Every now and then I come across an attention-grabbing story in the bound volumes of World Outlook or The Missionary Voice--both predecessors of New World Outlook magazine. Such a story helps me understand that history is never quite what I supposed it was. Martha Drummer's story was captured in World Outlook in 1952 by Florence Hooper, a mission secretary who had been responsible for sending Miss Drummer her monthly pension.
Source: New World Outlook
More about: Civil rights | Education | Global connections | Health | Human rights | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Women | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | Angola |
Date posted: Mar 08, 2012

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.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Evangelization | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Youth | Partners/partnerships | Methodism | Focus on Leadership Development | Congo DR | Kenya | Mongolia |
Date posted: Mar 01, 2012

Missionary service in the 21st century follows the New Testament's mission mandate to move outward from Judea into all parts of the world. Strongly influenced by the 19th century Protestant mission initiative that originated in Europe and North America, missionary service--especially in the Methodist tradition--combined spiritual piety with social ministry. In the 19th century, parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America were considered to be suitable areas for mission.
Source: New World Outlook
More about: Evangelization | GBGM events | International affairs | John Wesley | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Partners/partnerships | Focus on Leadership Development |
Date posted: Mar 01, 2012

Nome, Alaska, February 13, 2012--Nome usually has long, cold winters, and Christopher Steppe, a United Methodist young adult missionary in the Alaskan city, thought he had packed enough heavy gear when he headed there from his native Virginia last September: plenty of hoodies, thermals, scarves, gloves, and even a heavier coat than he would have used back home. Not enough, and especially not when unusually early snowfall blanketed the subarctic region on the Bering Sea.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Communities | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | Natural disasters | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | United States |
Date posted: Feb 17, 2012

Tola Seng lives in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia in Southeast Asia. As a child, she experienced the aftermath of a harsh and violent regime that killed much of Cambodia's population. "Twenty-four years ago," Seng says, "I was born to a single mother in a refugee camp on the Thai border. By God's grace, my mother was able to raise my sisters and me on her own. Yet, watching her struggle to support us, I wanted to grow up faster so I could find a job and help her."
Source: New World Outlook
More about: Children | Communities | Conflict | Evangelism | Global connections | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Violence | Volunteers | War | Women | Youth | Focus on Congregational Development | Cambodia | Laos | Vietnam |
Date posted: Jan 30, 2012

When Gary retired from his work as a human resources trainer and teacher in the year 2000, he thought his career was over. Little did he know, his life's work had just begun. Now, at 63 years old, Gary says, "I can't wait for the next 10 years."
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Communities | Ethics | Justice | Missionaries | Focus on Congregational Development | United States |
Date posted: Jan 25, 2012

Jamila Hunter from Brooklyn, New York, served with Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, for the first of her two years as a US-2. US-2s are missionaries between the ages of 20 and 30 who teach, learn from, pray with, and advocate for people in communities seeking transformation and justice in the United States.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Communities | Education | Missionaries | Prison | United Methodist Church | Youth | Older adults | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | United States |
Date posted: Jan 20, 2012

Dear Friends, On behalf of the General Board of Global Ministries, thank you for all you do to share God's love and light throughout the world. Through our work, together we are building a path that Isaiah prophesized--a radical path to liberation, peace, and justice. A path that is possible because of the birth of a small and helpless child. The light of the world lies in the hands of someone as powerless as a newborn baby.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Advent | Christmas | Emergencies | Justice | Missionaries | Natural disasters | Peace | Prayers | United Methodist Church | Women | Statements | Tsunami | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Cote d´Ivoire | Japan | Liberia |
Date posted: Dec 16, 2011

Consider becoming a US-2 or Mission Intern. If you are between the ages of 20 to 30 and feel called to address the root causes of injustice so that the gospel is lived out alongside communities and organizations seeking peace and systemic transformation, apply to become a United Methodist US-2 or Mission Intern.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Evangelism | Global connections | International affairs | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | Volunteers | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development |
Date posted: Dec 08, 2011

The Reverend Paul Shew from the West Ohio Annual Conference has been planting seeds of hope and promise for more than ten years in Japan. "I cannot imagine a place with more opportunity for student ministry than in Japan. We are in a unique position to point young people to a loving God through word and deed." Serving as a long-term mission volunteer through Global Ministries in Japan, Shew is a professor and university chaplain at Aoyama Gakuin, in Tokyo.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Christian love | Communities | Education | Emergencies | Environment | Evangelism | Global connections | International affairs | John Wesley | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | Natural disasters | Volunteers | Tsunami | Focus on Congregational Development | Japan |
Date posted: Nov 30, 2011

I sent Patrick Friday an email, suggesting that we meet for breakfast in the cafeteria for a conversation about social media and mission. Patrick suggested, instead, we should chat, pray, and invite others to join us at a Google+ "hang out." A couple of emails later, Patrick and I logged on to Google+ for our "hang out," a four-way videoconference with Patti Bacher in De Pere, Wisconsin, and Mi Rhang Baek in Madison, Alabama.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Communities | Evangelism | Global connections | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Focus on Congregational Development | Asia and the Pacific Islands | Bulgaria | Cameroon | Europe | Honduras | Lithuania | Malawi | Russia | Senegal | United States |
Date posted: Nov 23, 2011

“Come to me and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28 Dear Friends, It is with deep sadness that I share with you of that The Rev. Isaac Agre’ (link to bio), a missionary for the General Board of Global Ministries, passed away on November 3.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Education | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Africa | Cote d´Ivoire | Tunisia |
Date posted: Nov 07, 2011

In Christian lingo, "to discern" means to perceive God's call or spiritual direction. This week, a class of seven young adult US missionaries, US-2s, are meeting in New York to be in community and to discern their call to work for justice one year into their two-year missionary service.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Mission opportunities | Missionaries | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | United States |
Date posted: Oct 28, 2011

"In the Tongan language there is no word for cousin, because you are either sister or brother," said Rev. Sione (Loni) Veikoso. On Thursday, October 13, 2011, 35 sisters and brothers of Rev. Loni from the Asian and Pacific Islander network of The United Methodist Church met in the upper Manhattan office of Global Ministries to discuss how to enlarge the Church for all people.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Global connections | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Congregational Development | Asia and the Pacific Islands |
Date posted: Oct 18, 2011

New York, NY, October 12, 2011--A dynamic Korean American church in one of earth's most ethnically diverse neighborhoods was the setting where ten new United Methodist missionaries were sent into the world on October 11.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Education | Evangelization | Family | Global connections | International affairs | Missionaries | Prayers | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | Congo DR | Italy | Kazakhstan | Korea | Mongolia | Palestine | Uganda | Ukraine |
Date posted: Oct 12, 2011

Among the ten new missionaries to be commissioned at the First United Methodist Church in Queens on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, four of the new missionaries--Fresie and Rukang Chikomb, and Eumin and Prumeh Kim--are married couples. Serving as a family with children poses special challenges and opportunities for missionaries.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Education | Family | Global connections | International affairs | Missionaries | Prayers | United Methodist Church | Focus on Leadership Development | Congo DR | Kazakhstan | Korea |
Date posted: Oct 11, 2011

In Samara, Russia, Michael watched a grandmother and her grandson carry a suitcase together as they boarded a train. Michael had an epiphany: If these two family members of such different ages and abilities could carry such a heavy weight, which neither could lift alone, perhaps the church family too could carry one another's weight.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Missionaries | Poverty | United Methodist Church | Focus on Leadership Development | Mongolia |
Date posted: Oct 10, 2011

In addition to standard business meetings, the Global Ministries fall board meeting will include opportunities for worship, building new relationships, and actively exploring new ways to facilitate mission. For the first time, directors will meet at the agency's New York City offices. The semi-annual meeting is scheduled to take place October 10-13, 2011.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Evangelization | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | Kazakhstan |
Date posted: Oct 06, 2011

Thousands of individuals and churches are expected to engage in mission through 10-Fold, a ten-day online gathering. Beginning on October 10, 2011, the event will offer opportunities to learn about powerful ministries of The United Methodist Church.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Agriculture | Donations | Education | Health | Missionaries | Natural disasters | Youth | Focus on Congregational Development | Focus on Leadership Development | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | Africa | Congo DR | Germany | Honduras | Philippines |
Date posted: Oct 06, 2011

After more than three weeks of training, ten United Methodists will be commissioned and sent to missionary assignments around the world. Global Ministries executive Judy Chung says that the training helps prepare the individuals for the mission field while building a foundation of support.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Evangelization | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Leadership Development | Congo DR | Italy | Kazakhstan | Palestine | Uganda | Ukraine |
Date posted: Oct 04, 2011

Mark Stransky brought a tape measure as a symbol of transformation and hope. As the director of housing at Crossroads in Marion, Virginia, Stransky said that volunteers and community members find grace while repairing houses together. "What the tape measure doesn't measure is the hearts of the people serving on the projects," Stransky said.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Children | Communities | Education | Evangelism | Health | Immigration | Justice | Missionaries | Refugees | Focus on Leadership Development | Focus on Global Health | Mexico | United States |
Date posted: Sep 22, 2011

"Jesus learned new things when he went to the border," said Rev. Edgar Avitia, who led the worship in Florida for US-based missionaries of The United Methodist Church. Jesus' continuing education and migration to the border of Tyre and Sidon in Matthew 15:21-28 spoke truth to missionary Jim Perdue, who attended the missionaries meeting on the heels of the immigration task force meeting at the Church Center of the United Nations (CCUN) in New York from September 16 to 18, 2011.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Advocacy | Children | Family | Human rights | Immigration | Justice | Missionaries | Poverty | Race | Social Principles | United Methodist Church | Youth | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Guinea | Mexico | Philippines |
Date posted: Sep 20, 2011

In the late 1970s, millions of people starved in Cambodian refugee camps. Among the hungry were present-day United Methodist missionaries Marilyn and Joseph Chan. In the camps, they witnessed and experienced Christian love and converted to Christianity. The couple went on to study theology in the US and returned to Cambodia to work with Christian and global aid networks as teachers and theologians, offering to help in health and agriculture in rural communities.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Agriculture | Health | Missionaries | Poverty | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | Cambodia |
Date posted: Sep 19, 2011

You are invited and encouraged to join an online webinar with Global Ministries staff, Church and Community Workers, and National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministries missionaries as they meet from September 17 to 20, 2011 at the Life Enrichment Center in Fruitland Park, Florida, to learn about the new and transformative ways to serve as United Methodist missionaries in rural or urban settings around the United States.
Source: GBGM Mission News
More about: Education | Evangelism | Internet | Mission opportunities | Missionaries | Rural | Urban | Focus on Leadership Development |
Date posted: Aug 30, 2011

I first met Dan Terry in 2004 in Afghanistan. One day he offered to help me get to a meeting on the other side of Kabul--by bicycle. We took a "shortcut" up to a steep ridge, following a rocky path where we had to push or carry our bicycles. At the top, while I caught my breath and admired the view, we encountered a family of returned refugees. This steep ridge--far from roads, water, and the city proper--was the only place this family could find to live.
Source: New World Outlook
More about: Christian love | Communities | Conflict | Education | Global connections | Health | International affairs | Missionaries | Peace | Poverty | Refugees | Rural | Social Principles | Violence | War | Methodism | Focus on Ministry with the Poor | Focus on Global Health | Afghanistan |
Date posted: Aug 24, 2011