General Board of Global Ministries The United Methodist Church 475 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10115 Tel: 212/870-3921 email: info@gbgm-umc.org Rev. Edward W. Paup, Global Ministries general secretary. Image by: Cassandra Heller Source: GBGM Administration

Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ.

It is with humility and excitement that I assume the post of general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries, the mission agency of The United Methodist Church. Humility reminds us that we serve a God who freely loves us, a God who in Jesus Christ gives us grace upon grace for redemption, restoration, and reconciliation; humility, too, because the Global Ministries directors have entrusted me with the welfare of a powerful instrument of grace, an organization that embodies the past, present, and future mission commitment of our church.

Yet, what an exciting opportunity: the chance to relate to and build partnerships with the strong streams of mission in our denomination and the Christian family at large; to promote the welfare of God's planet Earth; to work against poverty; to speak and act for peace; and to help carry, in the name of Christ, the banner of United Methodist mission.

Mission

Mission for Christians is the work of faith, the measure of our personal and collective discipleship, the action that follows our acceptance of God's grace and love by membership in Christ's church. Mission is evangelism and humanitarian service, church extension and the increase of justice. Mission is firmly rooted in Scripture:

• In the Great Commission -- "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations ... " (Matthew 28:19).
• In the Great Commandment -- "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27).
• In Jesus' ascension mandate -- "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

The mission statement of The United Methodist Church and the first goal of Global Ministries are the same: To make disciples of Jesus Christ. The 2008 General Conference added a phrase suggested by the Council of Bishops, so that the statement reads: "To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." Such transformation is an intention reflected in Global Ministries' goals of developing churches and communities, alleviating suffering, and promoting peace and justice.

The transformation of the world is God's mission, and it becomes ours as we open ourselves to the fullness of God's grace, receive life from God's living Word in Christ, and are called by faith to participate in God's work.

Commitments

In the immediate future, my priorities and commitments include:

• Enthusiastic endorsement of Global Ministries' pioneering ministries with the diversity of God's people and their cultural and social contexts.
• Strengthening our United Methodist understanding of what it means to be a Wesleyan people in the 21st century. This understanding has strong implications for the ways in which we approach and carry out mission. As a director of the board, and as president of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for the past quadrennium, I have firsthand experience with the inherent strengths of Global Ministries and the challenges it faces.
• Affirmation and implementation of the four United Methodist focus areas for collaborative ministry—leadership development, church growth, global health, and ministry with the poor. Each of these themes is part of our Wesleyan DNA.
• Continuation of efforts to forge strong mission partnerships for the sake of the gospel with annual conferences, mission initiative networks, the agencies of the general church, affiliated autonomous Methodist churches, and world organizations that can be our partners in the quest for peace and justice. The world needs to see the leaders of its religious bodies working together for peace.
• Promotion of mission communications that can reach all of our constituents in creative, cost-effective ways, and encouraging the greater use of technology in both program and communications.
• Providing a mission presence within our United Methodist connection as one, but not the only, face and voice for our mission.

Appreciation

Another commitment is to spend considerable time in the office in my early months, becoming better informed about systems and evaluating our operations and patterns. In order to do that and also tend to pressing international matters, I have invited Bishop Felton E. May, interim general secretary for the last nine months, to stay with us for six months as a consultant on Africa. He is eminently qualified, having chaired the General Conference-mandated Holistic Strategy on Africa Committee. Bishop May has been a competent and vigorous interim general secretary, and I am indebted to him for his diligence and skill.

Global Ministries is called to be a vibrant and dynamic agency, ready to act in this fast-paced world in ways that offer effective and efficient mission and ministry in the name of The United Methodist Church. By God's grace, this will happen.

The Rev. Edward W. Paup
General Secretary
General Board of Global Ministries
The United Methodist Church

	See Also... Topic: Christian love |  GBGM news |  United Methodist Church |  Wesley |  Methodism |  Geographic Region: United States |  World |  Source: GBGM Press Releases
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Date posted: Sep 02, 2008