ATLANTA (GBGM) - The newest classes of US-2s and Mission Interns have begun their terms of mission service in 12 countries and 16 states after being commissioned here recently by the General Board of Global Ministries.

US-2s

The 1998-2000 class of US-2s-named for their two-year terms of service within the United States-was commissioned Aug. 9 at Central United Methodist Church with Bishop C. Dale White (retired) officiating.

The US-2s, their home conferences, and assignments include:

Megan Abe (East Ohio Annual Conference), assigned to Christ UMC/The Shepherd's Way, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Aimee Bailey (East Ohio Annual Conference), assigned to Warren Village in Denver, CO; Jacqueline Biggers (Southwest Texas Annual Conference) assigned to the Nome (AK) Community Center, Inc; Sandy Chilcote (West Ohio Annual Conference) assigned to the Pueblo Area Methodist Hispanic Ministry in Pueblo, CO.

Also, Matthew Cox (Louisiana Annual Conference), assigned to the Tacoma (WA) Community House; Darlene DiDomineck (Florida Annual Conference) assigned to Newhouse in Kansas City, MO; Laura Fightmaster (West Ohio Annual Conference) assigned to the Wesley Foundation Campus Ministry in Cedar Falls, IA; Rachel Giessen (New Mexico Annual Conference) assigned to Bethlehem Wilson Communities in Richmond, VA; Lisa Hartzog (Western North Carolina Annual Conference) assigned to the Calexico (CA) Neighborhood House.

US-2s also include John Haynes, Jr. (Virginia Annual Conference) assigned to the Northern New Mexico Group Ministry in Espanola, NM; Allison Hicks (Western North Carolina Annual Conference) assigned to the Hampden-Woodberry-Remington-Mt. Washington UM Parish in Baltimore, MD; Elizabeth Kuonen (South Indiana Annual Conference) assigned to the Bethlehem Center in Charlotte, NC; Kristal Lamb (Baptist, Huntsville, AL) assigned to Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.; Niclaire Neely (North Georgia Annual Conference) assigned to Casa del Pueblo Community Program in Washington, D.C.; Michelle Owen (Oklahoma Annual Conference) assigned to Bread for the World in Silver Spring, MD.

Also Ericka Parkinson (Presbyterian, Glen Ellyn, IL), assigned to the Mississippi UM Native American Parish in Philadelphia, MS; Janice Pennington (Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference) assigned to the Upper Sand Mountain UM Parish in Sylvania, AL; Kathleen Peterson (West Ohio Annual Conference), assigned to UM Metro Office of Urban Ministries, Holy Community/Smith Center in Memphis, TN; Elizabeth Pond (Virginia Annual Conference) assigned to the Nome (AK) Community Center, Inc.Melissa Porter (Virginia Annual Conference) assigned to the Community Food Bank in Tucson, AZ; Christopher Raines (West Virginia Annual Conference) assigned to the Epworth Children and Family Services of Webster Groves, MO; Camille Spratling (North Alabama Annual Conference) assigned to the Frankford Group Ministry in Philadelphia, PA; Stephanie Wilding (Berean Bible Church of Seattle, WA), assigned to Gum Moon Women's Residence in San Francisco, CA; and Rhianon Wood (West Ohio Annual Conference) assigned to the Wesley Community Center of Phoenix, AZ.

The newest class of US-2s. See also larger picture (50k)

Mission Interns

The 1998-2001 class of Mission Interns-young adults who serve for three years in ministries of justice and reconciliation-was commissioned Aug. 23 at the Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center as part of the Global Mission Personnel Conference. Bishop Robert E. Fannin (North Alabama Area) officiated during the service.

The Mission Interns, who serve the first half of their three-year assignments outside the U.S. and return to the U.S. for the second half of their terms, include:

Courtney Angermeier (New York Annual Conference), assigned to Fundacao Assistencial Xuxa Meneghel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Kristin Box (Rocky Mountain Annual Conference), assigned to the Tapepora Project in Ponta Porta, Brazil; Stacey Brown (Alaska Missionary Annual Conference), assigned to the Asia Rural Institute in Tochigigi-ken, Japan; Laura Bryant (Northern New Jersey Annual Conference) assigned to For the Love of Children (FLOC) in Johannesburg, South Africa; Wanda Collins (Mississippi Annual Conference) assigned to the Batis Center for Women in Manila, Philippines; Jessica Culley of Carlisle, PA (Brethren in Christ), assigned to the Christian Commission for Development in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Also, Jay Godfrey (Central Pennsylvania Annual Conference), assigned to Centar Omaladinski in Bosnia Herzegovina; Camille Harris (Detroit Annual Conference) assigned to the World Student Christian Federation (Africa Region) in Nairobi, Kenya; Kristin Kumpf (West Ohio Annual Conference) assigned to the Mangyan Integrated Development Program (MIDP) in Calapan, Oriental, Philippines; Emily Lin (Illinois Mennonite Conference), assigned to the Near East Council of Churches Committee for Refugee Work in Gaza, Palestine; Jayant Magar (Bombay, India Episcopal Area), assigned to the Forth Spring Inter-Community Group in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Mission Interns also include Nannette Stamm (California/Nevada Annual Conference), assigned to the Iglesia Metodista Emmanuel in Cochabamba, Bolivia; Brian Underhill (Kentucky Annual Conference), assigned to WI'AM Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine; Harold Wheat (New York Annual Conference) assigned to the Instituto Metodista Ana Gonzaga Ecological Center in Campo Grande, Brazil; Warren Wilcox (Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference), assigned to the National Council of Churches in India, Nagpur, India.

The newest class of Mission Interns. See also larger picture (65k)

The US-2s and Mission Interns were commissioned following a period of preparation and training at the Mission Resource Center, a cooperative effort of the General Board of Global Ministries, the Interdenominational Theological Center and Candler School of Theology (Emory University) in Atlanta.

For more information about mission service opportunities for young adults, contact Mr. Aaron Shipman, Executive Secretary for Young Adults, General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church, 475 Riverside Drive, Room 320, New York, NY; 10115. Phone (212) 870-3660.