Global Evangelism and Church Growth Celebrated at Mission Initiatives Summit

Plano, Texas, April 21, 2007—The hymn "How Great Thou Art" sung in ten languages, led by a bishop singing in the original Swedish, was the faith-filled affirmation of the first ever United Methodist Mission Initiatives Summit, held in Plano on April 17-18.

Bishop Hans Växby of Moscow, head of the Eurasia Episcopal Area, began the hymn about the awesome wonder of God in Swedish, the language in which it was written. He was then joined by voices in nine other languages found within the global United Methodist Church.

For two days, three hundred people celebrated and strengthened new ministries of evangelism and church expansion through thirteen initiatives on four continents. They shared stories of faith and renewal and built bridges among thirteen mission initiatives in Asia, Africa, Russia and the Baltic region, Central America, and the In Mission Together network in South Central Europe and the Balkans.

The initiatives and support networks have emerged over the last two decades, in large part because areas of the world formerly closed to missionaries were opened with the fall of Soviet communism and the relaxation of restrictions on mission outreach in other parts of the world.

The Plano gathering, hosted by St. Andrews United Methodist Church, was the first at which representatives of the church-growth efforts extending from Mongolia to Honduras met to celebrate faith, compare notes, and face the future together. Veterans in the movement were deeply pleased by the outcomes.

"We are creating a completely new synergy here—people representing different networks meeting together in an amazing atmosphere," said the Rev. Üllas Tankler, a Global Ministries staff executive for Europe. "It is amazing what God is doing through the many Mission Initiatives. This summit is an exciting time that gives church members involved in one or another of the initiatives a chance to meet, network, and share wisdom on how to increase their effectiveness. They also have a chance to grasp the vastness of this worldwide United Methodist evangelization effort."

Dick Arnold, a layman from Virginia working tirelessly to promote In Mission Together in Eastern European and Baltic nations, noted that participants heard wonderful, heartwarming stories that came from these church partnership relationships. "The joining of voices from around the world in worship and song was a powerful message that we are a global church," he said.

One extremely important aspect of the summit was the linking of United Methodist Volunteer In Mission (UMVIM) teams that have gone to particular initiative countries. This took place in workshops focused on each initiative. "We were able to connect with the various teams that have gone [to an area] in the partnerships encouraged by initiatives," said the Rev. George Holcombe, coordinator of the Cameroon Initiative.

"In the Cameroon workshop, the group took on a very practical issue, the need for two vans. The Rev. Milton Guttierrez, superintendent of the Dallas South District, offered an amount from district funds as an incentive grant for one vehicle. It was matched almost immediately by the Rev. Barbara Galloway-Edgar, pastor of Coker United Methodist Church in San Antonio.

Promises were made among the other participants to raise the remaining funds." The group also discussed the need for closer communication among those who were making trip plans or catching up news about the various churches. They recommended sharing information through the Global Ministries website (http://gbgm-umc.org/initiatives).

The General Board of Global Ministries, which launched the initiatives, provides a coordinator for each effort and the partnership networks that form around each. The initiatives are in Cameroon and Senegal, in Africa; in Cambodia, Central Asia, Mongolia, Nepal, and South East Asia (Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam), in Asia; in Lithuania, Latvia, and Russia (including Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine), in Europe; and in Honduras in Central America. In Mission Together, a related emphasis, covers South Central Europe and the Balkans.

Jim Burris, an architect from Kentucky who serves as coordinator for the Honduras Initiative, pointed out that "when your church becomes a missional church, it will be a community of faith full of life, growth, and joy, being challenged to fulfill The Great Commission with more intensity, more determination, and more commitment."

"The time spent around the table during the break times of the summit made the event for me," reported Russ Olsson of Northern Illinois. "Somehow this sharing made it come together for me." Russ and his wife Mary visited Senegal in West Africa this year, becoming inspired to be advocates for the Mission Initiative program there, seeking to encourage more local church partnerships with the newly developing congregations there.

The summit was the Olssons' first experience at a national United Methodist mission event. They were deeply impressed by the powerful and inspiring worship, and the information available from all over the world.

The Rev. Mike Slaughter, pastor of the Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church of Tipp City, Ohio, in the West Ohio Annual Conference, brought inspiration and excitement to the summit in several presentations. He gave moving and practical examples of how participation in the global ministries of the whole church can radiate from a local congregation. He said this is crucial in both connecting persons through mission and in seeing the powerful force of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in making disciples.

The Rev. Patrick Friday, director of the Global Ministries In Mission Together program, coordinated the summit, held on the eve of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference in nearby Fort Worth. When it was over, he was thrilled with the testimonies of new church leaders, whose lives have been transformed by the initiatives. "The United Methodist connection is alive and strong in the areas of pioneer evangelism and church growth represented in the mission initiatives," he said.