Global Ministries is the mission and humanitarian assistance agency for The United Methodist Church, facilitating mission in more than 130 countries and leading the church’s work in global health. Global Ministries includes the United Methodist Committee on Relief, or UMCOR, providing nonsectarian disaster response and sustainable development worldwide.
To guide its work, Global Ministries has put in place a Strategic Plan outlined below. Recognizing that the context for mission is always changing, the Strategic Plan includes six Strategic Directions, which seek to respond adaptively to the times in which we live.
- Engaging more broadly with annual conferences and congregations and exploring with them new ways to serve and support their work in mission
- Building relationships and capacities among global mission partners to help enable how they establish, lead and grow the church in their regions
- Emphasizing the importance of global missionaries, young adult and other missionaries, and the laity who are called to serve as volunteers by increasing recruitment and places of assignment
- Promoting abundant health for all, especially children, and establishing and expanding lifesaving and health-promoting measures, with special attention to the economically vulnerable
- Increasing humanitarian assistance more fully and regularly by integrating immediate disaster response with long-range sustainable development
- Strengthening internal operations and finance to ensure that programs function cost-effectively and deliver the greatest possible value to the church and its constituents
Mission Goals of Global Ministries
- Make disciples of Jesus Christ
- Strengthen, develop and renew Christian congregations and communities
- Alleviate human suffering
- Seek justice, freedom and peace
Vision for Global Ministries
As the mission and humanitarian assistance agency of The United Methodist Church, Global Ministries is the leading United Methodist body equipping, strengthening and transforming people and communities for God’s mission around the world.
In its work of making disciples of Jesus Christ, Global Ministries facilitates mission so that churches and faith communities grow and flourish; justice, freedom, peace, health and well-being prevail across racial, cultural, national and political boundaries; and people of all faiths live in dignity and security, even when they face humanitarian disasters and their aftermath.
Based on its accessibility, adaptability and cultural versatility in all global contexts; the faith and trust of its constituents, including donors; the rigor, integrity and transparency of its financial stewardship; the diverse technical expertise of its global staff; and its demonstrated success attentively and cost-effectively collaborating with other United Methodist general agencies and the ecumenical organizations working in the same mission fields, Global Ministries is the partner of choice for conferences, congregations and others who want to participate in God’s mission.
Four Areas of Focus
Adopted by the 2008 General Conference and readopted in the two succeeding General Conferences of 2012 and 2016, the Four Areas of Focus of The United Methodist Church stand as guideposts in the quadrennium for all Methodists as they seek to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ.
In addition to developing the Strategic Plan in harmony with its mission goals and vision, Global Ministries shaped the Strategic Plan, including its Strategic Directions, in direct support of this quadrennium’s Four Areas of Focus. Global Ministries regularly measures the performance and progress of its programs in accord with the Four Areas of Focus, as directed by the Connectional Table.
Focus Area 1: Developing Christian leaders for the church and the world
Focus Area 2: Creating new places for new people and revitalizing existing congregations
Focus Area 3: Engaging in ministry with the poor
Focus Area 4: Improving global health so that all have abundant health