The McCormicks: Life as a missionary family

In a video, the family of four shares about serving as United Methodist missionaries from Mozambique to Arkansas.
Missionaries David, Elizabeth, Eva and Annie McCormick in the backyard of their home in Maxixe, Mozambique, in 2017. (Photo: Kim Parker)
Missionaries David, Elizabeth, Eva and Annie McCormick in the backyard of their home in Maxixe, Mozambique, in 2017. (Photo: Kim Parker)

ATLANTA — When parents feel they are called by God to serve as missionaries, how do they answer that call as a family with children?

The McCormick family – David, Elizabeth, Eva and Annie – answers that and other questions about being missionaries in the Still in Mission series video below. Commissioned in 2016, they first served in Mozambique at Chicuque Rural Hospital and now serve in the U.S. as Mission Advocates in the South Central Jurisdiction. David and Elizabeth have a wealth of experience from their seven years of service and their children, now ages 9 and 11, share their thoughts on the tough parts and fun parts of growing up in a missionary family.

David’s and Elizabeth’s advice – find strength in your family and rely on your faith in God. The kids’ advice? If you feel God’s call to become a missionary…go for it!

Watch their video.

Global Missionaries

Global Ministries missionaries are a tangible connection between The United Methodist Church and mission. Through denominational or ecumenical ministries, missionaries bear witness to God’s presence all around the world. They are called by God and sent out to serve by the church, usually placed in a new cultural context beyond their country of origin. Missionaries engage in ministry that is defined by mutuality and partnership, seeking to expand the mission of God already present and active in people and places.

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Six Years, No Solution: A 500-Gallon Tank Carries Hope to West Virginia’s Forgotten

McDowell County is one of the poorest in the U.S., and the communities of Anawalt, Leckie and Gary are some of the hardest hit by the current six-year water crisis. All have Methodist churches that are part of the Welch Charge.

To ease the burden of residents who have to purchase many gallons of drinking water weekly, the Welch Charge contacted the West Virginia Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Jim McCune, for help. McCune’s United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) connection put him in touch with Global Ministries’ Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program. 

A WASH grant allowed them to obtain a 500-gallon “water buffalo.” The conference disaster response team arranged to fill the portable water buffalo from the Welch water system, the county seat of McDowell, and transport it to Gary, where residents have been supplied with refillable containers. Residents of all three towns can come to get water, and volunteers will also continue deliveries for those who need it. Meanwhile, residents, including church members, continue to advocate state and local officials for a permanent solution to their aging, compromised water infrastructure. Full Story