Congratulations to both Eastern Pennsylvania and Peninsula Delaware for paying their World Service Apportionments in full in 2008. Eastern Pennsylvania paid their apportionments in full for the first time in many years in 2007. Peninsula Delaware has paid 100% always. I am thrilled that both conferences have paid this year given the difficult economic times of this past year.
The apportionment funds do good things in the world that further the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Among the many things the general agencies are doing include the following apportionment-supported programs:
The General Board of Discipleship is developing a Discipleship University that will engage lay and clergy teams from local churches for renewal of existing congregations. All five jurisdictions are now offering new church start planter schools.
The General Commission on Religion and Race is providing recourses to support clergy and lay person sin cross-racial appointments.
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry awarded educational scholarships and loans for more than 2,500 students. They have led training experiences of Annual Conference Boards of Ordained Ministry.
The General Commission on Archives and History has entered into a partnership with the African American Heritage Center to enable the center to move forward in acquiring materials and developing training opportunities for African American churches.
The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women launched a survey of clergy spouses to learn the joys, concerns and needs of persons married to clergy and is planning a “Women’s Congress in 2011” that is targeting new women leadership.
The General Board of Church and Society works to help United Methodists join justice and mercy ministries in congregations and communities. They also have a presence in the Philippines, Africa and Europe.
The General Commission on Communication maintains the church’s official website and has collaborated with a number of UM agencies in promoting the “Nothing but Nets” campaign (to help eliminate malaria)
The General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns worked this year to establish a full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and produced a resource known as “White Privilege”
The General Board of Global Ministries deploys missionaries around the globe in numerous church and community settings.
Our apportionment dollars also supports the Episcopal Fund.
I appreciate your blog. Young people may become very interested when I tell them "Your bishop has a blog"
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Richard Conner