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Courtesy of Eliad Dos Santos
“As Christians, we are the presence of God in these people’s lives, not only helping them materially, but fighting for a more just and safe world.”
As a missionary in Rome, Italy, the Rev. Eliad Dos Santos works with migrants coming from African countries, South America, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Often, they end up in the streets due to a lack of social services.
Dos Santos decided to create a space outside her church to distribute food so she could talk to migrants and form relationships. This practice led to building a social service program that would answer the often-overlooked needs of migrants.
Today, the church in Rome is open for people to come for social services and Pastor dos Santos offers counseling sessions on Wednesdays. She listens to find out what people need and how the church can be of better service.
“It will be a place to shelter the people of God and a space of teaching and training.”
In 2015, Global Ministries launched a mission initiative in Central African Republic (CAR). But it faced numerous challenges to growth in the years that followed. Today, under the local leadership of newly ordained Rev. Aquilas Soronaka, The United Methodist Church is growing.
But the church in CAR has never had an actual church building of its own.
A partnership soon formed with Cascade UMC in Atlanta, Ga. The congregation was looking for an opportunity to expand its outreach internationally. Having recently completed a major renovation to their space, Cascade deeply resonated with the church in CAR’s desire to have a space of their own. In just three weeks, Cascade raised over $150,000, securing funding for the construction. And with a grant from Global Ministries, land will be purchased on which to build the church.
Courtesy of Aquilas Soronaka
Courtesy of Ashnita Maxton
“I developed my research in this area with a desire to serve my community and all the young individuals struggling with addiction.”
Ashnita Maxton grew up as a pastor’s daughter in India. Across the parking lot from Maxton’s home church is a psychiatric hospital founded by the Rev. Dr. E. Stanley Jones in 1950. Jones served as a missionary, evangelist and theologian in India for many decades, years before Maxton was born.
“My desire to serve my community has been greatly inspired by the life and ministry of E. Stanley Jones. His work of evangelism and his effort to make mental health facilities available for people really inspire me,” said Maxton.
In 2022, Maxton traveled to the United States as a World Communion Scholar to begin a doctoral program in psychology, focusing her studies on addictive disorders and recovery. When Maxton completes her studies in another year, she will return to India to continue her work.
“With the knowledge and skills we are gaining, we have become the light in the community. This is what development is all about.”
Two greenhouses at The United Methodist Church’s Hanwa Mission in Zimbabwe are helping to fight climate change and grow education. With support from Global Ministries’ Yambasu Agriculture Initiative (YAI), the Hanwa community constructed two half-acre greenhouses. It also supplied fencing and 5,000 red and yellow pepper seedlings, as well as a hand tractor, a trailer, a plow and pedi-wheels.
The greenhouses will become a major component of the agricultural curriculum, and a portion of the funds generated will go directly back into the schools. Each greenhouse can generate about $56,000 to $60,000 per year. The project also generates employment for parents of students.
Kudzai Chingwe, UM News
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