ATLANTA — Directors of two of The United Methodist Church’s program agencies, both international in scope, were challenged by their shared leader to strengthen their work in response to suffering intensified by rapidly shifting global political landscapes. Roland Fernandes, general secretary of both the General Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, reinforced the Christian and moral imperative to “stand firm on the side of the gospel message, which calls us to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry and tend to the sick.”
Fernandes proposed that elected directors of the two agencies, meeting together, formalize actions in support of education, migration, health, food security and livelihoods, and peace, demonstrating a shared mission and ministry with the marginalized and ignored.
Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry are in the process of aligning their goals and operations. Global Ministries includes the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Directors meet twice a year and hear a report from the general secretary on the state of matters that affect the agencies.
While neither agency receives U.S. federal funds for its work, Fernandes described how the elimination or cutbacks in funding of international and domestic programs are creating a worldwide humanitarian crisis. He outlined how the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Aid (USAID) had wiped out thousands of grants and programs, many in health services and vaccines for the earth’s poorest people.
“The church cannot completely fill in for U.S. governmental support lost, but we can, indeed we must, do all that we can,” Fernandes said in explaining his plan of response to the recent actions.
Fernandes sharply criticized the elimination of the Department of Education. Dismantling the education department, he said, “…undermines the fundamental principles of justice and opportunity, disproportionately harming students who rely on educational opportunities and standards of excellence across the nation to break cycles of poverty and systemic inequity.”
Quoting Genesis 1, “God created humanity in God’s own image,” Fernandes held up the inherent worth of every person. He criticized actions that conflict with the gospel message, saying, “When Christ invites us to the table, all are included on the guest list and all receive their portion. Since the dawn of humanity, God’s plan has unwaveringly affirmed the intrinsic value of every person and has issued a powerful call for justice, whenever that divine purpose is disrupted.”
Fernandes’ words reflect the theology, social principles and teachings of The United Methodist Church.
He said that Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry are well equipped, along with global and ecumenical partners, to strengthen their work in the areas of education, migration, health, food security and livelihoods, and peace. Examples given included:
- Provide grants/scholarships where possible to fill in the gaps that emerge from withdrawal of support to educational institutions, especially Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s);
- Expand support for organizations and networks that serve migrants in U.S. communities;
- Support health care infrastructure in underserved areas impacted by loss of foreign aid;
- Expand the church’s Yambasu Agriculture Initiative in Africa to increase food security in the communities the African central conferences serve; and
- Continue and increase humanitarian aid in Ukraine, the D.R. Congo, Gaza and other parts of the Middle East.
Fernandes ended his report with encouragement from Galatians 6:9: “Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up.”
Elliott Wright is an information consultant for Global Ministries and UMCOR.