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Christy Lafferty
Mariellyn Dunlap |
Two
Young Missionaries from East Ohio Commissioned
New
York, NY, July 25, 2007 -- Last month, Christine
Lafferty, from Lyndhurst, OH, became a mission
intern and Mariellyn Dunlap, from Carrollton, OH became
a US-2. Ms. Lafferty will work at Christian Medica
Acción, Managua, Nicaragua. Ms. Dunlap will be the
assistant director at the S.E.R.V.S. and Religious Life,
Martin Methodist College-Cal Turner Jr. Center for
Church Leadership, Pulaski, TN.
Mission interns spend three years devoted to
international and national work. Half of the time is
spent internationally, and the other half is spent
nationally. US-2s work within the United States for two
years.
Ms.
Lafferty and Ms. Dunlap were among a class of 17 young
adults who were commissioned on July 15, 2007, for
United Methodist missions through the General Board of
Global Ministries. Eight of the new missionaries will
serve as mission interns and nine will serve as US-2s.
"This
is not about success," said Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar
of the Greater New Jersey Conference, who addressed the
new missionaries. "It is about faithfulness. Following
Christ means going to places the world doesn't want you
to go. Following Jesus means taking risks for the sake
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Before being commissioned, the young missionaries spoke
in unison the Wesleyan covenant prayer, "I am no longer
my own, but thine…Let me be full, let me be empty. Let
me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and
with a willing heart give it all to your pleasure and
disposal."
Bishop Devadhar, along with Rev. Edith L. Gleaves,
deputy general secretary of mission personnel of the
General Board of Global Ministries; Rev. Steven
Goldstein, assistant general secretary of mission
personnel; Rev. James F. Karpen of St. Paul and St.
Andrew; and Mary Baldridge, director of Global
Ministries, performed the laying on of hands to
commission each missionary during the Sunday service.
As he
laid hands on each of the missionaries, Rev. Devadhar
said, "I commission you to take the Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ into all the world."
The
congregation spoke in unison to the new missionaries:
"As members of The United Methodist Church representing
the whole church, we send you into service with your
special gifts and graces. We have called you; we support
you. You are our gift to the world. We will receive you
back again on behalf of all God's people."
Rev.
Karpen said, "God is moving in their lives. It is a
privilege to be a tiny part of that."
"I'm
excited for our denomination when I see these bright
young faces filled with joy," said Bishop Devadhar.
The
other mission interns are:
Brittany Brooks,
from Gastonia, NC, North Carolina Annual Conference,
will work at SHADE, Cape Town, South Africa.
Elizabeth Hooks,
from Lynn Haven, FL, Alabama/West Florida Annual
Conference, will work at the Bethune House, Hong Kong.
David
Hosey,
from
Millersville, MD, Baltimore/Washington Annual
Conference, will work at Sabeel, Jerusalem,
Israel/Palestine.
Abigail Huggins,
from Wilkesboro, NC, Western North Carolina Annual
Conference, will work at GRENCODA, Grenada, West Indies.
Lindsey Kerr,
from North Huntington, PA, Baltimore/Washington Annual
Conference, will work at In Peace, Mindanao,
Philippines.
Jennifer Mihok,
from North Wales, PA, Eastern Pennsylvania Annual
Conference, will work at Genthin UMC, Genthin, Germany.
Elizabeth Thiombiano,
from Baltimore, MD, Baltimore-Washington Annual
Conference, will work at Shade and Fresh Water Project,
Brazil.
The
home conferences and assignments of the new US-2s are:
Lindsey Hall,
from Lincoln, NE, Nebraska Annual Conference, will be a
youth worker at the Prevention Services for Youth
Program, Susannah Wesley Community Center, Honolulu, HI.
Michael Jordan,
from Nashville, TN, Tennessee Annual Conference, will
work as a teacher and in Children's Ministries
Development, Colegio Metodista San Juan Moderno, San
Juan, PR.
Katherine Kinne,
from
Alexandra, KY, South Indiana Annual Conference, will
work as a Community Relations Coordinator, Denver Urban
Ministries, Denver, CO.
Christina Kretchik,
from Nashville, TN, Tennessee Annual Conference,
assignment pending.
Jamie
Michaels,
from
Olathe, KS, Western North Carolina Annual Conference,
will work as a seminar program associate, General Board
of Church and Society, Seminar Program, Washington, DC.
Elizabeth Rumbel,
from
Hatboro, PA, Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference,
will work as a program and development assistant, Warren
Village, Inc., Denver, CO.
Kathryn Wheat,
from
Worthington, OH, West Ohio Annual Conference, will
work in community outreach development, Urban Ministry,
Foundry United Methodist Church, Washington, DC.
Rebecca Yount,
from Owasso, OK, Oklahoma Annual Conference, will be an
assistant public policy advocate for Church World
Service, Washington, DC.
To
become a US-2 or mission intern, you must be between the
ages of 20 and 30, have a college degree or equivalent
experience, and be connected to The United Methodist
Church through a local church or campus ministry.
To
learn more about the becoming a young adult missionary,
link to:
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mp/missionaries/youngadults/
08/01/07
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