‘We are in the same storm, but we are not in the same boat’. You may remember this poignant metaphor that went viral in May 2020, astutely capturing the deep sense of shared experience yet vast inequalities revealed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Rebecca Boardman, Deputy Director of Global Relationships, looks back on global Church relationships during the pandemic and what this means for us as a global family of Methodist churches.
The pandemic revealed the extent of our global interconnectedness. It took only five months for COVID-19 to spread worldwide threatening health, disrupting trade and travel. It made us recognise the power of being a connected Church. As a global family of Methodist and United churches, we grieved together for loved ones including Church leaders and members. We shared concerns for those in our communities worried about where their next meal would come from due to loss of income and employment. We prayed together with hope as we navigated the uncertainty. We joined together in the commitment to be the hands and feet of Christ through practical action in our local contexts.
Together we learnt to adopt more widely the new technology and mechanisms of being Church that remain today, strengthening and enriching our connections even when we are not together. It is now common to join global online prayer meetings or to host joint Bible studies or worship services with twinned churches or districts, a joyful legacy of COVID-19.
As a Church in Britain, we became more aware of the lessons to learn from the global Methodist family. We recognised the wealth of knowledge in dealing with public health crises and leading public health campaigns held by our Partner Churches across Africa. We listened to Church Partners in East Asia and the Middle East who shared lessons learnt from the previous health emergencies of SARS and MERS.
Understanding that we were together in the storm highlighted the importance of collective prayer and mutual support.
“…but we are not in the same boat”
Acknowledging that we were not in the same boat provided the foundation for global Church advocacy, for example on the issue of vaccine equity, as well as in practical demonstrations of solidarity as we recognised that the government safety net that we benefited from here in Britain was not available in the same way around the world.
The World Mission Fund (WMF) provided a practical expression of solidarity in our global relationships. Through funds collected from Methodist people, the WMF is immediately available at times of crisis to provide emergency solidarity grants for humanitarian and missional purposes as a demonstration of our shared work in God’s mission. Between 2019 and 2022 the WMF distributed 71 grants totalling over £850,000 to support the coronavirus responses of 46 Partner Churches and organisations in 39 countries.
One area in which the WMF had significant impact was by ensuring that churches could continue to be church for the communities that they serve. The pandemic highlighted the importance of spiritual care, as individuals and communities sought to navigate uncertainty, isolation and grief. By supporting minister’s stipends and sustaining vital ministries that were at risk of closure, the grants ensured that Church Partners could continue to share God’s comfort and hope.
In many locations, Methodist Churches remain critical in the provision of healthcare. For example, the Methodist Church in Nigeria owns 18 hospitals and clinics in rural areas with no government provision. Through the WMF PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) could be provided for all staff insix of the hospitals. Nigerian Health Secretary, Deaconess Ronke Oworu, reported that “[because] we were able to provide the needed equipment, none of the medical and non-medical staff in any of the hospitals contracted the virus and we give thanks to God for this… We were happy that we were able to reduce the spread of the virus in our communities”.
Partner Churches and Organisations also demonstrated their service to the most marginalised members of their communities, supported through the WMF. For example: the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon worked to ensure food security for internally displaced Cameroonians and Cameroonian refugees at the Nigeria border; the Methodist Church in Peru sought to be in solidarity with indigenous communities in establishing community pharmacies, and the Methodist Church in Malaysia supported Myanmar migrant workers with financial assistance and employment support.
In the city of Maracaibo, the Methodist Christian Community in Venezuela provided food bags to 66 families experiencing extreme poverty and malnutrition resulting in a significant improvement in the health and nutrition of the families. Reporting on the project Francisco Mendoza shared “in the smiles of the children we saw the expression of the love of God, who treats us with mercy and values our human dignity”.
Reflect and remember – a global body of Christ
As we take this moment to reflect on the fifth anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic here in Britain we are encouraged to call to mind our global relationships. To remember the grief that crosses borders and to continue to stand in solidarity and remember all the workers and volunteers within our global family of Methodist churches who sought to serve God and their communities throughout the pandemic.
This work has been made possible through the World Mission Fund. Give to the World Mission Fund to continue to stand in solidarity with Methodist and United churches across the world.