This translation is not completely accurate as it was automatically generated by a computer.
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By Rich Peck*
7:00 A.M. EST May 18, 2011 | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)
Bishop James King, president of the Commission on United Methodist Men
(right), expresses his gratitude to Bishop Thomas Bickerton for his leadership
in the Imagine No Malaria campaign and the distribution of insecticide-treated
nets. A UMNS photo by Rich Peck.
View in Photo Gallery
When United Methodist Bishop Thomas Bickerton preached at a Sierra
Leone church, 75 of the 700 worshippers brought along empty mosquito
bed-net bags from a distribution that took place the day before.
“You cared about my body, I can trust you with my soul,” said one of the worshippers who greeted him after the service.
Bickerton, who oversees the Pittsburgh Area, is chair of the
denomination’s Global Health Initiative. He gave an update on the effort
to eliminate malaria in Africa to the Connectional Table, meeting May 9-11 in Nashville.
The United Methodist Church has raised more than $18 million for the Imagine No Malaria
campaign. That action contributed to the total distribution of 300
million insecticide-treated nets and a 50 percent reduction in the
number of malaria deaths in 11 nations.
“Since The United Methodist Church has become involved, awareness
of the Nothing But Nets campaign has gone from 22 percent to 55
percent,” the bishop said.
The Sierra Leone net distribution was part of the denomination’s
Imagine No Malaria campaign, an expansion of the denomination’s work
with Nothing But Nets.
In addition to providing bed nets, Imagine No Malaria also strengthens
communities’ health infrastructure and trains community health workers.
New churches
Bickerton reported that Sierra Leone Area Bishop John Yambasu
received a visit from 15 tribal chiefs who asked him to establish a
United Methodist church in each of their villages as the result of a bed-net distribution.
“Evangelism is taking place as a result of this campaign,” he declared.
Bethany Amey addresses the United Methodist Church's Connectional Table, meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Amey
represents the church's Division on Ministries with
Young People. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.
View in Photo Gallery
“Eliminating malaria-related deaths by 2015 is also a way to make
disciples for the transformation of the world,” the bishop said.
Bombing in Côte d’Ivoire
Bickerton also referred to the recent political strife in Côte
D’Ivoire. Bishop Benjamin Boni was recently huddled with his wife and
two children in Abidjan while bombs fell near their home every two minutes.
The couple did not know when one of the bombs might end their lives.
“In the midst of bombing, all other means of communication were bombed out except for a United Methodist radio station provided by the Texas Annual (regional) Conference and United Methodist Communications,” Bickerton said.
“In the midst of bombing, the station — created to provide
health-related communications — played hymns of hope and encouragement,”
he added. “It gives a whole new meaning to (the hymn) ‘My hope is built
on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.’”
“We are dong all this as a part of a holistic caring for mind, body
and spirit,” Bickerton said. “We are on a journey to make disciples of
Jesus Christ and make sure that every family in Africa has
insecticide-treated nets in their homes.”
*Rich Peck is a retired clergy member of New York Annual Conference.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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