Focus on Ministry

The most basic need of all human beings is salvation through the love of God and the saving grace of His son. But talking salvation to a hungry person without first attending to his or her most primordial need may be pharisaical. The statistics are grim. Over 24,000,000 people die of hunger every day most of them children!!! Almost a billion individuals in this world go to sleep hungry every day; in the U.S. 37 million folk do not have enough food on a regular basis (half of them are children). Amazingly 40% of those needing food assistance in the U.S. are working people.

What to do???

As a nation we have the resources to end hunger in our own country and still contribute significantly to help ease this worldwide disaster; we simply lack the vision and will to mobilize against this preventable blight on God’s earth. As Christians we need to be more intentional about attending this dire and yet solvable problem.

Last year at Annual Conference there were over 100,000 meals packaged for global distribution through Stop Hunger Now and this year we are trying to take a wider and more positive initiative on this issue by partnering with food distribution organizations as well as other faith based organizations with similar concerns. We hope to work with the new Missions Table asking to make hunger issues one of its first priorities in mission and outreach as it convenes next January 21, at the conference office.

Because we are Christians and have been commissioned to work in missions and outreach having received a mandate and example from Jesus Himself we must set about working earnestly in this important ministry. The following quote reflects the spirit in which we should approach this task ... “The ministry to our ‘neighbor’ for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, should not be out of a shocked moral obligation, or civic shame, but rather as ministering to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. (Matt. 25:40)” Rex Baker, Gateway Mission, Jackson, MS

I welcome your questions regarding this proposed conference wide initiative.

The following links will give you a glimpse into hunger issues as well as acquainting you with some of the organizations with whom we will be closely working in this quadrennium.

Bread for the World

Stop Hunger Now

Angel Food Ministry

End Hunger

MS Food Network

Jorge.