Most United Methodist mission personnel evacuated from war torn Liberia in early June are being temporarily assigned to other ministries in West Africa, primarily in refugee camps.

Six regular missionaries and eight persons in a special service category were flown to Freetown, Sierra Leone, when civil war engulfed much of Liberia. Many United Methodist mission personnel in Liberia are from other parts of Africa.

Personnel of the Board of Global Ministries, the international mission agency of the denomination, are in regular contact with the missionaries and with United Methodist leaders in West Africa.

Wilma Roberts, who relates to mission personnel in Africa, said that five persons will work with refugees in Guinea, three at camps in Ghana, and that four persons would remain in medical mission work in Sierra Leone. Two persons are taking advantage of the break in service to seek needed medical attention, not related to war or injury, in their home countries.

“We are so thankful that our General Board of Global Ministries personnel is safe,” said the Rev. R. Randy Day, general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries. “We are also thankful that we can provide their services in other places of need at this time.”

Eight of the persons evacuated are Missioners of Hope, a special short-term mission service category. They are from several African countries. In addition to those, 11 Liberian Missioners of Hope remain in Liberia. All are safe, according to Ms. Roberts, although reports indicate that some homes may have been ransacked. It was not possible to evacuate the Liberian nationals.

Mr. Day paid special tribute to Ms. Roberts, who was in Sierra Leone when the trouble broke out in Liberia. She arranged for the evacuation of the expatriate personnel from Liberia, met them in Freetown, and worked out the temporary assignments.

“Wilma Roberts is a wonder-worker when it comes to trouble shooting on the international mission scene,” he said. “I really do not know what we will do without her fulltime ministry."

Ms. Roberts is retiring at the end of June but will continue to do occasional projects for the agency.

	See Also... Topic: Conflict |  GBGM news |  Missionaries |  Violence |  War |  Geographic Region: Liberia |  Source: GBGM Press Releases
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Date posted: Jun 25, 2003