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A Christmas Message From the General Secretary
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I was in Bethlehem for the first time a few weeks ago to celebrate the new Methodist Liaison Office opening in the Holy Land, giving me a special experience in the place of Jesus' birth to share with you this Christmas.
It wasn't Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity that stirred my heart; it was the looming image of "the wall," something that was very familiar to me as a German. I was reminded that as a German I personally, along with the German people, have a special responsibility to Israel and to the Jewish people. As a German and as a Christian, I strongly support the existence of Israel as a country with secure borders. Within this complex awareness, while walking the streets of Bethlehem, my heart was also opened to the Palestinian people and the seemingly endless violence in the region.
"What might it be like for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem today?" the Rev. Mitri Raheb of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem was asked.
"If Jesus were to be born this year, he would not be born in Bethlehem," the pastor replied. "Mary and Joseph would not be allowed to enter from the Israeli checkpoint, and so, too, the Magi. The shepherds would be stuck inside the walls, unable to leave their little town. Jesus might be born right at the checkpoint."
As the world talks peace, Israel continues to build the wall. While Christians sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem," Israel makes sure that the town stays as little as possible—a two-square-mile open-air prison surrounded by walls, fences and trenches with no future expansion possibilities.
Perhaps you may wonder why I bring politics into my Advent/Christmas letter. Why not carols of hope? Why? Because we need to remember that the Nativity has been about politics from the start—the tyranny of Herod, the angelic songs of hope for peace, the trek to Bethlehem to pay taxes.
Richard Rohr writes that the celebration of Christmas is not a sentimental time of waiting for a baby to be born. It is an occasion asking for history to be born. In Romans, we read, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies."
(Romans 8:22-23, NRSV)
In Advent we say, "Come Lord Jesus." We recognize in these words an emptiness to be filled, and we look toward a future created by God. "Come Lord Jesus" allows us to look at a big picture of the reign of God, a big picture that keeps us from getting lost in momentary hurts and agendas. Even in the shadow of "the wall" and illegal settlements, God keeps hope alive. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes that Jesus is our peace. In his flesh, he makes different people one and breaks down the dividing wall of hostility.
In 1974, I first crossed the "iron curtain" to go into East Germany to an ecumenical youth event. A heavy fence and trenches surrounded the wall. It was a shocking experience. At the Lutheran church in Rostock, we sang a popular hymn about building relationships and creating bridges to heal conflict. We were not supposed to sing a verse about tearing down walls, but we did, never imagining then that the wall dividing Germany would ever come down. Yet, 15 years later, the wall did fall, and today, the pastor of the Rostock church where we sang is now president of a united Germany. Walls can come down!
Through the promise of Jesus Christ, the small tender baby in our midst, we have hope that the impossible is possible. The wolf shall live with the lamb and neither will hurt nor destroy the other. And a child shall lead them, as Isaiah says.
In this month's connectNmission, we reflect on the past year and see signs of hope as we live out God's mission. General Conference has come and gone. Changes have taken place with the Global Ministries board structure and staffing to align priorities and focus. We continue to reach out to young people and new populations of people around the globe.
As we call, "Come Lord Jesus come—and tear down the wall that is the hostility between us," we look ahead to a new year of possibility and promise. Thank you for all you do to help us connect the church in mission.
Blessings to you in this holy time,
Thomas
Thomas Kemper
General Secretary
General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church
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Global Ministries 2012 Year in Review
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The Changing Face of Mission
The face of missionaries has changed with nearly 50 percent of United Methodist missionaries coming from places outside the United States. "We now have missionaries who are coming from everywhere and going everywhere," said Thomas Kemper, who leads the denomination's mission agency.
Patterns of service are vastly different in the 21st century than in the 19th or 20th centuries, particularly as the center of Christian gravity has shifted to Africa. While the approach might look different, the need for professional mission service has not changed. Missionaries incarnate the universal message of the church, sharing their faith in foreign lands, bringing back their new experiences, and transforming themselves, the church and the world.
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Mission Board Ends Quadrennium and Moves to New Structure post-General Conference
Weaving together song and prayer, reflections on challenges and successes and gathering up loose ends while preparing to pass the baton, the directors of the General Board of Global Ministries gathered for the final meeting of the quadrennium. For four years, this elected board of 92 people from four continents provided support and governance to the mission agency of The United Methodist Church.
Christ United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas, hosted the semi-annual spring board meeting March 19-22. This was the first time the directors met at a local church. They spent an afternoon serving in hands-on mission, volunteering at eight local mission sites in the Dallas area.
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Because of legislation passed at the 2012 General Conference, Global Ministries significantly decreased the size of its board of directors from 92 to the current 36. Thirty percent of the present directors represent regions outside the United States. Reductions in staff and realigned structure and priorities were evident during the first board meeting of the new quadrennium in October in the agency's headquarters in New York City.
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Committed to deepening their collaboration in God's mission as advocates for justice, mission education and leadership development, Global Ministries and United Methodist Women took a step into the future.
For more than 70 years, the denomination's policymaking body of women from the United States has been part of the mission agency. In May, General Conference voted to make United Methodist Women an autonomous organization within The United Methodist Church. On Oct. 1, United Methodist Women officially became structurally separate from Global Ministries.
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Pacific Islanders Welcome New Ministry Plan
"Our kalia (canoe) has arrived and been welcomed," said the Rev. Sione Veikoso, hailing the passage by General Conference 2012 of a comprehensive plan for Pacific Islander ministry in the United States.
"Our canoe has been wandering around and now has a port," stated Veikoso, chair of the denomination's Pacific Islander National Caucus of United Methodists and a pastor in California. The plan, four years in development, sets up a structure comparable to United Methodist ministry plans for other racial/ethnic communities.
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New Collegiate Ministries Program for Young Adults
Global Ministries and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry have announced an exciting new partnership. Select young adults from the Mission Intern and US-2 programs can now be commissioned as Collegiate Ministries Mission Interns and Collegiate Ministries US-2s. The program allows young adult missionaries to focus on ministry to college and university students with a justice and service emphasis.
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Walking With the Congolese People
The seemingly endless, intractable problems of the Democratic Republic of Congo, suffering the effects of two decades of brutal civil war, present huge challenges to everyone who wants to help. United Methodists participated in an innovative and thorough review of humanitarian efforts in the strife-torn country.
The North Katanga Roundtable brought local aid and development workers together with representatives of their international partner agencies, including Connexio, the Swiss-based aid division of European United Methodism, as well as the United Methodist West Ohio Annual Conference's Women's Division and UMCOR.
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Young Adult Oklahoman helps children in Georgia
Her mother recognized Jerrica Becker's big heart for children when her daughter was a little child. Connie Becker recalled shopping trips when Jerrica was small. The child sought out and engaged other children while their mothers shopped, too.
Now a young-adult missionary, Jerrica uses her gift to help neglected children in Cedartown, Ga.
In May, Jerrica graduated from Duke University with a degree in psychology. In August, the General Board of Global Ministries commissioned her as a US-2 and she began her assignment as assistant chaplain at a residential children's center in Cedartown.
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Jerrica blogs at >>
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A Gift of New Wings
Following an outpouring of pennies, dollars, and Congolese Francs, the people of North Katanga are about to receive a gift of hope with wings.
For months, an aviation team, coordinated by Global Ministries, has been looking for an airplane that would meet the needs, in a sustainable way, of rural villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The team traveled recently to Norway to inspect and purchase a Cessna Caravan. The plane is expected to be ready for service in North Katanga by the time the rainy season ends.
But the Cessna Caravan is more than just a plane; it bears on its wings the promise of Good News, hope, and healing. This "flying clinic" will bring a team of doctors and pastors to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the people it serves.
Missionary pilot, Captain Gaston Ntambo, in a letter of thanks wrote, "You have just opened the biggest door for mission work."
To learn more about United Methodist Aviation Ministries, watch this short video.
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Methodist Presence is strengthened in the Holy Land
With a spirit of ecumenism, the new Methodist Liaison Office opened Oct. 11 in Jerusalem "to engage the world Methodist family in Christ's ministry of peace, justice, truth, and mercy among all peoples living in this land in partnership with the Palestinian Christian community." According to the purpose statement, the office will serve as a Wesleyan-based resource, connect with local initiatives, encourage theological reflection, and facilitate visits for pilgrims and volunteers.
The office is a partnership of the World Methodist Council, the Methodist Church of Britain, and the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.
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Thousands of Sandy Survivors Know the Church Cares
One thousand Early Response Team members working in severely damaged homes on Long Island alone.
Four thousand cleaning buckets handed directly to storm survivors in New Jersey's hardest-hit coastal towns—and thousands more given across the rest of the state.
Three thousand hot meals served from a single church in the devastated city of Crisfield, Md.
One month after Hurricane Sandy struck, it was possible to summarize the church's response in numbers. However, the statistics are ever changing as relief efforts continue in earnest.
In countless priceless ways, UMCOR is sending hurricane survivors the message that the church will continue to offer relief, even while planning for long-term recovery that will take not months but years.
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US-2 Class of 1962: 50th Reunion
Fifty years ago, a group of young adults, ages 20 to 30, met for the first time. Members of the 1962 class of the then 10-year-old US-2 program, they were embarking on a two-year journey, eager to work at minimal salary throughout the United States. Enduring a rigorous application and training process, they went to serve at church agencies, ecumenical ministries, and peace and justice sites.
During their six weeks of training in 1962, the group grew close, and despite assignments to far-flung places, they found ways to connect during their two years of service. In the years since, they have met at least every five years and sometimes more often. They consider each other family.
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'Walking Together in Mission' in Paraguay
The United Methodist Church and the Methodist Evangelical Community in Paraguay have a new partnership, a relationship that the leader of the Paraguayan churches calls "walking together in mission."
Several years in the making, the partnership is symbolized by the assignment of a missionary to develop a children's ministry in Asunción, the capital of the Latin American country of 6.5 million people.
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Advocate of the Month: You and Your Year-end Gift
You know it is possible to give hope in communities that have suffered poverty, injustice, or disaster. The work of our missionaries reflects who we are as United Methodists: people called by God to serve a broken world. The work you support makes our deep faith visible for the world to see.
Your prayers and generous support have provided ministries from everywhere to everywhere. Today you can help prepare young people for a life of mission, build a church where there is none, and be part of doing God's work in a world that has so much need.
Please make your gift by Dec. 31 at www.umcmission.org/give2012. Thank you for your prayers, support, and faith with God's people around the world. |
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Resource of the Month: UMCOR Alternative Gift Catalog
This Christmas, UMCOR, Rethink Church, Imagine No Malaria, and the United Methodist Publishing House are teaming up to reclaim Christmas and provide an alternative means to celebrate the joy of relational giving this season.
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