Missionaries supported with your gifts
Your donations support our ongoing missions. Please designate Missions on the form or envelope.
Carmen Melendez serves the Methodist Church of Mexico in the state of Puebla. She and her husband Alejandro Rodriguez Muriel are also teachers for the “Give Ye Them to Eat” program which collaborates with village families in their efforts to secure a better life. Alejandro is the agricultural program director. They offer classes in a variety of subjects including nutrition and family health, agricultural technology, and construction techniques.
Mozart Adevu serves in Ghana working to improve the agricultural abilities of farmers in rural Ghana and specializes in the planting and cultivation of Moringa trees. Moringa trees have been found to be a wonderful source of medication when added to food. Improving the local diet has been found to cure several African diseases
Quynh-Hoa Nguyen is a General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) missionary serving as director of leadership development for the United Methodist Church in Vietnam. Since 2002 the Vietnam Mission has grown to more than 250 churches with 13,000 members, making it one of the fastest growing parts of our global mission. To date, her work is concentrated in the central and south regions with plans to expand to the north.
Dr. Belinda Forbes is a GBGM missionary for the UMC in Managua, Nicaragua serving with the Christian Medical Action (AMC) group. AMC is an ecumenical organization specializing in community health in impoverished rural communities.
Gary Locklear work’s with the Native American Cooperative Ministry which includes twelve congregations of Native Americans in North Carolina. His work is focused on youth development, food distribution and other mission projects helping the needy.
CUMC contributes ongoing support for these programs:
Heifer International is a worldwide relief program that gives needy families a source of sustainable food rather than short-term relief and has successfully functioned for almost 60 years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the gifts of self-reliance and hope. Every family and community that receives assistance promises to repay their living loan by donating one or more of their animal’s offspring to another family in need. This practice of “Passing on the Gift” ensures project sustainability, develops community, and enhances self-esteem by allowing project partners to become donors. See the Heifer home page, www.heifer.org.
SHIP (Self Help Interfaith Program) is a collaborative of volunteers from approximately 13 different churches, which provides a four-month residential program designed for permanent self-sufficiency. SHIP serves individuals who are capable of obtaining the required permanent, full-time employment within 30 days. They must be capable of completing daily job search requirements. This is a highly structured, “tough love” program for qualified individuals. Each church provides two weeks or more of temporary living quarters and food.
Third World Gifts and Handarts Market Each fall we offer third world handcrafted art for sale. Proceeds from the sale of these handcrafted products contribute to our third world outreach giving. The items selected for sale come from many third world countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and also areas of the U.S such as Appalachia. Since this a non-profit organization, the artisan will receive a greater percentage of the purchase price, giving them a chance to have a better life.
Community UMC Christmas Card Each year CUMC members and friends are given an opportunity to sign the annual Christmas card and make a donation to the Missions giving. The card is sent to all members. Proceeds are donated in equal amounts to the South Coast Development Center and UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) hunger relief effort.
Shoes for Students Every other year we collect men’s shoes to help students at Union Theological Seminary in the Philippines. The shoes have been requested by Rev. Afrie Songco Joye, a past Community UMC Christian Education Director and now a teacher at Union Seminary. Shoes are very expensive in the Philippines and our past contributions were well received.