03 Dec Missionary Homecoming Put on Hold

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
It has often been said that timing is everything. We found that out as we planned for our first ever Global Ministries Homecoming.

We planned to bring all of our missionaries back to the United States for the US National Conference next June, and then keep them together for several more days. It would have been a wonderful event.

However, when we began our planning, we didn’t imagine the depth of the current economic downturn. In light of this, and the pressures both donors and local churches are facing (and will be facing), we have made the difficult decision to postpone the event until another National Conference year.

We realize this will disappoint the missionaries who planned to attend, the volunteers who were preparing to serve, and the conference delegates who anticipated the presence of our entire missionary force at the 2009 National Conference.
We have not entirely abandoned the concept. We have simply adjusted the timetable.

Missions Night will remain a key component at the upcoming National Conference and will feature a look at the past, a look at the present, and a look at the future of Global Ministries. Our presentation will provide a multimedia perspective of how God is using the Church of the United Brethren around the world to fulfill His global mandate and bring home the message that God is not finished – great days lie ahead!

We appreciate the efforts many have made to arrange schedules and initiate plans and preparations. We will be keeping all of the information that has been gathered which will give us a jump-start on planning in the future.