Humanitarian Relief

Global Health
Dr. Damas Lushima, wearing a mask and a Global Ministries vest, stands in front of the Ebola treatment center at the Rwampara General Referral Hospital in Bunia. As health department coordinator for the East Congo Episcopal Area, he oversees The United Methodist Church’s integrated response to the 17th Ebola outbreak affecting Ituri Province. Photo courtesy of the Eastern Congo Health Council.

Church steps up Ebola response in Congo

Facing a deadly Ebola flare up, the East Congo Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church is rolling out an integrated response — spiritual, medical and community based — to protect the most vulnerable populations.
Global Health
The Rev. Clément Kingombe Lutala (center), Dr. Damas Lushima (back center) and several United Methodist lay leaders wear masks and observe safety protocols in front of Ibanda United Methodist Church in South Kivu, Congo, amid a deadly Ebola outbreak in the region. Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema is calling all parishes to implement mandatory preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus. Photo by Philippe Kituka Lolonga, UM News.

Church urges vigilance amid Ebola outbreak

The United Methodist Church is working to deploy emergency relief efforts on the ground in East Congo, including community awareness campaigns within local churches to curb the spread of the disease.
Mission and Ministry
Volunteers pack relief supply kits at the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La. UMCOR announced that it will no longer operate the depot, starting January 2027, as it looks to modernize the way the relief agency manages materials and reduce costs. Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Conference.

Sager Brown Depot to close as UMCOR shifts relief kit work

The United Methodist Committee on Relief said the changes will reduce costs while strengthening its disaster response ministry.
Disaster Relief
Workers search through debris at Louise Hays Park in Kerrville, Texas, on July 6 after catastrophic floods over the Fourth of July weekend killed at least 95 people, including 27 campers and counselors at nearby Camp Mystic. Photo by the Rev. Amanda Banda, Rio Texas Conference.

Grieving church brings comfort in Texas floods

As the floodwaters rose, Kerrville First United Methodist Church quickly opened as a shelter. Since then, the church has provided respite for families waiting to hear about loved ones.

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