By Christie R. House
September 22, 2022 | ATLANTA

Jorge Saiete, who grew up on the United Methodist Cambine Mission Station in the southern part of Mozambique, is working to complete a Master of Public Education degree with the help of a World Communion Scholarship from Global Ministries. This is a small miracle, since, at the age of eight, he had to take up fishing to support his mother and six siblings.

Saiete explains: “I was born in 1980 during the civil war that lasted 16 years. When I was two years old, my father was killed, and the fighting destroyed all my family belongings, including house, cattle and farming areas. My early years of life were very difficult. My mom, who had to take care of her seven children alone, faced many challenges to feed and provide shelter, clothes and school fees. The war subjected my family to extreme poverty.”

But poverty and bitterness could not overcome the light in Saiete’s life. With hard work and determination and help from his church in Cambine, he made it through primary and secondary school and went on to college. Instead of dwelling on his losses, he determined to study the causes and events of the civil war and work in his professional life to prevent such a destructive course of action from happening again.

“I believe that one of the root causes of the civil war in Mozambique, and in other African countries, is poor governance, which includes corruption, exclusion, lack of transparency and the absence of an effective systems of checks and balances,” Saiete said. “By pursuing this degree, I believe that I will acquire useful tools that I can use in promoting good governance, which is critical for peacebuilding in Mozambique.”

On World Communion Sunday, October 2, 2022, Christians across the world will come to the communion table to share the gift of Christ and to partake in the common ritual that binds Christians together. United Methodists who take the World Communion Sunday offering will also extend the communion table to include people like Jorge Saiete, who is working diligently to live his faith by the example of Jesus, the peacemaker.

World Communion Scholars (formerly known as Crusade Scholars) have gained knowledge and experience through educational opportunities since 1945, when Frances-Helen Foley (Guest) became the first scholar after a deadly war experience similar to Saiete’s. She was a missionary child in the Philippines where her father and mother served. They and other missionary families were rounded up under Japanese occupation during World War II and forced to live in a concentration camp for three years. Frances-Helen’s family also lost much in the war, including her father.

They endured many hardships, barely had enough food, and were liberated by U.S. troops, but had nothing to take home with them except their faith. But the larger Methodist community provided the support for Frances-Helen Foley to go to college. She eventually became a pastor and a peacemaker too.

Today, World Communion Scholars study for a variety of degrees, including divinity degrees and teaching degrees. They become leaders in agriculture, public policy, environmental work and medical fields as they return to their church communities to lead in different capacities. Many, like Saiete, have overcome obstacles to realize their potential as young leaders in their churches.

In the Philippines, Sarah Bless Sanchez-Maddela also grew up in poverty. Her mother was a Methodist deaconess, and Sanchez-Maddela attended church regularly.

“My family is not perfect, but I am thankful to my parents for bringing me to church when I was a child,” she said. “It had a great impact on my personality and faith. Even if we struggled financially. God has been gracious to us by providing everything we need.”

Sanchez-Maddela’s scholarship is helping her to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology. “I have seen the lack of mental health professionals in our province. There is an increasing number of people who are experiencing mental health issues, but psychological services are not accessible. At the same time, when I was a youth leader, I saw the need for mental health ministry for young people because a lot of them are struggling with depression, anxiety and trauma. I believe this is why God called me to this profession.”

The United Methodist Church needs clergy and lay people with different skills and expertise to increase its reach and service to communities across the world. World Communion Sunday allows the broader community of United Methodists to support dedicated leaders as they gain the knowledge they need to further their careers in ways that nourish the communion of believers. Last year, Global Ministries approved 50 scholarships for a total of $381,092.00.

Today, Saiete works for JustaPaz, a peacebuilding national NGO in Mozambique. He researches the causes of political and economic conflicts in the country. He also trains government officials and political and civic leaders on conflict transformation and promotes a permanent workshop on interfaith dialogue among Christians and Muslims.

Communion is a vital sacrament of the Christian faith. World Communion Sunday is celebrated in many different languages, but the communion elements represent the same Christ at each table. Extend the communion table this year by assisting others who work to meet their full potential and fulfil God’s purpose in their lives by supporting the offering that day as well.

World Communion Scholarships are currently administrated jointly by Global Ministries and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. For more information about Global Ministries scholarship opportunities, visit the Higher Education and Ministry portal. For additional scholarship information, students should contact Global Ministries by phone at 404-942-4026 or email at scholars@umcmission.org.

To make a gift to the World Communion Sunday special offering, give through your local United Methodist Church or online here.

Christie R. House is a consultant writer and editor with Global Ministries and UMCOR.

Scholarships are a part of Global Ministries’ broader commitment to evangelism and church revitalization. Founding and nurturing new faith communities and supporting existing congregations that seek to increase membership and expand ministries into local communities have historic roots and contemporary implications for Global Ministries. Missionaries who train pastors to plant churches in new places; mission initiatives, which start new Methodist faith communities; scholarships that assist church leaders to earn the credentials and degrees they need for service and ministry; and networks that resource racial and ethnic faith communities across the United States are examples of Global Ministries’ commitment to evangelism and church revitalization.

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By Barbara Dunlap-Berg
April 21, 2021 | ATLANTA 

In 2020, Joshua Nii Ofori Suttah traveled 8,500 miles from his home in Ghana to attend the Rural Leader Training Program at the Asian Rural Institute in Japan. For this young man, every mile was worth it. 

“Through this long journey,” he said, “I acquired a lot of new skills and ideas to transform my community.” 

Suttah hails from Adenkrebi, population 400, near Accra, Ghana, in West Africa. He works with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and worships with the Adenkrebi Gligal congregation. Thanks to a scholarship from Global Ministries, he had an opportunity to embark on nine months of intensive training at ARI. 

Ninety-eight percent of the people in Suttah’s village, located in the mountains of eastern Ghana, are farmers. They “leave home in the morning to [labor in] their farms and come back in the evening to take care of their children and livestock,” he said. 

The staple food is corn and cassava. Suttah cultivates vegetables and raises sheep and chickens. His knowledge as an electrician also helps to support his family. 

“The positive achievement I get from farming,” he said, “is that most of the foodstuffs used at my house is from my farm without buying from outside.” 

Because much of the land near the community was sold to outsiders, many local farmers rent land from caretakers who work for landowners. Compounding the problem is the expense of transporting products from the community to sell at market. 

Still, the villagers are determined. 

“The members in the community support each other,” Suttah said, “by rotating from one farm to another to help each other and show love among themselves.” 

Suttah uses his love for football to attract community youth. They’ve grown to respect him as a mentor. He encourages youth to stay in the community rather than moving to the city in search of nonexistent jobs. 

“The youth-in-livestock project,” he explained, “was introduced by the United Methodist Committee on Relief and later handed over to my sending body [Presbyterian Church] to take care of for sustainability. 

“I am the leading organizer of the youth in my community in running this livestock program,” Suttah said. The young people raise sheep and goats. The project also supplements family incomes. 

Suttah’s reach is intergenerational. He networks with experts who help lead quarterly seminars for farmers. Topics range from climate change to diseases affecting crops and livestock. “I sometimes serve as an interpreter, providing oral interpretation to the facilitators of the program by translating from English to the native language of the farmers,” he said. By blending lessons in organic crop farming, animal husbandry and leadership growth, people gain self-sufficiency. 

In 2015, Suttah was selected to participate in a weeklong seminar where he was introduced to the moringa tree, called a “miracle tree” because of its health benefits; soybean production and utilization; and beekeeping. It was here that Suttah decided to enrich his knowledge at Asian Rural Institute. 

At ARI, combining classroom sessions with field experiences encourages participants to practice servant leadership in many settings, whether listening to lectures, raising livestock, planting vegetables, practicing cooking skills in the kitchen or gathering for a meal in the dining hall. 

“Before coming to ARI,” Suttah said, “I was relying on others to change our community. Through this program, I realized that I can start with what I have to make an impact on my community. I now believe that anyone can lead if given some opportunity, training and support. 

“I have not only learned about servant leadership and sustainable agriculture,” he added. “I also had lots of opportunities to learn other things like food processing and soap making, which will also transform the youth of my community and their lives in general.” 

Indeed, leadership development is key to ARI’s ministry. 

“My way of thinking about leadership totally changed,” Suttah said. “Leading the people is not important, but working with the people is the way to be a good servant leader because I can understand their feelings and thoughts and gain their trust. Supporting each other and finding the strength of each person are important for transforming my community.” 

Suttah’s experience has opened windows to his future. “I have chosen to do this kind of work,” he said, “because the development of my community is on my heart. I feel happy to assist my community with my skills and knowledge acquired.” 

He offered an example. “Organic farming without using pesticides and chemicals on our land is completely new to me,” Suttah said, “but of such great relevance to my community as chemicals are used rather indiscriminately with its consequent effect on the environment. Rearing of livestock organically is also completely new to me.” 

Because veterinary services in the community are sporadic and scarce, he would like to become an Animal Health Agent – and maybe even a veterinarian – to help people assess and improve livestock health. 

“Now I know how I want the future to look,” Suttah said. “I am grateful for this because having a vision without a proper structure will render that vision difficult to accomplish. 

“My dream is to empower community-based leaders to promote rural life and organic agriculture through churches. My ultimate goal is to work with rural people to transform rural communities and to teach sustainable agriculture and sustainable living.” 

Tomoko Arakawa, the institute’s director, agrees. 

“Through Joshua, the skills and experience gained at ARI will be passed on to his people,” Arakawa said. “Training of one local rural leader benefits a whole community.” 

Global Ministries supports the work of scholars in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. Suttah is one of 122 men and women who are currently learning and growing in the areas of leadership and congregational development, global health and ministry with the poor. 

Barbara Dunlap-Berg is a freelance writer and editor for Global Ministries.

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By Elliott Wright

December 2020 | ATLANTA

Forty-four students from 16 countries will receive leadership development scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year from Global Ministries, the worldwide mission agency of The United Methodist Church. Thirty-six of the scholars are new awardees.

Study stipends totaling $231,800 were approved on November 12 by directors of Global Ministries. The students are or will be enrolled in a wide range of fields within four current focus areas of The United Methodist Church: leadership development, congregational development, ministry with the poor and global health.

Among the new recipients are:

• Muangeni Nelly Kongolo Tulume, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who is a candidate for a doctorate in dental surgery at Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia;

• Israel Eugenio Massango, from Mozambique, working toward a master’s degree in sustainable agriculture at Africa University in Zimbabwe;

• Seonyeong Jeong, from the United States, studying for the Master of Divinity degree at Claremont School of Theology, currently relocating from California to Willamette University in Salem, Oregon;

• Matri Joosua Hollman, from Estonia, studying for a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of West London, United Kingdom;

• Oanh Thi Kieu Le, from Vietnam, pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Hutech University in his home country, and

• Hasitha Roshan Fernando, from Sri Lanka, studying for a Master of Theological Studies at the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Global Ministries’ scholarships are intended to equip persons for service to church and community. They are open to international students and to racial minority students in the U.S. Grants may be for single or multiple years of study. The grants for next year range in size from $1,000 to $15,000. Regionally, a majority of the grant recipients are from countries in Africa.

Funds come from a variety of sources, including the World Communion Sunday Special Offering, endowments and bequests, and the basic mission budget. Those persons receiving support from the special Sunday offering are designated World Communion Scholars.

Of the new grants, 12 totaling $102,100 are in the congregational development category, 21 totaling $70,900 in leadership development, eight totaling $41,200 in global health, and three totaling $19,600 in ministry with the poor. The larger figures indicate greater pools of designated funds.

Elliott Wright is an information consultant with Global Ministries.

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