United Methodist Mission Agency Announces New System for Literature Distribution

New York, NY, December 14, 2006 --The General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church will have a new system for the distribution of print, audio visual and other promotional and educational materials beginning December 29, 2006.

Cokesbury, a part of the Nashville-based United Methodist Publishing House, will fulfill orders for all but one unit of the international mission agency. As previously announced, the Women’s Division will both produce and distribute its materials through the Mission Resource Center in Dallas, Texas.

The changes follow a decision by the Women’s Division, the administrative arm of United Methodist Women, to close its Service Center in Cincinnati. That center had long filled orders for the board as a whole and for several other denominational and ecumenical entities. The closing of the Service Center reflects financial realities affected in part by a decreased use of print as electronic communications increases.

The United Methodist General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, which had used the Service Center, is also moving its distribution to Cokesbury, as is Friendship Press, a publishing unit of the National Council of Churches.

“We look forward to this new partnership with Cokesbury,” said the Rev. R. Randy Day, the chief executive of the mission agency. “Technically, the transition should be smooth, although we know that many United Methodists may find it hard to change years of thinking of the Service Center as the source of mission material.”

Orders to Cokesbury or to the United Methodist Women’s resource center in Dallas can be made by mail, telephone, or email, and by fax to Cokesbury (see details below).

Cokesbury will handle materials coming from Global Ministries’ communications department and its units on community and institutional ministries, evangelization and church growth, health and welfare, mission personnel, mission contexts and relationships, mission education, and volunteers in mission. It also covers the Advance for Christ and His Church, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Global Praise, the United Methodist Development Fund, Spanish and Korean-language resources, and the Global Ministries’ research office. An online store is located at http://gbgm-umc.org/e-store.

Orders for single copies of the board’s bi-monthly magazine, New World Outlook, will go to Cokesbury, but subscriptions will be handled by the magazineitself.

Mission study books will be distributed with the Women’s Division’s resource center. The division has an online store at www.missionresources.org.

“This may seem complex at first, but it will quickly fall into place,” said Wendy Whiteside, assistant general secretary of the Global Ministries’ communications department. “I will be glad to answer any questions.” Ms. Whiteside can be emailed at wendyw@gbgm-umc.org. Her phone number is 212 870-3921.

Here is the specific order information:

Cokesbury:

Mail:

Cokesbury Customer Service
P.O. Box 801
201 Eighth Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37202-0801

Phone toll free: 1-800-672-1789

Fax: 1-800-445-8189