Faith calls us to keep our hearts open, trust God and take the next step, even though we don’t quite know where to put our foot down next.
That certainly has been the experience for Rhems United Methodist Church in New Bern, N.C. When encouraged to get involved with refugees, this small rural congregation could have declined, saying, “We are too small. Too old. Too poor.”
Instead, the church said yes to refugees – a lot of refugees! It has shared their joys and sorrows – including one refugee’s grief when she lost her husband and sister in two separate car accidents. And the congregation has been transformed in the process.
Rhems UMC’s pastor, the Rev. Connie Stutts, tells the story, which, she said, “actually begins in 2004, about a year before I got there.”
At that time, Rhems UMC had 35 people in worship on a typical Sunday, average age “probably 70,” and “no children at all.” Member Helen Dawley – then in her late 70s – got involved with Interfaith Refugee Ministries in New Bern and asked the church to cosponsor a refugee family from Burma.
Read whole article at: Church World Service Rhems UMC – The Power of Love
Did you know that our United Methodist Committee on Relief and Church World Service are engaged in a joint refugee ministry. You can read more about UMCOR refugee ministry here. While you are there, please consider clicking the Donate button and leaving a gift that will bring life into a place of despair. UMCOR is You and You are the Hands and Feet and Voice and Heart of Jesus.