|More

 

Text

Translate

Disclaimer

This translation is not completely accurate as it was automatically generated by a computer.
Powered by

A UMNS Report
By Elliott Wright*

5:00 P.M. EST May 26, 2010

Vietnamese United Methodists welcome visitors from Ohio in April.
UMNS photos courtesy of the West Ohio Annual (regional) Conference.
View in Photo Gallery

The United Methodist Church continues to move toward becoming a legally recognized religious organization in Vietnam.

The church's mission in the Southeast Asian country has received permission from the government to hold a national meeting in the fall to receive a certificate for religious activities, according to the Revs. Ut To and Karen Vo-To, church personnel there.

A certificate of recognition is likely a year later, when the first national conference is projected for the enactment of a charter and the selection of leaders.

"This is truly a historic moment for the United Methodist mission in Vietnam," said Bishop Bruce R. Ough of West Ohio, president of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

"Ten years ago, there was very limited United Methodist presence in Vietnam. Today, we are on the verge of being able to openly engage in our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."

In April, Ough led a delegation that met in Hanoi with the Vietnamese government’s Committee for Religious Affairs. The trip came immediately after the April 18 dedication of the new United Methodist Mission Center in Ho Chi Minh City.

Purchased in July 2009, the mission center has been modified to meet church needs, serving both as mission headquarters and as a space for pastoral and lay training. Having the tangible presence that a building affords is a necessary step in gaining full legal recognition as a religion in Vietnam.

Alex Giffin (left) and the Rev. Ut To pose with motorcycles they gave as gifts to pastors in Vietnam.
View in Photo Gallery

There are currently 160 United Methodist congregations/fellowships with 11,000 members in Vietnam. The country is part of the church’s South East Asia Mission, which also includes Laos and Thailand.

Besides Ough and Ut To, the delegation to Hanoi consisted of the Rev. Joseph Bishman; Shawnee District Superintendent; Joyce Fry, the bishop's assistant; the Rev. Jong Sung Kim, Global Ministries staff; and the Rev. Son To, a pastor from Dallas.

"The Vietnamese officials indicated that they had a good understanding of United Methodist work in Vietnam," Kim said. "They appreciated the fact that it includes not only church development, but also focuses on improvement of the quality of the lives of people."

Ough noted that efforts are under way to obtain a permit for the United Methodist Committee on Relief to operate in Vietnam. "While in Hanoi, we met with the government committee that governs all the non-governmental organizations operating in the country and submitted UMCOR's application," he said. "We were assured that the permit would soon be granted."

The West Ohio Annual (regional) Conference has a covenant relationship with the mission in Vietnam and contributed $465,000 – including $295,000 from the Shawnee District -- toward the purchase and equipping of the 7,800 square feet of space in a newly constructed complex. The Board of Global Ministries gave another $110,000.

*Wright is a Delaware-based freelance writer.

News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.