Support UM News on World Press Freedom Day: Give to help sustain and expand the storytelling capacity of UM News. Your donation today will transform information into inspiration and ensure we can continue sharing stories of God’s work in the world through The UMC. Help us reach our $10,000 goal and keep this vital ministry fair, faithful, trusted and free for all!
Dismiss
Navigation

Aviation ministry gets new wings and a prayer

United Methodists commission new medical mission plane for DRC

From May 12-20, 2013, supporters at several stops in the West Ohio Conference blessed and commissioned the new Wings of the Morning Cessna Caravan airplane. Wings of the Morning is an aviation ministry of the North Katanga Annual Conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that provides transportation for those in need of hospital care, who would otherwise travel many miles and days to reach the nearest clinic.Its pilot, Gaston Ntambo, was trained and educated in West Ohio 20 years ago, supported in large part by Epworth United Methodist Church in Toledo and other area United Methodists. United Methodists from across the global denomination raised over $2.1M in a two-year campaign.

Major Donors of the Caravan Campaign include:

  • Churches and people of the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church
  • Churches and people of the Greater New Jersey Conference of The United Methodist Church
  • Churches and people of the Arkansas Conference of The United Methodist Church
  • Churches and people of the North Katanga Conference of The United Methodist Church
  • General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church
  • United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas

Learn more about Wings of the Morning.

Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.

Related Tags

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Disaster Relief
Children and adults cross a mud-filled street in Kasaba, Congo, where flooding has killed at least 110 people, including five United Methodists, and destroyed hundreds of homes. A local United Methodist church was destroyed by floodwaters, affecting some 300 United Methodists. Photo courtesy of the Ecclesiastical District of Fizi.

Church members among dead in Congo floods
Five United Methodists killed, a church destroyed, and hundreds of families are affected by flooding in Eastern Congo.
Violence
Hundreds of members of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women march in Gaborone, Botswana, wearing black in solidarity with victims and survivors of gender-based violence. The issue dominated conversations at the group’s Southern and East Africa seminar held April 3-6 in the country’s capital. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News.

African women speak against gender violence
Over 600 Methodist women from Southern and East Africa marched in solidarity with survivors of gender-based violence and those suffering in silence.
Judicial Council
Council of President Tracy S. Malone (center), who also leads the Indiana Conference, addresses her fellow bishops and those watching on livestream on May 2, final day of the Council of Bishops 2025 spring meeting in Chicago. The bishops released a statement late that day trying to ease concerns about a Judicial Council ruling on same-sex weddings. Sitting beside Malone, from left, are Horizon Texas Conference Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., president-designate, and Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, secretary. Holston leads the Alabama-West Florida and North Alabama conferences. Photo by Rick Wolcott, Council of Bishops.

Bishops respond to same-sex wedding ruling
United Methodist bishops seek to ease concerns after the denomination’s top court ruled that trustees cannot bar a pastor from officiating at same-sex weddings within church walls.

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2025 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved