Founding and nurturing new faith communities and supporting existing congregations that seek to increase membership and expand ministries into local communities have historic roots and contemporary implications for Global Ministries. Missionaries who train pastors to plant churches in new places; mission initiatives, which start new Methodist faith communities; scholarships that assist church leaders to earn the credentials and degrees they need for service and ministry; and networks that resource racial and ethnic faith communities across the United States are examples of Global Ministries’ commitment to evangelism and church revitalization.
Mission Initiatives
Global Ministries has started more than a dozen mission initiatives since the early 1990s – in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Central America. Several of the initiatives have become integral parts of the United Methodist connection; some have or will become autonomous churches and others remain mission initiatives.
Currently, mission initiatives are supported in the Central African Republic, Honduras and Southeast Asia.
Missional Connections
Global Ministries creates and sustains relationships with United Methodist and ecumenical partners around the world to develop and deepen mission programs and connections.
Missional Connections provides Global Ministries with a broad understanding of the global regions in which The United Methodist Church is engaged and is familiar with the cultural, social and historical context within specific regions.
An ongoing area of work for Missional Connections is helping to identify potential places of assignment for missionaries and, in turn, helping facilitate those placements and supervise missionaries in their places of assignment.
Global Ministries is committed to helping partners develop their capacities in leadership, self-sustainability, innovative ministry, strategic planning and other opportunities, depending on the local context. It seeks to resource partners with information, tools, expertise and grants.
Multiethnic Ministries
The Multiethnic Ministries program supports multiethnic and racial-ethnic congregations as they reach out in mission and ministry in their local communities. A variety of partners and people make up Global Ministries’ multiethnic networks.
In recognition and celebration of the increasing diversity of the United States, Global Ministries administers four of The United Methodist Church’s six ethnic/language ministry plans, also known as the U.S. “national plans.” Current ethnic and language ministry plans:
- National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry (NPHLM)
- Korean Ministry Plan (KMP)
- Asian American Language Ministry (AALM)
- Pacific Islander National Plan (PINP)
Leadership Development and Scholarships
Although mission partners and their members understand the importance of gaining expertise through higher education and other training, resources to pay for this type of training are not easily available to them. Global Ministries’ Leadership Development and Scholarships program (LDS) is critical to bridging this gap and contributes to the overall mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ.”
The main goal of the Leadership Development and Scholarships program is to provide resources and opportunities for individuals and mission partners to develop expertise and capacities critical for the fulfillment of mission priorities and program goals in their regions.
LDS may provide scholarships in areas such as theological education, health-related studies, agricultural science, community development, human rights, social justice or other areas.