An Introduction to World Partners
Gary Dilley
Director of Global Ministries
In recent months, The United Brethren Church, USA, has been discussing the possibility of joining with the Missionary Church, USA. As Director of Global Ministries, my concern has revolved around how this would affect United Brethren mission efforts.
In the Missionary Church, the counterpart of Global Ministries is called World Partners. Global Ministries and World Partners operate very much alike. We fund missionaries in the same way. We work in partnerships with national churches. And we both want to see our respective churches grow in their knowledge and passion for the evangelization of God's world. We do differ, however, in size and scope.
Let me give you a brief introduction to World Partners.
In the United States, the Missionary Church is about twice as large as the UB Church. However, the worldwide membership of the Missionary Church is about four times as large as the UB worldwide membership. The Missionary Church's aggressive commitment to reaching people and planting churches around the world has resulted in a presence in 28 countries, with well over 100 missionaries serving. An increasing number of those missionaries are serving in restricted-access countries seeking to introduce the gospel to unreached people groups.
The past year has been an exciting one for World Partners. An amazing number of new individuals and families have begun the process of becoming fulltime missionaries. In October of 2003, they opened up five new mission fields--Bulgaria, Ireland, Israel, France, and Galicia, Spain.
Global Ministries and World Partners have some differences, but if we begin working together, we will integrate well. The efforts of Global Ministries would not come to a stop or be wasted. Our missionaries would become part of World Partners, our mission districts (India, Haiti, and Mexico) would enfold into the combined effort, and each of our national conferences would be invited to join the fellowship of World Partners International.
Our national conferences are my greatest concern. Seven United Brethren countries govern themselves as national conferences. In addition to the United States, they include Canada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Sierra Leone. If our US church joins the US Missionary church, each of these countries would have to make their own decision as to whether to align with World Partners International, or remain United Brethren.
This is a major step, and it is not an easy decision for our brothers and sisters in these countries. They have many things to work through, and they are praying about the ramifications. They are also praying for us, as the US church, as we seek God's leading. I care a great deal about these relationships and partnerships. Please be praying for them as we walk through this together.
Through many discussions, we have found that we are quite compatible in our philosophy and practice of world evangelization with the Missionary Church. If God brings us together, we can work together well.
You can find more information by going to the World Partners website, as well as the Global Ministries site.
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