Covenant Church Annual Meeting
From June 26-29 I attended Gather, the ECC’s Annual Meeting which was held in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a great experience of meeting colleagues from Serve Globally and connecting with the wider church body as they discerned and made decisions about the future of our movement. One of the goals of Serve Globally at these meetings is to share the story of God’s work around the world and invite our denomination into deeper prayer, partnership and mutual learning from the global church. A special international guest this year was Torben Joswig who is the national leader of the Mission Covenant Church of Norway.
My colleague Letha and I interviewing Torben Joswig about how the Mission Covenant of Norway is seeking to embrace new invitations to move in the Spirit’s leading in Norway. His presence with us was a real encouragement.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
One of the highlights from the gathering was the opportunity to visit the Freedom Center in Cincinnati where we learned more about the painful and tragic history of slavery in the US through engaging with individual stories of families separated, forced migration, and inhumane living conditions. We also learned about the great courage of those who risked their lives to gain their freedom on the Underground Railroad and those who aided their escape.
After having time to tour the museum we gathered in the central hall for a powerful time of worship where we heard a fresh prophetic challenge for the Covenant Church to continue to respond to God’s call for racial righteousness in a society and world where inequality, racism, and injustice abound. This was a worship service that I felt deeply in my body as I felt the collective pain of our past and present, as well as the hope we have in Christ who is at work among his people to bring justice and reconciliation through his followers.
Worship Service inside the Freedom Center in Cincinnati Ohio
Adam Edgerly, head of Covenant World Relief and Development, and I at the start of the 6k Global Walk for Water. Serve Globally partners with the Covenant Church of Congo (DRC) and World Vision to create community transformation through clean water, healthcare, education, agriculture and nutrition, economic development, and child protection.
Nearly 300 from the gathering joined to run and walk through Cincinnati to raise support for this partnership. We were easy to spot with our bright orange shirts and received a lot of support and cheering along the way.
Being prayed for and commissioned in my role as Europe Regional Coordinator at the closing worship service of the meeting. The meeting also commissioned Melinda Anderson who is serving in Guatemala.
Being commissioned was a moving experience for me as I recognized that I am held in the prayers of the church, and all of you who are praying and supporting me and the work of Serve Globally in Europe and many parts of the world. Thank you for your prayers and support!