Fernandes brought this critique to his own doorstep:

Our general agencies have often presumed to be the center of whatever activity we were tasked to support, whether that was mission, education or something else. We have presumed that we knew best in telling churches and annual [regional] conferences how they should carry out the work of the church. We had portrayed ourselves as a global church, but in reality, we function as a U.S.-centric church with some global outreach.

Fernandes’ audience for the report included both Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) directors and staff as well as directors and key staff of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM). Toward a greater degree of collaboration, the two agencies are working to better align their programs and operations. Fernandes has already been elected general secretary of GBHEM, in addition to Global Ministries and UMCOR, when the term of the current GBHEM general secretary, the Rev. Greg Bergquist, concludes this July. The March meeting was the first simultaneous session of the two boards. The two agencies will each retain independent status under a shared leader.

 In opening his report, Fernandes recognized places around the world that are experiencing times of war and destruction and where UMCOR works to bring relief and healing, including Ukraine, Palestine, the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and others. “We lift them up in our prayers and recommit ourselves to helping bring about a time for peace which is part of the goal of the relatively new Peace and Justice Ministries program at Global Ministries.

“Our hearts are broken by the suffering that has occurred in Israel and Palestine since October,” he said. “We encourage all those in positions of authority to establish an immediate ceasefire so that those who are starving can be fed. As a Christian humanitarian organization, we ask that humanitarian organizations have full, immediate and safe access to Gaza.”  

In addition to the pandemic and denominational turmoil, Fernandes said the last eight years of United Methodist life have been marked by resurgent racism, the ravages of climate change, and a dramatically increased need to collaborate and act in partnership. He declared, for a variety of reasons, that our old models of governance are not working. They are not working for an increasingly worldwide church. They are not working in societies where denominational loyalties and support for institutions of all types are in decline. They are not working in a post-pandemic, post-disaffiliation context [where a large number of congregations have left the denomination]. He continued:

But rather than insisting on more centralization, we are trying something else, something different: more mutuality and more collaboration. We seem to be always grappling with questions about how to get people to work together effectively toward a common end. An alternative to centralization is a grassroots approach focused on greater communication and collaboration among people. Communication allows people to adjust themselves to one another, a little bit at a time, and a spirit of collaboration ensures that they remain committed to this process. But not just that. The spirit of collaboration allows for joint ownership. As many of you know, although this approach requires more effort to communicate well, it is a stronger, more resilient approach, especially in times of crises.

So, United Methodists are trying this new approach to governance. We are shifting from agencies dictating to churches and annual conferences to agencies listening, inviting and collaborating with churches and annual conferences. We are showing more of that attitude of communication, collaboration and alignment toward one another as well.

The church is also shifting from U.S.-centrism to regionalization. Rather than the U.S. dictating to the rest of the world how to be United Methodist, we are entering into processes of on-going intercultural communication and mutual adjustment in our practice of what it means to be United Methodist. We talk about collaboration, alignment and wanting to hear all voices. Do we always want all voices at the table? At Global Ministries, we have used the words ‘mutuality in mission’ for many years, but I wonder how widespread of a reality that truly was. We need a different mindset starting at the level of the individual to change to a truly post-colonial, mutual way of working, especially when we have the privileged access to resources which most often aligns with power. As you know, the many conversations we have had in recent months with partners around the world are all geared to this very purpose of increasing mutuality in  mission…

Although we cannot fully foresee the consequences of our present decisions, and although we expect there will be both some positive and some negative results, we nevertheless step in the direction of intentional collaboration, trusting it is the right one.

Another major part of Fernandes’ report consisted of accounts of recent events and consultations that illustrate greater internal United Methodist collaboration, especially ways in which this new way of working is influencing strategic planning for global mission and ministry.

He said that three consultations held last year each lifted main themes to be incorporated into Global Ministries’ work. These include a desire for networking and equipping as strategies for mission partnership; a desire for decolonialized approaches to mission as expressed in local agency and multiculturalism; and an emphasis on the faith-based nature of our work. These themes will be prominent in both short- and long-term strategic planning.

Read the full text of the report here.

Elliott Wright is an information consultant for Global Ministries and UMCOR.

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PHNOM PENH – “God invites us to put our commitment on the table in the name of service to the people…because we are connected to one another,” said Bishop Israel Maestrado Painit of the Davao Episcopal Area in the Philippines during his sermon at the opening worship of Global Ministries Fall Board of Directors meeting. The gathering was held Oct. 19-21 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and marks the first time that the agency’s board meeting was held in Asia and the second time a board meeting convened outside the United States; the first was the 2023 spring meeting held in Maputo, Mozambique.

Roland Fernandes, general secretary of Global Ministries and UMCOR, opened his report to the board with an acknowledgment of the painful history of the meeting’s setting. “We meet in a country that was ravaged by the Khmer Rouge regime decades ago, a regime responsible for the mass genocide of over 3 million of its own citizens,” he said. “The images you have seen and will see are a reminder of the impact of hateful ideologies, which sadly continue to blanket us across the globe.” 

He provided an overview of The United Methodist Church’s long mission history in Asia, stating that much of Methodist mission history is Asian mission history, which stood as a template for mission work around the world. For example, in 1944, nearly two-thirds of foreign missionaries – 795 out of 1210 – were serving in Asia. Today, most missionaries serving in Asia come from Asia. The Cambodia Mission Initiative, which is now a provisional conference, is notable for the ecumenical cooperation among the five Methodist mission agencies that support it. The Cambodia Methodist Church is expected to become an autonomous, self-governing church by 2027.

Missionaries serving throughout Asia gathered in the days preceding the meeting for a time of renewal, fellowship and conversation, primarily with the general secretary and a couple of key staff. The missionaries also spent a day in conversation with the agency’s directors on the opening day of the board meeting.

Fernandes cited many such strategic conversations the agency has held over the last couple of years with staff, missionaries, bishops around the world, church leaders, board members and other general agencies. Key points from these conversations are helping Global Ministries sharpen its programmatic focus around four mission priorities: missionaries, evangelism and church revitalization, global health and humanitarian relief and recovery.

He also informed the board that Global Ministries will be re-engaging on the issue of having a physical presence on the African continent, something that was approved by the board in 2018 but, because of the pandemic and other issues, was not implemented.

The financial review for the first eight months of 2023 showed a significant revenue decline, primarily because of lower Advance giving for Ukraine. Net assets for Global Ministries and UMCOR were at $341.1 million and $95 million, respectively, at the end of August.

Committee chairs provided summaries of their respective meetings that took place remotely in advance of the full board meeting. Below are some of several actions taken by the board.

• The 2024 Mission Appropriations Budget was approved: $49.2 million for Global Ministries and nearly $38.4 million for UMCOR, including Global Health.
• The board approved a one-time grant of $1.4 million to United Women in Faith to support the Brooks Howell Home in Asheville, North Carolina. The grant will create long-term financial sustainability for its retirement community, which serves, among others, some missionaries and former staff.
• The UMCOR committee reported on nearly $4 million in grant approvals, including international and U.S. disaster response, the Yambasu Agriculture Initiative, Environmental Sustainability, Global Migration and Global Health.
  

A significant decision of the board was the unanimous affirmation of the appointment of Roland Fernandes as general secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) starting July 1, 2024, after the retirement of the Rev. Greg Bergquist, a role that Fernandes will add to his current responsibilities as general secretary for Global Ministries and UMCOR. The two agencies have been moving toward greater collaboration and alignment over the past two years, bringing together program staff in the areas of scholarships, granting, monitoring and evaluation, shared services and leadership formation and training. Though Global Ministries and GBHEM will remain separate tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) organizations, this change will bring more opportunity for programmatic and operational alignment. Future Global Ministries board meetings will be held jointly with the GBHEM board.

Directors visited several Phnom Penh ministry sites during their time in Cambodia. Their first stop, the Cambodia Students Children Fund Organization, introduced them to the church’s long-term ministry with street children. This ministry shares the gospel and love of God by funding children’s education, teaching vocational skills and providing health care to the sick and undernourished. Directors visited the Susanna Wesley Dorm Ministry, which provides a safe place for young women as they continue college education in Phnom Penh. They also visited the Cambodian Methodist Bible School, the only theological institute in Cambodia that trains pastors and lay leaders to carry out God’s ministries in and through local churches.

The last afternoon of the meeting was spent visiting the Killing Fields just outside Phnom Penh, a sobering memorial of the genocide inflicted on millions of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge regime. In Fernandes’ final remarks of the meeting, he acknowledged the difficulty of seeing the Killing Fields, saying “it’s hard to imagine what the human race can do to each other, and yet, here we are,” referring to the current war in Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and other places of conflict around the world.

The final morning offered an opportunity for directors to attend worship services at two local Methodist churches, Phnom Penh Prektoal Methodist Church and Toul Kork Methodist Church. As the visitors stood side by side with Cambodian Methodists, reciting the Apostles Creed and singing together, Khmer and English blended in harmony. The words of John Wesley, shared in an earlier worship, came to mind, “’Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike?’ Without all doubt we may.”

Susan Clark is the chief communications officer for Global Ministries.

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PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA – The Fall 2023 report of the chief mission officer of The United Methodist Church reviewed the work of the General Board of Global Ministries across the last four years of unprecedented challenges and anticipated new opportunities and unresolved issues on the pathway into mission tomorrow.

Roland Fernandes, general secretary of the organization that incorporates the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), a major humanitarian service operation, addressed agency directors, meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Oct. 19, its second such session outside the United States. Directors met last April in Maputo, Mozambique. The gatherings in Africa and Asia provided occasions for regional and global face-to-face mission consultation that were impossible since late 2020.

Fernandes continued in Cambodia a theme introduced in Mozambique, based in verses from the Letter to the Hebrews: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another….” (Hebrews 10:23-25, NIV)

He pointed to the faithfulness of God in making possible Christian capacity to spur one another to love and good deeds in mission in times of uncertainty – such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, which overlapped with ethical debates and operational/financial restructure within The United Methodist Church. He summarized the far-ranging and strategic conversations on mission priorities in which directors, staff, missionaries and mission partners continue to be engaged as the denomination approaches a long-postponed policy-making General Conference next spring.

Items on the immediate mission agenda Fernandes mentioned included:

• Alignment of regional (traditional mission work) and sectoral activities (humanitarian and health);
• With such alignment in mind, expansion of the concept of “regional missionaries”;
• Clarification of mission strategy pertaining to Latin America and the Caribbean;
• Renewed exploration of a regional office in Africa comparable to that operative in Asia;
• Combination of the administration of U.S. Disaster Response and International Disaster Response within UMCOR;
• Centralization of grant-making processes;
• Creation of a Peace and Justice program, incorporating concern for the Korean Peninsula and Israel/Palestine;
• Strengthening the Mission Engagement unit to enhance global connections; and
• Discovering ways to achieve greater interagency alignment in the work of the general church.        

Read the full report here.   

Elliott Wright is an information consultant for Global Ministries and UMCOR.

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ATLANTA – The 2022 joint annual report for Global Ministries and The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), “God’s grace: our source of hope and mission service,” is now available. The report shares the impact of United Methodist mission in the areas of missionaries, evangelism and church revitalization, global health, and humanitarian relief and recovery.

In their opening letter, General Secretary Roland Fernandes, Bishop Thomas Bickerton and Bishop Hee-Soo Jung write: “Without God’s grace, we would not have so quickly assisted in aiding Ukrainian refugees with food, shelter and psychosocial support. We would not have commissioned 54 missionaries at gatherings in regional hubs like Costa Rica and Northern Ireland. We would not have helped reduce the number of deaths from malaria, cholera and COVID-19, nor partnered in the revitalization of 13 health facilities in which to treat and prevent such diseases. And we would not have supported the flourishing of 27 new faith communities in Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia.”

On behalf of United Methodists all around the world and with the generous support of individuals, churches and conferences, read how Global Ministries and UMCOR continue extending the reach of care and compassion.

View, download and share the full annual report here.

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