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Global Ministries connects with Sri Lanka, partners with Colombia

The Pacific Northwest Conference-UCC recently sent a gift to Sri Lanka from the Markham Fund, and the Global Ministries Committee of the PNC and Northern Lights Disciples of Christ set plans for a virtual pilgrimage to Colombia.

Food arrives in Sri Lanka. Photo courtesy of Rajan Rohaan

In April, the PNC-UCC sent $1,000 from the Markham Fund—established by Robin and the late Fran Markham, retired missionaries who served in Angola—to partners Sri Lanka’s Church of American Ceylon Mission (CACM).

The church sought help to feed people on lockdown in Sri Lanka because of the pandemic. Many poor people there, work at a daily wage—field workers, tuk, tuk drivers and restaurant workers, said Mary Olney-Loyd, co-chair of the PNC’s Global Ministries Committee with the Northern Lights DOC.

Mary asked committee member Ed Evans to talk with Robin Markham, requesting $1,000 to go through the PNC and Global Ministries to the CACM.

“The funds were used to provide dry food packages with such stables as lentils, beans, rice, spices and soap for those in need,” said Mary, who visited with her husband Gary to teach English in Sri Lanka in 2017.

She shared a report of the Rev. Rajan Rohaan, secretary of the Eastern Region of the Church of the American Ceylon Mission. He told of emergency response in his region, as an example of how funds the PNC sent to the CACM were used.CACM also has churches in South Central Sri Lanka and the Northern area around Jaffna.

“Funds helped suffering families during this unprecedented time of uncertainty from the COVID-19 global pandemic,” he said. “The world has been turned upside down by coronavirus, and the Sri Lankan population has had a growing number of persons who have contracted the virus.”

March through May the country experienced emergency curfews, lockdowns and quarantines, putting many families in severe hardships without access to food, safe water and other essential items, as well as emotional care, Rajan said.

The most vulnerable are those who are dependent—elders without income, those with disabilities and orphan children.

“Other consequences are starvation, suicide attempts and corruption,” he said.  “In this period of panic and pain, CACM is committed to sustain the victims, the vulnerable and families affected by COVID-19.”

Rajan said the CACM in his region gave them to children’s homes, children with disabilities, and poor families of daily wage earners, small vendors and self-employed people.

Mary said funds were shared in similar ways in other areas of Sri Lanka.

“Gifts were also given to Hindu and Muslim families,” said Mary, noting there were bombings of churches in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, and in Batticoloa on the east coast on Easter 2019. Rajan held gatherings of interfaith leaders after the bombings to build bridges, “a wise, courageous move given the fear and mistrust.”

The regional Global Ministries Committee has been seeking a new global partner for 10 years and has been working two years to develop a partnership with two faith based organizations in Colombia: Justapaz, the Mennonite Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action, and the Peace Commission of the Evangelical Council of Colombia.  Both are national Global Ministries partners.

In September 2020, the committee is planning a “virtual pilgrimage” to Colombia, setting aside plans to travel to Colombia as all travel for Global Ministries has been suspended.

The virtual pilgrimage starts Sept. 21, International Peace Day, and ends Sept. 26. Global Ministries will facilitate contacts, said Rick Russell, UCC co-chair. There will also be days of reflection among participants.

“Colombia is emerging after a civil war,” he said. “Since then there have been elections but the new government is not implementing the Peace Accord.”

The virtual visit will include going by video on a riverboat trip and on a visit of Southern Colombia. It will include sharing in worship through a video they send, as well as some live virtual contact, Mary said.

Michael Joseph, who served as a mission co-worker with Global Ministries with Justapaz in Colombia, visited the Northwest in the fall to introduce congregations to Colombia.

Mary and Rick said the Global Ministries Committee seeks at least 16 applicants for the virtual tour to Colombia. Some encounters will be limited to be safe for Colombians, who want justice and peace so they can practice their faith.

Global Ministries' other partner, the PROK in South Korea has been concerned with peace and justice and some focused on reunification with the North.

For information, contact Mary at 206-291-8953 or maryolneyloyd@gmail.com, or Rick at 206-999-6968 or myrtos@comcast.net.

 

Rajan is in solidarity on Black Lives Matter

Mary Olney-Loyd shared a letter Rajan, who studied a year at Eden Seminary, writing to U.S. churches sharing prayers for healing and reconciliation in the U.S. struggle for “justice, equality, dignity and freedom of minorities.”

From experiences in a minority community in Sri Lanka, struggling for religious freedom, democratic rights and civil rights, he said, “we know the pain of Blacks and all the struggling minorities in the U.S.”

He knows of Blacks Lives Matter in the American context from studies at Eden during the Ferguson unrest after the shooting of Michael Brown by a white police officer in 2014. He participated several protests and meetings so he knows of racism and white supremacy.

“As I write, the pandemic of COVID-19 has turned U.S. upside down with more than 107,000 deaths and 1,800,000 infected. In this context, racism is killing minorities and marginalized another way,” he said calling people to be agents of God’s will.

“Christians today live in divided world, broken by racism, religious supremacy, capitalism and militarized governance,” he said, reminding Christians of the ecumenical commitment to the freedom, dignity and human rights of people or all cultures, faiths and opinions.

“Therefore, we announce that ‘Racism is sin,’ which is against God’s will,” he said, affirming that the Peace Forum in Sri Lanka joins with Blacks in American to declare that Blacks Lives Matter and pray for the healing of the country.

For information, contact Mary at 206-291-8953 or maryolneyloyd@gmail.com, or Rick at 206-999-6968 or myrtos@comcast.net.

 

Rajan is in solidarity on Black Lives Matter

Mary shared a letter Rajan, who studied a year at Eden Seminary, writing to U.S. churches sharing prayers for healing and reconciliation in the U.S. struggle for “justice, equality, dignity and freedom of minorities.”

From experiences in a minority community in Sri Lanka, struggling for religious freedom, democratic rights and civil rights, he said, “we know the pain of Blacks and all the struggling minorities in the U.S.”

He knows of Blacks Lives Matter in the American context from studies at Eden during the Ferguson unrest after the shooting of Michael Brown by a white police officer in 2014. He participated several protests and meetings so he knows of racism and white supremacy.

“As I write, the pandemic of COVID-19 has turned U.S. upside down with more than 107,000 deaths and 1,800,000 infected. In this context, racism is killing minorities and marginalized another way,” he said calling people to be agents of God’s will.

“Christians today live in divided world, broken by racism, religious supremacy, capitalism and militarized governance,” he said, reminding Christians of the ecumenical commitment to the freedom, dignity and human rights of people or all cultures, faiths and opinions.

“Therefore, we announce that ‘Racism is sin,’ which is against God’s will,” he said, affirming that the Peace Forum in Sri Lanka joins with Blacks in American to declare that Blacks Lives Matter and pray for the healing of the country.

 

Pacific NW Conference United Church News - Copyright © Summer 2020

 

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