Regional missionaries end first term with U.S. speaking tour
by Yvette Moore, Response magazine

The first class of a new brand of missionaries sent by the Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries ended their three-year terms this summer, traveling around the country, sharing stories from their tenure.

The 10 regional missionaries’ work centered in advocacy, training women for leadership, and providing for health care for women and children. They served in East, West and Central Africa, Latin American and Southeast Asia.

"Regional missionaries are bridges between churches and grassroots organizations," explained Tamara Walker, executive secretary for youth and young adult ministries with the General Board of Global Ministries. "It’s not enough for a regional missionary to have his or her program; regional missionaries make connections. They help weave together the work of the church, ecumenical groups, women’s groups, grassroots children’s advocacy groups, so that, together, they are a presence that can empower a community."

The regional missionaries spoke at United Methodist mission education events and schools of Christian mission convened in 47 of the denomination’s 63 geographical bodies, known as annual conferences, throughout July and August. The regional missionaries said event participants received them with lot of warmth – and many questions.

West Africa regional missionary, the Rev. John Yambasu, said the most frequent question posed to him was how he dealt with Christian-Muslim dialog in a part of the world where it’s not uncommon for religious differences to lead to violence. He answered with the story behind the organizing of the Interfaith Conference of Youth and Students as Agents of Peace and Reconciliation It was ultimately held in June in Elekuro, Ibadan, Nigeria -- a nation where 50 percent of the population is Muslim, 40 percent Christian and 10 percent Traditional worshipers and tolerance is not politically correct. He started by seeking an inclusive planning committee.

"The Islamic Council in Ibadan sent an iman to be on the steering committee for the meeting. The council of churches sent a representative too," he said. "The national council of Muslim students agreed to send 15 representatives to the conference and the national council of Christian students agreed to send 15 representatives."

Mr. Yambasu said even deciding that the location of the meeting was a struggle since different areas of the country are dominated by various religious groups. Elekuro, Ibadan, was selected because it is a relatively neutral area, he said. Deciding what would go on the conference’s banner and where it would be placed was a challenge also.

"We had to make sure the leader of the Islamic council and the Christian council signed off on the banner," he said. Although the General Board of Global Ministries was a major financial sponsor of the event, its name could not be on the banner, he said. "The word ministries was seen as a Christian word," he explained. The steering committee decided to hang the banner inside the hotel rather than outdoors, just to be on the safe side.

Then three weeks before the event was to begin, violence erupted and hundreds were killed during riots in objection to the Miss World Pageant scheduled to be held in Abuja, Nigeria. The pageant was moved to London, England.

"We thought we were going to have to call the whole thing off," Mr. Yambasu said. However, the planning committee persevered, and the conference was successfully convened in June. "This was the first time students were the focus of an interfaith meeting there."

Other regional missionaries on the tour were:

The United Methodist Women’’s Division’’s Regional Missionaries program developed out of a critical need for persons in mission to work regionally in the areas from which they came. In September 2000, United Methodist Women responded to the need and have been supporting 10 regional missionaries –– assigned to various regions of the world –– solely through United Methodist Women’’s undesignated giving.

The Women’s Division represents United Methodist Women, a one-million member organization whose purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice. Members raise around $20 million a year for programs and projects related to women, children and youth in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.