United Methodists forge ties with Indonesian church for recovery work efforts

By Linda Bloom

MEDAN, Indonesia (UMNS) - A United Methodist team's visit to the island of Sumatra following the Dec. 26 tsunami has laid the foundation for a future partnership with the Gereja Methodist Indonesia (Methodist Church of Indonesia).

United Methodist Bishop Joel Martinez of San Antonio said he found Indonesian church leaders "genuinely pleased and appreciative" about the Jan. 12-16 visit. Martinez, who is president of the denomination's Board of Global Ministries, co-led the delegation with the Rev. R. Randy Day, the board's chief executive.

"We tried to listen to the church and get their perspective, and then we also were able to witness and observe for ourselves," Martinez explained.

Part of that observation included a tour of the devastated city of Banda Aceh and impromptu visits to camps for internally displaced persons. Even three weeks after the tsunami struck, the bishop believes "the full dimensions of the tragedy are not fully known" and expects the price tag of the disaster to exceed initial estimates just as the death toll did.

Although the tsunami swept over other Indian Ocean nations - including Sri Lanka, Thailand and India - the delegation chose Indonesia as the place to make a pastoral call, to let Indonesian Methodists know that the greater Methodist family was grieving with them, according to Day. Sumatra suffered 115,000 of the more than 280,000 deaths caused by the tsunami and the earthquake that triggered the giant waves.

"We're also taking immediate action to care for the survivors."

- Bishop Joel Martinez

"While we mourn the people who died in the tsunami, we're also taking immediate action to care for the survivors, so the death toll doesn't go higher," Martinez said. That action included delivery of medicines that the Indonesian church can use in its relief efforts in 11 camps for displaced people.

The Rev. David Wu, a board staff executive and native of Indonesia, said he was impressed that the small church had immediately set up an emergency relief committee on its own, without asking for help.

"Perhaps bringing our church and their church together would create a greater energy, a greater hope," he noted.

Day said he is thankful for the initial generous response of United Methodists to tsunami relief efforts through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Board of Global Ministries. Besides Indonesia, funds have been directed to Sri Lanka and India, and future work is expected in Thailand.

Donations to UMCOR's "South Asia Emergency" relief efforts can be placed in local church offering plates or sent directly to UMCOR, 475 Riverside Drive, Room 330, New York, NY 10115. Designate checks for UMCOR Advance #274305 and "South Asia Emergency." Online donations can be made at www.methodistrelief.org. Those making credit-card donations can call 800-554-8583. One hundred percent of the money donated to "South Asia Emergency" goes to the relief effort.

Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York. She traveled with the United Methodist delegation to Indonesia.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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