United Methodist delegation comforts Indonesian church, bishop says
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose The Rev. R. Randy Day surveys destroyed homes along the beach in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
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The
Rev. R. Randy Day, top staff executive of the United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries, surveys destroyed homes along the beach in Banda
Aceh, Indonesia. A delegation of church mission and communications
leaders visited areas of Sumatra, Indonesia, near the center of the
earthquake that triggered the waves. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo
#05-042. Accompanies UMNS story #034, 1/14/05 |
Jan. 14, 2005By Linda Bloom* MEDAN,
Indonesia (UMNS) – The tsunami disaster in Indonesia has allowed United
Methodists to reconnect with their Methodist counterparts here. The
Jan. 12 arrival of a United Methodist delegation "is of great
significance to our church," said Bishop Rusman Pungka Mual Tambunan of
the North and Central Sumatran Conference of the Gereja Methodist
Indonesia (Methodist Church of Indonesia). The
tsunami tragedy is "so sad and so vast," the bishop said, then added
through a translator: "Our heart is comforted by your presence. I thank
you for being with us as members of one family."
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose United Methodist Bishop Joel Martinez leaves the sanctuary of the Methodist Church of Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
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United
Methodist Bishop Joel Martinez leaves the sanctuary of the Methodist
Church of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, after surveying the aftermath of the
Dec. 26 tsunami. A delegation of United Methodist mission and
communications leaders visited areas of Sumatra, Indonesia, near the
epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the waves. A UMNS photo by
Mike DuBose. Photo #05-044. Accompanies UMNS story #034, 1/14/05 |
United Methodist
Bishop Joel Martinez of San Antonio, who is president of the United
Methodist Board of Global Ministries, brought greetings on behalf of the
delegation. He noted that the Board of Global Ministries, the Council
of Bishops and United Methodist Communications – as well as United
Methodists everywhere – "have been of one heart in prayer for you."One
purpose of the delegation’s Jan. 12-16 visit to Indonesia is to provide
pastoral support. "We want to pray with you, we want to walk with you,
we want to offer what ministry of consolation that we can to your
people," he said. The
delegation also comes in a spirit of partnership, according to
Martinez, "as we work with you to respond to the crisis that has struck
the people of Indonesia." The
fact-finding mission should help United Methodist agencies determine
the needs and opportunities arising from the disaster. "We want to work
with you as long as it takes," he added. Part of the delegation’s
mission included delivering antibiotics and other medicine for tsunami
survivors. This
year, the Gereja Methodist Indonesia is celebrating its 100th
anniversary. Started as an outreach ministry of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in Singapore, the denomination became autonomous in 1964 and
serves a constituency of about 100,000 people.
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose The Rev. Paul Dirdak, head of UMCOR, surveys the damage to the Methodist Church in Banda Aceh.
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The
Rev. Paul Dirdak, director of the United Methodist Committee on Relief,
surveys the damage to the Methodist Church in Banda Aceh, Indonesia,
following the Dec. 26 tsunami. Pews from the church are stacked outside
to dry in the sun. A delegation of church mission and communications
leaders visited areas of Sumatra, Indonesia, near the epicenter of the
earthquake that triggered the waves. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo #05-043. Accompanies UMNS story #034, 1/14/05 |
In the Aceh Province,
Methodist churches and schools can be found in the tsunami-damaged
cities of Banda Aceh, Bireuen, Lhokeumawem and Meulaboh. Most church
members in that province are of Chinese descent.In
addition to the North and Central Sumatran Conference, the church has a
South Sumatran and Java Conference, led by Bishop Baktiar Kwee. Each of
the conferences has its own seminary, and most of the current pastors
are graduates of those seminaries. Besides
Martinez, other members of the United Methodist delegation include the
Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive, and the Rev. David Wu, staff
executive and Asia specialist, from the Board of Global Ministries; the
Rev. Paul Dirdak, director of the United Methodist Committee on Relief;
Kyung Za Jim, president of the board’s Women’s Division; the Rev. Larry
Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications; and the Rev.
Henry Leono, a native of Indonesia and pastor of St. Paul United
Methodist Church in Willingboro, N.J. *Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York. News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759; Stephen Drachler, (615) 742-5411; or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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