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| Rob Visscher (top left), executive director of Mission Central, helped in the education and training of Bishop’s Partners in Mission ambassadors earlier this summer. |
By Dr. Dilip Abayasekara
Bishop’s Partners in Mission is an initiative launched by Bishop Jeremiah J. Park and carried forward by the Susquehanna Conference on two fronts: raise one million dollars for Imagine No Malaria and help pay off the one-million-dollar mortgage burden of Mission Central.
On July 29 and August 4, 2016, seven ambassadors for Bishop’s Partners in Mission received information, resources, ideas, and inspiration for launching fundraising campaigns in their churches and in churches in their districts. Present for this training were District Ambassadors Pastor Jason Schwartzman (Altoona District), Russell Goodman (Harrisburg District), Rev. Strother Gross (Lewisburg District), and Larry Speer (York District). Local Ambassadors present for training were Carol Evertts (Trinity UMC, New Cumberland), Rev. Richard Bowers (Otterbein UMC, Emigsville), and Pastor Lourdes Stevens (Grace UMC, Hanover). We are also blessed to have on the BPIM Leadership team, Pastor Fred Snyder (District Ambassador, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre), Pastor Duane Coy (Local Ambassador, Greenwood UMC, Altoona), and Pastor T.J. McCabe (Lake Como UMC and Shehawken UMC, Preston, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre).
Assisting Field Coordinator Dilip Abayasekara in the education and training were Christy Mackey (Executive Assistant to the Bishop), Ann Watts (Accounts Receivable, Susquehanna Conference), Rev. Dr. Ed Zeiders (President, Dimensions 4 Consulting), and Rob Visscher (Executive Director, Mission Central). We were also inspired by Kelly Cox (Pension Benefits Officer) who shared with us the story of how her small church has raised large funds for BPIM.
We are deeply grateful to all of the above for extending themselves to help our churches answer the missional call of BPIM in restoring hope and saving lives in the name of Christ.
BPIM is in need of more local ambassadors in all seven districts of the conference and is especially in need of a district ambassador for the State College District and for the Williamsport District. To apply and for more information, please contact Field Coordinator Dr. Dilip Abayasekara at dabyasekara@susumc.org or 717-766-7441 (ext. 3108).
For God is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. (Eph. 3:20)
