News and Views

By Rev. Erik Alsgaard

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is “love in action.” Its ministry around the world touches thousands of people’s lives every year who have been impacted by natural or human-made disasters. They are often the first group to arrive with support, aid, and assistance, and often the last to leave.

That’s what members and guests at Community UMC in Crofton, Maryland, heard from a trio of guest speakers on UMCOR Sunday, March 30.

Jim Cox, UMCOR’s Executive Director, was joined by Thea Becton, Director of Disaster Response for the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and Charlie Moore, a member of Community UMC and the Treasurer of UMCOR. Moore served as the emcee the morning and offered the invitations to the other speakers to come.

UMCOR Sunday is one of six special Sundays with an offering in The United Methodist Church. Once called “One Great Hour of Sharing,” UMCOR Sunday donations go to support the administrative costs – such as salaries, travel, and office expenses – of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). It’s also a day set aside in the church calendar to raise awareness of the tremendous work and ministry UMCOR does around the world.

“What a wonderful day,” Cox said after worship, helping to pack cleaning kits. “I’m energized. UMCOR has a lot of work ahead of us. It was great to fill some buckets and talk to the people and be part of that mission and be connected to it. I’m very grateful.”

During his talk at the church, Cox highlighted the impact of funding cuts to the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID. As a result of those recent actions, he said, relief organizations such as UMCOR are feeling the pinch.

“It’s real unfortunate that that foreign aid money is going away,” he said. “The churches are going to be called upon to do more. The U.S. government played an important role in things like global health and food aid. Now that it’s gone away, where are people going to look to next?”

Cox noted that the UMCOR leadership will be gathering in about two weeks to work on a strategy to address these concerns.

“Our role, as a church, is now more important or as important as before. All of us, as a church, have to come together to answer that call. UMCOR is needed now, more than ever,” he said.

In the Baltimore-Washington Conference, Becton is the connection between UMCOR and the local church. She spoke about the importance of that partnership.

“We are a connectional church,” she said, “and I love that I had the opportunity to show that today. I love that I had the opportunity to show that we really are stronger together.”

The Baltimore-Washington Conference, she said, is just starting on a goal to pack 10,000 kits of all types, she said, and the event at Community UMC was a great start.

“These kits are for survivors of disasters, yes,” she said, “but they are also part of how we want to serve the poor. So, things like school supplies, period packs specifically for women, and other items that fill specific needs are needed. We want to gather these kits so that we can reduce human suffering everywhere.”

As the worship service drew to a close, Moore – the UMCOR treasurer since last fall -- said he could feel the excitement for UMCOR. He noted how UMCOR not only helps after natural disasters, but human-made, too.

“One the largest responses we have received at UMCOR in the last three or four years,” he said, “was when the Ukraine war broke out. Over $29.9 million was raised through UMCOR for Ukrainian relief.”

Not only that, Moore said, but there are hundreds if not thousands of grants that UMCOR offers every year. One such grant, Becton noted in her talk, went to assist some of the stranded crew of the Dali after it struck and destroyed the Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024.

All this, Moore said, is an example of the breadth and depth of UMCOR. “It’s mind-blowing,” he said.

After worship, 110 church members and guests gathered in Fellowship Hall for a meal of rice and beans, chicken legs, “fufu” (West African sticky dough), and soup, preparing themselves to put love in action by assembling and packing 50 cleaning kits and 50 hygiene kits.

Ethan Sydney, 13, was one of 14 confirmands helping to assemble hygiene kits along with their mentors, said that he was doing that in addition to making a financial gift.

“This is a really simple way – an assembly line – to help other people,” he said. “And it’s fun.”

Courtney Bundy, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries at the church, helped plan an assembly line for the confirmands and made the day part of their six-week series of lessons.

“I think this is such an integral part of studying what it means to be a United Methodist church member,” she said. “Not only have the confirmands been learning about what it means to be a member of Christ’s family, but they are learning how to be the hands and feet of Christ.”

Watch a recording of the worship service. Charlie Moore starts speaking at 43:21.