ATLANTA – Human Rights Watch reports that increasing violence has put the population of Haiti at grave risk. Gang violence, rising prices, falling income and below-normal rainfall that results in low agricultural production fuels the violence. Suffering is made worse when humanitarian aid can’t reach the communities that need it.

After the 2021 earthquake in Haiti, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) joined other humanitarian and faith-based organizations to increase relief efforts across the country. But today, only 10% of Port-au-Prince remains under government control, with criminal groups escalating attacks since late 2024. These groups have targeted key infrastructure, such as airports, seaports and roads, as well as state institutions, schools, health centers, media outlets, and residential and commercial areas.

“People no longer have a safe place to flee to,” an aid worker told Human Rights Watch. “Women who come here seeking help have not only lost loved ones, but have also been raped, displaced and left on the streets, starving and struggling to survive. We don’t know how much longer they can endure such suffering.”

In the face of these challenges, UMCOR has been working with Haitian partners that have capacity and ability to serve women, children and families. Providing health care and counseling for women, food and medical care for children and general food and shelter relief to families has become the focus for UMCOR’s grants in Haiti.

One way of getting health care and specifically, gynecological care for women, to the temporary places where they are sheltering is to meet them where they are using mobile clinics. Several partners have access to vehicles, staff and expertise to do this.

The Association for the Promotion of Haitian Family (Profamil) is a Haitian non-governmental organization dedicated to providing sexual and reproductive health services to women and adolescents. Places where displaced people shelter are typically schools, churches, and public spaces – none of which are designed for this purpose – yet they accommodate thousands of individuals.

“During our mobile clinics, we transport our equipment to these makeshift sites and set up our operations,” noted Profamil staff. “On one occasion, the room provided to us served as living quarters for 20 families. For the duration of the day, these families graciously moved their personal belongings to make space for us to establish our clinic in this room. We were able to provide medical consultations to over 100 women in a single day under these challenging conditions.”

REFKAD, an organization that brings together 30 women’s organizations in Haiti, received an UMCOR grant to organize community mobile clinics to assist women and girls who are survivors of sexual violence. It supplied medical staff, medicines, consultation and psychosocial support to women in shelters.

The Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine Foundation (CHFF), a Haitian nonprofit that helps underfunded schools and hospitals serving marginalized Haitian communities, supports health care, education, child protection and job creation services. CHFF hosted mobile clinics that visited K-9^th grade schools to provide health care for children and their families and school staff. CHFF also provided meals.

Négés Mawon, another Haitian nonprofit, received an UMCOR grant to improve the safehouse in Port au Prince that houses women, adolescents and children who are survivors of abuse. The grant was used to increase access to counseling and to make the residence more comfortable and functional for the residents.

The Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) Haiti District has been a major emergency food distributor for several years now through ongoing and shifting disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, severe flooding, and now political and social unrest. MCCA Haiti, also knows as EMH, or the Methodist Church of Haiti, has an agreement with UMCOR to buy and distribute food throughout the 13 circuits (or districts) of the church across Haiti. These ongoing rations of rice, beans and cooking oil help to supplement many families’ food needs.

Other support for food programs includes Project St. Anne’s, which distributes similar food packets to families in Camp Perrin, in the western part of Haiti. In Dondon, south of Cap-Haitien, Organization for the Development Integral of Dondon (ODID), a grant helped to support cash assistance or food, medical supplies and school needs.

The Community Coalition of Haiti (CCH) has been working in Grand Sud and Port au Prince regions to provide emergency response and urgent activities to bring immediate relief to those most affected by the current crisis. Flexible cash grants provide help to vulnerable families in households that have doubled or even tripled in size because of people fleeing violence. In addition, educational institutions and parents seeking a way to help students in places where schools have been forced to close will receive resources and support to continue educational activities outside the classroom. Since Haiti is often struck by natural disasters, the coalition will also continue to work with communities on disaster response readiness, given that the government currently has no capacity to respond.

The humanitarian need in Haiti is so severe that UMCOR continues to explore new partnerships and granting possibilities, especially with Haitian nonprofits. Consultations with Global Ministries’ Global Health unit ensure that programs involving health care are reviewed and any guidance relayed to the partner.

Christie R. House is a consultant writer and editor with Global Ministries and UMCOR.

UMCOR DISASTER RESPONSE

United Methodist Committee on Relief Disaster Response and Recovery serves as the primary channel for United Methodist assistance for disasters that strike both inside and outside of the United States.

Make a gift to help UMCOR provide for the basic needs of people and communities outside the U.S. affected by natural or humanmade disasters.

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The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has supported relief and recovery projects in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022. Working with many different partners, UMCOR has accompanied people affected by the war through ongoing phases of humanitarian response.

At the recent Global Ministries Board of Directors meeting, members approved two major grants for continued war recovery in Ukraine. The ongoing conflict has had devastating effects on the population, causing widespread infrastructure damage and large-scale economic disruption.

A new grant of $1 million to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)gives continued support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and people with disabilities living in conflicted areas, such as Zakarpattia, Rivne, Ternopil, Lviv, Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk. It will provide food and other essentials, and job training, thereby fostering stability, self-reliance and improving prospects for long-term recovery. Economic empowerment is especially crucial for women IDPs, who care for children and parents and face additional barriers to employment. IOCC will also establish safe housing conditions in three shelters and two institutions.

Another UMCOR partner, One Collective, is building an apartment complex in Zakarpatska Oblast, projected to house 40 people. Apartments have private bathroom facilities and a common kitchen, living room, and laundromat facilities. Many residents cannot obtain safe and permanent homes until after the end of the war. In addition to building houses, the grant of $400,000 will help the project incorporate construction training for displaced individuals and others who have lost their primary source of income because of the war. Those who participate in the training will receive jobs to build the houses. This type of programming seeks to address the needs of livelihood as well as housing.

“It is becoming apparent that many from Eastern Ukraine will not be able to return home,” Katie Hills, director of UMCOR Disaster Response, said to UMCOR directors at their committee meeting in April. Therefore, two critical areas requiring aid are shelter and livelihood programs. Return to stable and reliable medical care, which includes trauma counseling and Post Traumatic Distress Syndrome (PTSD) counseling for civilians and military personnel, are also concerns that UMCOR is addressing.

The United Methodist Church in Ukraine – In 2023, UMCOR confirmed a significant grant to purchase property, providing reliable shelter for displaced families and a base for the UMC outreach ministries. Through local connections, the UMC in Ukraine purchased Pid Zamkom, Ukrainian for “Under the Castle,” a hotel, restaurant and event venue near Kam’yanytsya. The new shelter hosts 40 displaced people currently and provides space for United Methodist conferences, training and community outreach. The long-term vision for Pid Zamkom is to transform it into a rehabilitation center for war-related trauma survivors. Today, the residents are mostly women, children and the elderly, with many having stayed several years because of the war’s ongoing devastation.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) – An earlier grant to IOCC improved the living conditions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and people with special needs living in shelters throughout Western Ukraine, IOCC is supplying or installing home and kitchen appliances and providing humanitarian kits and non-food items to targeted communities. In addition, IOCC is procuring essential medical equipment to restore medical services in the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv.

Arlene Campbell Humanitarian Foundation – UMCOR supports psychosocial care provided to Ukrainian veterans and active military personnel at the Vinnytsia Rehabilitation Facility. This grant also provides wheelchairs and other medical equipment and nutritional support.

Tutapona – There is increasing need to support mental health and emotional healing in women, men, girls, and boys affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Tutapona adult and child-focused group therapy curricula supports people in need of intensive mental health support in Lviv. Facilitated by trained, in-house Tutapona staff, these programs aim to produce a measurable decrease in trauma symptoms and increase well-being.

Christie R. House is a consultant writer and editor with Global Ministries and UMCOR.

International Disaster Response

United Methodist Committee on Relief International Disaster Response and Recovery (UMCOR IDR) serves as the primary channel for United Methodist assistance for disasters that strike outside of the United States.

Make a gift to help UMCOR provide for the basic needs of people and communities devastated by both natural and humanmade disasters.

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“It was a chaotic time. Nobody knew what was happening! The war started, people were dying, and our main purpose was our family’s safety,” recounts Pavlo Osypenko of Life Spring UMC in Kyiv.

Pavlo and his friends—Slava Zinchuk, Evgen Boshov, Serge Shvets, and Maksym Pryhodko—moved their young families to the Slovakian border on the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Feb. 24, 2022. A Baptist church in Ternopil provided shelter, food and a place to sleep on their first night. Thankfully, along the journey, they encountered numerous acts of kindness.

Once the five men neared the Slovakian border and ensured their families’ safety in Slovakia, they were welcomed in Kam’yanytsya, Ukraine, by pastors Vasily and Alla Vuksta through the United Methodist connection. With their life savings in backpacks, the displaced men decided to establish a shelter for others. They began by visiting a local administrator in Onokivtsi, where they were given keys to a school. By the night of Mar. 6, they were sheltering 12 displaced people, which increased to 120 by the fifth night.

The community generously provided pillows, mattresses, blankets and food. Support poured in from United Methodists and other Christian friends worldwide, enabling the purchase of beds, sleeping bags, washing machines and more food. About 600 people passed through that school before it had to resume classes.

In May, they rented a former printing house on the edge of Uzhgorod, transforming it into a shelter with space for 60 guests, later expanding to accommodate at least 100. The total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltered has reached over 1,500. Some stayed for a night, some for more than 3 years.

District Superintendent the Rev. Oleg Starodubets and his wife, the Rev. Yulia Starodubets, of the Ukraine Annual Conference, regularly visited the shelter and provided significant help, both spiritually and physically. They also partnered with UMCOR to provide a van to transport people and supplies and began regularly supporting the shelter financially. Bishop Christian Alsted of the Nordic-Baltic Episcopal Area and UMCOR staff members, Katie Hills and the Rev. Jack Amick, also visited the shelter, sparking discussions on establishing a permanent property for the UMC’s mission and ministry.

UMCOR confirmed a significant grant to build or purchase property and, through local connections, negotiated the procurement of the “Under the Castle” (UTC) hotel, restaurant and event venue near Kam’yanytsya. The purchase was finalized in March 2024. While the UMC still uses the former printing house, the new UTC shelter hosts 40 IDPs and provides space for United Methodist conferences, training and community outreach. The long-term vision for UTC is to transform it into a rehabilitation center for war-related trauma.

Under the Castle recently reopened its first-floor restaurant and began renting out its large hall for private events as ways to support the shelter’s residents on the second floor. Today, the residents are mostly women, children and the elderly, with many having stayed for years because of the war’s ongoing devastation.

Pavlo, now residing in the Netherlands with his family, reflects on his experience: “I want this story to be told, it was the most important part of my life – for God’s glory and power. I witnessed many amazing testimonies during this two and a half years.” See a video Pavlo created sharing the story here. Watch an interview of Pavlo Osypenko here.

The Rev. Dr. Fred Vanderwerf is a United Methodist pastor in the Minnesota Annual Conference and serves as the partnership coordinator for In Mission Together – Ukraine for Global Ministries.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief International Disaster Response program (UMCOR IDR) serves as the primary channel for United Methodist assistance for disasters that strike outside the United States. Response includes food, water, hygiene and other essential nonfood supplies and shelter support for displaced people fleeing disasters.

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ATLANTA — In an unprecedented moment of moral reckoning, Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) of The United Methodist Church today issue The Ash Wednesday Ecumenical Declaration: Defending Refuge, a bold and urgent call to action from faith communities across the nation. With 45 initial signers, including CWS’ Covenant Members, this declaration is more than a statement—it is a solemn and unshakable commitment by religious leaders and organizations to stand against policies that endanger refugees and immigrants.

At a time when the United States faces defining choices about its treatment of the displaced and persecuted, this powerful declaration is a collective stand for justice. It calls on all people of faith to root their advocacy in scripture and directly challenges political leaders to remember that America’s identity is inseparable from its immigrant history. The way the nation treats its most vulnerable will not only shape communities at home but will define the country’s moral standing in the global arena.

Following the administration’s executive orders that oppose the proud American tradition of welcome, directives to abdicate our leadership around the world, and enactment of policies that keep families separated, the Declaration says:

Together in faith and rooted in love, we resolve to continue in the centuries-old practice of Christian communities walking alongside refugees and immigrants in their pursuit of safety and dignity. We pledge to restore and promote hospitality and welcome to those seeking refuge – regardless of where they are from, how they pray or what language they speak.

Guided by our faith, we stand together against the sweeping measures that are devastating vulnerable families and jeopardizing their futures. These actions not only cause immediate harm but also threaten our country’s long-term ability to welcome and support those in need. We grieve for the families who have been torn apart, had years-long reunification plans cancelled, been detained and deported, have been unjustly blocked from accessing asylum protections, and have been left without access to the basic assistance they need to thrive.

Joined by CWS’ Covenant Members and faith leaders and communities across the country, this declaration comes at a time of uncertainty for the United States Refugee Admissions Program.

Rick Santos, president and CEO of Church World Service adds, “Against a backdrop of cuts to essential programs, a seeming push towards isolationism and rhetoric that encourages us to distrust our new neighbors, this Declaration is an urgent reminder of our values. As followers of Jesus Christ, we welcome, we don’t turn away. We cherish inclusivity, we don’t spurn it. And, ultimately, our values lead us to community instead of division.”

Roland Fernandes, general secretary of Global Ministries and UMCOR, states, “Central to many faith traditions is the call to welcome the stranger and care for those in need. The administration’s immigration policies undermine our moral obligation to offer refuge and support to those seeking safety and a better life. We must advocate for a more compassionate and inclusive approach to immigration that reflects the gospel, values all lives as sacred and promotes justice and peace.”

The Ash Wednesday Ecumenical Declaration: Defending Refuge is issued today with the support of CWS’ Covenant Members, individual faith leaders and congregations, and organizations such as: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA; AME Zion Church; Catholic Legal Immigration Network; The Episcopal Church; Friends United Meeting; Latino Christian National Network; Mennonite Central Committee US; Sojourners; and World Relief.

The Declaration is now open for signatures from across the country, and will continue so through Lent.

For more information, or to speak with Fernandes, contact Susan Clark at communications@umcmission.org.

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ATLANTA – A family from Venezuela has just arrived in the city of Danlí in the south of Honduras and presented themselves to Honduran authorities. They have come a long way – through Colombia, into Central America through Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. But now, their 8-year-old son, who is with them, lies with his head on his father’s shoulder. He is unresponsive.

Fortunately, the United Methodist Mission in Honduras (UMMH) opened a clinic in Danlí two and half years ago and today, the Honduran migration officers notify the clinic when they encounter sick or injured migrants passing through. The clinic team arrived quickly to assess the boy’s health and agreed that he needed immediate medical attention…in a hospital. He was near death from severe dehydration, and the team convinced his parents to follow the advice. The specialized care saved his life.

In 2024, the Rev. Daniel Contreras, a new missionary assigned to UMMH, became the interim country director and he has confirmed that the small clinic served 10,000 patients last year. “The United Methodist Church in Honduras is committed to ministry with the poor and marginalized. Our health work started with a project for the elderly in Danlí, which then developed a fruitful partnership with the authorities. Sadly, the need for a clinic for migrants is greater now than it was before,” Contreras noted.

Others who are referred to the clinic, either by immigration officers or by word-of-mouth, receive direct care from the professional staff at the clinic. They see many cases of less severe dehydration, which they can treat, people with chronic diseases who have run short on their medications, malnutrition, respiratory problems, diarrhea, cold and flu, skin diseases, gastrointestinal infections, foot and leg injuries and wound infections. In most cases, migrants recover and continue their journeys, whatever their destinations may be.

The Government of Honduras promotes universal health coverage but lacks sufficient funding to cover its own citizens, much less the transient population. The city of Danlí has seen as many as 1,500 immigrants passing through each day. Migrants’ need for free, accessible primary health care is great and so the government has found ways to partner with the church’s ministry, such as providing consulting rooms and an ambulance.

The clinic is open eight hours a day, five days a week, and they see an average of 67 patients daily. The volume of patients has continued to increase, but there is uncertainty about whether the flow of migrants to the North will continue as a new U.S. Administration changes policy and procedures for immigrants at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Although the Methodist Church in Honduras is small, it has found ways to contribute important resources to local communities through its mission and ministry. Health care for passing migrants was a needed resource that church members and leaders in Danlí believed they could provide. With a series of grants (currently working on a phase 3 grant) from Global Ministries through Global Health and United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and partnership with immigration officials, the primary health care clinic they envisioned has become a reality. In addition, the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, has a close relationship with the UMMH. Its support in 2024, the congregation’s third annual grant, helped to meet the clinic’s increased demand for services.

Christie R. House is a consultant writer and editor with Global Ministries and UMCOR.

UMCOR and Global Migration

Learn more about migration ministry and programming through Global Ministries and UMCOR.

Global Health
Through United Methodist conferences and health boards, Global Ministries works to strengthen whole networks of health responses, from revitalization of facilities and staff training to building better water sources, developing sanitation facilities and promoting nutrition. Global Health concentrates on eradicating preventable diseases, such as malaria, HIV and AIDS, and COVID-19, and supporting the most vulnerable populations, including mothers, newborns and children.

Support the work of global health.

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ATLANTA – “What do you need?” the Rev. Cory Thrall of Legacy United Methodist Church asked Global Neighbors, a Church World Service affiliate nonprofit organization and community partner whose mission is to foster welcome for immigrants in Bismarck, North Dakota.

As the pastor of Legacy UMC in Bismarck, a city of around 80,000 people, Thrall leads a congregation that is 125 years old. Its membership consists of different ages and ethnic backgrounds, although like the town, most of its members are white.

Building relationships with new and diverse neighbors is at the core of Legacy’s history and ministry. The church seeks out ways to embody a spirit of welcome and belonging. In 2024, a Mustard Seed Migration Grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) provided Legacy with financial support to reach its Ukrainian neighbors in a unique way.

As Thrall listened to Global Neighbors’ response, he learned that their biggest need was to help people learn to drive, provide furnishings, and offer transportation.

But Thrall took it a step further. He wondered if Legacy members could connect more deeply with Ukrainian neighbors through shared recipes and meals. Having done this before with neighbors from Liberia and Ghana, a member of Legacy provides cooking lessons for a dish using local ingredients, and then the following month, immigrants or refugees teach Legacy members how to make something from their homeland. Ukrainian newcomers enthusiastically received the invitation, saying they wanted to cook with the church. So began a time of cooking, sampling and even competition for the best recipe.

“There was so much excitement as to who would win a prize. People were so proud and celebrated each other,” church member Kenton Carlson said. Prizes of cooking utensils, aprons, and other kitchen supplies were awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Carlson wasn’t sure how their new friends would react to competing with each other, but they embraced it. Even though the collective group was speaking different languages, the smiles, noise, and laughter assured them they were together in spirit.

Many congregations may wonder how to take the first step to embrace strangers and those from other cultures. Table fellowship and group activities can tear down walls and facilitate interaction. “Opportunities like this are a great conduit to serve and do God’s work,” said Carlson.

While those who leave their homelands may experience isolation in a new setting, Legacy’s outreach goes beyond table fellowship. Thrall shares that when “a family arrives in Bismarck, both partners have to work to survive. That usually means that one partner is stuck at home while the other takes the car.” Public transportation can be difficult in a city like Bismarck. Their bus system runs less frequently and shuts down after 5 p.m.

In addition to the shared meals, Legacy also provides driving lessons and other forms of assistance its newest neighbors might need. They meet Christ in return. Sometimes, the things they do may feel like small things, but it puts “our work on this earth into perspective,” says Carlson. While returning home with a Ukrainian refugee from an insurance appointment, Carlson’s new friend kept saying, “You understand me! You understand. You understand.” Reflecting on the conversation now, Carlson said, “Wow, I just did a little thing, and it brought him so much.”

The Rev. Neelley Hicks is a freelance writer for Global Ministries and UMCOR.

UMCOR’s Mustard Seed Migration Grant program is designed to encourage local United Methodist churches to engage in ministry with migrating peoples in their midst. UMCOR awards grants of $2,000 USD to up to 100 churches in the U.S. to engage in new, one-time community-based service projects and ministries focused on migrants and refugees. Learn more and apply today.

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ATLANTA – Central to many faith traditions is the call to welcome the stranger and care for those in need. From a theological and faith perspective, the Trump administration’s immigration policies raise troubling ethical concerns that challenge core religious values of compassion, love and welcome.

Sweeping measures, framed as deporting illegal migrant criminals, are effectively criminalizing and terrorizing ALL migrant communities in the U.S., regardless of legal status.

Border security policies that set aside humanitarian considerations fail to recognize the plight of individuals fleeing violence and persecution. Such actions undermine our moral obligation to offer refuge and support to those seeking safety and a better life.

Economically, immigrants contribute to our communities and serve vital roles in various industries, driving growth and innovation. Many have been in this country for years. They are most often seen as gifts to our communities, not threats. By forcibly removing them and restricting entry for others, we diminish the richness and diversity they bring, which is counter to the belief that all people are created in the image of God and deserve dignity and opportunity.

Global Ministries condemns these actions, which disregard the fundamental dignity and rights of migrants, many of whom are families in need of our concern and care.

Additionally, the divisive rhetoric often accompanying these policies is antithetical to the teachings of love and unity found in many faiths, leading to increased intolerance and hatred of migrants in the U.S. We must advocate for a more compassionate and inclusive approach to immigration that reflects the gospel, values all lives as sacred and promotes justice and peace.

Instead of fostering division, we should focus on building bridges and advocating for comprehensive immigration reform that embodies compassion, justice, and the inherent worth of every person.

In Deuteronomy 10:18-19, we are reminded of God’s love for the foreigner, who is given food and clothing, and we are called to do the same: “And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”

God calls us to welcome the stranger. We must commit to build a future where compassion and justice prevail regardless of passport status.

We reaffirm our call on individuals, pastors and local churches to take immediate action:

• Pray: Uphold the protection and well-being of migrants in your prayers, and seeking bold leadership from communities and policymakers.
• Volunteer: Connect with local organizations such as Church World Service or the Immigration Law and Justice Network to assist nearby affiliates.
• Support Projects: Apply for Mustard Seed Migration Grants of $2,000 to aid migrants in your community. Learn more and apply here.
• Learn: Join this Feb. 10 webinar organized by Church and Society and others to learn about the UM response to immigration justice.  Learn more and register here.
• Advocate: Contact elected officials to express your support for migrant rights and sign up for Church World Service Action Alerts  for advocacy opportunities.
• Donate: Contribute to the Global Migration Advance (#3022144) to support programs that aids migrants and refugees. Give here.

Roland Fernandes is the general secretary of Global Ministries, UMCOR, and Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church.

Learn more about migration ministry and programming through Global Ministries and UMCOR.

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ATLANTA – After more than 15 months of bloodshed, displacement and destruction, the news of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is a long-awaited answer to the prayers and pleas of millions around the world. We give thanks for this time of respite from violence, fear and destruction in Gaza. We welcome the coming release of hostages and detainees by both parties. We urge both parties to implement fully the provisions of the ceasefire and ensure that it becomes permanent.

But for the Palestinian people, the path toward just and sustainable peace with full accountability is long. And just beginning.

The people of Gaza have experienced a suffering so deep that it will be felt for generations to come. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, families and whole communities displaced, and almost all infrastructure including homes, hospitals and schools destroyed. We mourn alongside the people of Gaza for the suffering and loss imposed on them. For what has been unjustly taken from them.

In East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Palestinians continue to face mounting violence, fear, ongoing detentions and displacement. We urge an immediate end to all violence and displacement.

Through our partners in the region and the United Nations, we will continue to support our brothers and sisters in Gaza as they seek to rebuild their lives and communities. And in our commitment to justice, freedom and peace for all of God’s children, we will continue to pray and act for accountability, reconciliation and a lasting stability throughout the Middle East.

Roland Fernandes is the general secretary of Global Ministries and UMCOR.

Read more from our partners:

ACT Alliance Statement on the Announcement of a Ceasefire agreement in Gaza – ACT Alliance

The Palestinian Christian Initiative – Kairos Palestine Statement on Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

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ATLANTA – Shortly after Hurricane Helene inundated communities in Western North Carolina with 12 inches to nearly three feet of rain in just a few days late in September, Spruce Pine United Methodist Church in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, became a hub for disaster relief. It wasn’t their plan, but God needed a way to send help to this community, and this congregation provided that way. Though the church had neither electricity nor water, it was spared severe water damage, and on the third day after the storm, members of the congregation joined their pastor, Rev. Holly Cobb McKim, at the church, assessing their own situation and turning to help others.

Lilla Marigza, a freelance reporter with United Methodist News Service, notes that for weeks following Hurricane Helene, every square foot of Spruce Pine UMC was in service to the community. It offered a food pantry, water, a clothing closet and baby supplies. The Western North Carolina Disaster Response office asked if the church would be willing to host Early Response Teams (ERTs) already making plans to travel to the region to serve. Within days, the United Methodist Committee on Relief sent the conference a grant to help with relief efforts.

The church set up dormitories in children’s ministry rooms and constructed a temporary shower facility outside for what turned out to be literally hundreds of UMCOR-trained ERTs coming from conferences across the country. They visited for a week at a time to serve the people in this area of Western North Carolina who have seen tremendous devastation, loss of property and natural habitat and worst of all, loss of family members.

McKim noted: “I’ve been United Methodist all my life. How many times have we taken up special offerings for UMCOR? And we’ve sent money, and this is the first time it’s been right here in my own backyard! That’s actually a very humbling experience. Learning how to receive everything that everyone has given us has been extremely humbling and gives me hope in humanity.”

Specific areas of the Holston Conference in East Tennessee and Virginia were also affected by Helene, mostly through flooding. A dam gave way outside Greenville, Tennessee, causing massive flooding, power outages and road closures.

On Friday Sep. 27, Trinity UMC in Greenville had no power or water, but the church was in good shape. Pastor Sara Varnell said she didn’t know what to do, but members of her congregation called and were certain they should do something. She connected with another UMC and asked a lot of questions.

“Our church started saying ‘yes’ on Saturday morning,” Varnell said. “We didn’t know how to do this, but God did. This is God and a whole community and all the churches and people working together.”

People from the wider UMC connection started showing up with water, food, diapers – and people from the community soon learned where they could find these things they desperately needed. Before long the church was a major hub. UMCOR sent clean-up supplies, volunteers from church within and outside the conference showed up with supplies and stayed to help organize and distribute them.

Spruce Pine and Trinity churches were two paths God found to reach people after Helene struck. This scenario was repeated in other communities and churches, in other states affected by Helene’s broad reach. Today, as the relief operations wind down, United Methodist disaster coordinators in the affected conferences are planning recovery strategies for weary communities.

As 2025 unfolds, three hard-hit United Methodist conferences are working with UMCOR to assess recovery needs and set-up long-term disaster management programs. Western North Carolina Conference, South Carolina Conference and Holston Conference are each receiving grants averaging $100,000-$200,000 to begin this assessment, which includes fact and resource gathering to discover where needs are already being met by government and nonprofit agencies and which communities have not received what they need. Finding these gaps in services and resources is an UMCOR objectives.

Jim Cox, who recently began work as UMCOR’s new executive director, met a number of ERTs in the Asheville, North Carolina, area as they arrived to help Western North Carolina Conference mud-out and clean-up in surrounding communities.

“UMCOR has been in partnership with the conference here since day one,” he noted. “Western North Carolina Conference has done great work early on. We’re now looking at long-term recovery. We plan to partner together with the conference for several years.”

Long-term recovery grants from UMCOR help to cover expenses for disaster case management, construction management, volunteer management, material resource management, financial management and administration, depending on what the assessment determines. Recovery grants tend to be substantial and are usually implemented in time periods of six months to two years or longer after initial assessments are completed.

South Carolina sustained major damage from winds and tornadoes created by Helene. Jessica Brody, South Carolina Advocate editor, noted that nearly the entire western half of South Carolina—comprising 29 counties in total—was approved for individual and public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

United Methodists in the conference have donated supplies, sent ERTs out and quickly arranged ERT trainings for UMCOR ERT certification.

Florida was also hit hard, particularly in the panhandle region, and received a series of relief grants, but it has already set up major recovery hubs in response to previous hurricanes and received an additional grant early in 2024.

“When disaster strikes, like the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, many ask, ‘Where is UMCOR?’ The simple answer is: We are UMCOR,” wrote Aimee Yeager, director of Communications for Western North Carolina Conference. “United Methodist disaster response is embodied through the work of our local churches, teams, and volunteers.”

The role of the UMCOR is to help fund disaster response efforts, train volunteers and provide the expertise and resources that empower annual conferences across the nation to respond to disasters. UMCOR’s real strength, however, is found in the hands and feet of local church members who bring help directly to their communities.

“So, where is UMCOR? Right here,” Yeager continued. “We are UMCOR – each of us is a part of this essential ministry of love and relief. We have been here. We are still here. We will remain. Thanks be to God.”

Christie R. House is a consultant writer and editor with Global Ministries and UMCOR. With thanks to the communicators of Western North Carolina, South Carolina and Holston conferences for their story coverage used here: Aimee Yeager, Annette Spence, Jessica Brodie and UM News reporters, Lilla Marigza and Mike DuBose.

Learn more about Disaster Response in the U.S.

United Methodist Committee on Relief U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery serves as the primary channel for United Methodist assistance for disasters that strike within the United States.

Make a gift to help UMCOR provide for the basic needs of people and communities devastated by both natural and humanmade disasters.

GIVE: https://umcmission.org/advance-project/901670/

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