Jesus instructed us to care about the physical needs of the
people he described as, “the least of these” (Matthew
25:31). Christians must care about the needs of people who
are hungry, naked or otherwise in need around the world. How
does the church raise awareness of the needs of persons? How
do we develop ministries and funding to respond to those
needs? How do we enlist our people in becoming more involved
in this kind of ministry? Those are the issues Bethany’s
Global Missions Committee seeks to answer.
The committee works closely with the S.C. United Methodist
Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) to identify critical needs of
people locally, nationally and internationally, and to
address those needs through mission trips and projects.
The
Mission of the Global Missions Council is to include all
members of Bethany in sharing the love and Gospel of Jesus
Christ by
improving the human condition
of God’s people in need worldwide; by
funding
and providing Christ centered mission teams
for the purpose of sharing the “good news”; and through the
construction or reconstruction of residential, healthcare,
educational or ministerial facilities
in response to natural or economic disasters throughout the
world.
Over the past few years, Global
Missions Teams have traveled to:
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Santee
Indian Project, Holly Hill, South Carolina
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Flood
Victims, Mullins, West Virginia
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Mountain
Top Boys Home, Calhoun, Georgia
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Engelhard, North Carolina
Bethany
United Methodist Church
Global Mission Teams’ Long Range Plan, 2004-2009
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Increase
the total number of annual local and worldwide mission
trips from five in the previous five years to eight
during the next five years
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Increase
the total number of experienced Bethany missioners from
120 for the five previous years to 320 by year end 2009
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Increase
the total number of Bethany qualified team leaders from
five in 2004 to 12 by year end 2009
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Increase
the total number of qualified team construction managers
from five in 2004 to 10 by year end 2009
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Increase
the total global mission teams’ budget annually as a
percentage of the total church budget, to more
adequately respond to God’s people in need worldwide.
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