Halfway through the World Methodist Council’s Achieving the Vision Campaign, which seeks to establish a $20 million endowment to provide a permanent source of funding for our global ministries, the Council has received gracious donations from many of our member churches including the Wesleyan Methodist Church in New Zealand, the Central and Southern Europe Central Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the Methodist Church in Nigeria.
With just two and one-half years remaining in the Council’s drive to establish the fund, every donation received will help secure a perpetual fund that helps keep the World Methodist Council in operation, but will also help us establish an even larger outreach to our 80 member churches.
Currently, the Council’s work is focused in four areas:
Promoting Understanding:
- Hosting the World Methodist Conference, held every five years to provide a voice for the concerns of the Methodist/Wesleyan family, to foster Christian unity, review progress of international ecumenical initiatives and provide support, accountability and a common witness to advance the cause of Christ.
- Sponsoring a Ministerial Exchange Program between countries for clergy and laity.
- Hosting the International Christian Youth Conference to foster spiritual growth and formation, provide opportunities to establish lifelong friendships with Christians from other cultures and to provide effective evangelism training.
- Working for Christian unity through international dialogue with other Christian World Communions.
- Maintaining an active relationship with the larger ecumenical community through the Ecumenical Center in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Sponsoring ongoing educational programs including the Oxford Institute for Methodist Theological Studies.
Promoting Peace:
- Sponsoring the World Methodist Peace Award, given to those who make exceptional contributions to peace, justice and reconciliation.
- Joining international efforts to respect human rights, uphold justice and support those who are being persecuted and marginalized or suffering the injustices of war and tyranny.
Spreading the Gospel:
- Training evangelists to preach the “good news” of Jesus Christ within their native countries.
- Providing training to strengthen family life in various world cultures.
- Encouraging Methodist publishing worldwide, including the World Methodist Council Handbook of Information, Council and Conference Book of Proceedings, and encouraging electronic communication among member churches.
Preserving Our Heritage:
- Maintaining, along with the British Methodist Church, the Old Epworth Rectory, Epworth, England, the boyhood home of John and Charles Wesley.
- Maintaining the World Methodist Museum, Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, USA, housing the world’s largest collection of Wesleyan artifacts and memorabilia.
- Maintaining the Royce and Jane Reynolds International Headquarters Building at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, USA, housing the headquarters’ staff and archives.
Donations can come from individuals, churches or entire denominations. The suggested donation is $0.50 (US) per member of your church. Please consider giving and let’s work to strengthen the efforts of the Council.
Donations can be made to:
World Methodist Council
P. O. Box 518
545 North Lakeshore Drive
Lake Junaluska, NC 28745
(828) 456-9432
