India: World Methodist Evangelism on the Road
While a winter storm hammers the East Coast of the United States, World Methodist Evangelism is preparing once again to be out on the road – or in the skies.
Though her passport bears recent stamps from New Zealand and Nigeria, Russia and Italy, the UK and Mexico, Executive Director Dr. Kimberly Reisman is making her first foray to India, the ancient, heavily populated country bridging land and sea in south central Asia. Director of Development Bonnie Hollabaugh joins Reisman as WME partners with WMEI – the World Methodist Evangelism Institute, seated at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. WMEI regularly hosts seminars around the globe and works to equip clergy and laypeople with continuing education travel experiences.
During this WMEI trip, participants will visit the cities of Kottayam (Kerala), Banaras, Delhi, and Agra/Jaipur.
Wesleyan Methodist congregations from a variety of denominations are found amid the diverse landscape, including Church of the Nazarene, AME Zion, and the Wesleyan Church. In addition to these, the Methodist Church in India, has functioned independently since 1980 after initial association with what became the United Methodist Church and, “runs 102-day boarding schools and 155 village schools in which over 60,000 children are enrolled; 89 residential hostels provide Christian care for 6,540 boys and girls. The church also operates 19 colleges and vocational training institutions, 25 hospitals and health care centres, and many community welfare and development programmes in the country.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]