Latest UMVIM News
UMVIM, SEJ Starts Giving Tuesday Campaign
Note: this is a funding campaign by UMVIM in the Southeast Jurisdiction
Click here to give.
Choosing love is hard, especially when conflict is all around us. Jesus chose love even when the forces of the world turned against him. Choosing love was hard, even for Christ, as we see in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus cries out to God in a moment of distress.
Conflict sells – more so than ever before – in today’s world. But what would happen if we stopped, even in moments of doubt, and decided to show a small glimpse of Christ’s love? We are called into mission because it offers us opportunities to understand how wide God’s embrace truly is.
During this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign, UMVIM, SEJ is asking you to help us raise $20,000 by December 2, 2025 so we can receive an additional $10,000 from a group of generous donors. If we don’t hit our goal, regardless of how close, no matching funds will be awarded.
Why should you give? In addition to supporting UMVIM mission resources, UMVIM has made a commitment to train 100 new mission leaders by the end of 2026. Your gift will help us train, equip, and propel a new generation of mission leaders around the world.
Your support for UMVIM in the Southeast Jurisdiction means so much to all of us. You can give online at umvim.org/tuesday or scan the QR code below.
You can also send a check to: UMVIM, SEJ, PO Box 276, Birmingham, AL 35201 using the enclosed and pre-stamped envelope.
Let’s show the world how big God’s embrace is and what happens when we choose love.
-matt
How USAID’s Closure May Impact Mission Teams
-written by Rev. Matt Lacey, Executive Director of UMVIM, SEJ
It was a sight that made me proud to be an United Methodist and a clergy person. Along with other United Methodists and faith leaders around the world, I stood side by side with United States government leaders in Washington DC to celebrate the effectiveness of the Imagine No Malaria (sometimes also referred to as Nothing But Nets) campaign and to ask Congress for more funding to complete the task. It was 2012 and while the political climate was still tense, this was a rare bipartisan moment in which leaders came together to celebrate the program’s impact. There was one organization that played a big part in the campaign but in the end received little credit—USAID [United States Agency for International Development]. Without USAID and its network around the world, all the fundraising and aid would have been in vain because USAID’s infrastructure allowed the medication, literature, and more to get where it needed to go.
Many of us have heard of USAID, a taxpayer funded program of the United States Federal Government, but may not know the breadth of its work. The program started under President Kennedy in 1961 to address the staggering inequality that existed outside the United States and to help the United States’ image abroad during the Cold War. Over the decades USAID has helped fund and distribute aid of various kinds throughout the world—health care, medicine, job training, agricultural programs, and more. Alongside the aid itself, USAID has served as the infrastructure and transportation network to help distribute aid from other non-profits, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], and faith-based volunteer mission teams.
During the 2024 presidential election, President Trump campaigned on the elimination of waste, fraud, and corruption in the Federal Government. And while the closure of USAID was rarely mentioned outright, it didn’t take long under the President’s tenure for it to be shut down. For the first time in sixty years, the USAID program, including its staff, funding, and tangible aid to millions, ended abruptly. FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] is rumored to undergo a similar transformation and downsizing even though (at the time of writing) over 100 individuals died last week during flash floods in Texas.
President Trump and many in his cabinet have labeled USAID as a vehicle of waste and fraud. And while USAID is far from perfect or the best example of efficiency, reported incidents of fraud and corruption are few and far between. The loss of the USAID program will not only be felt abroad but will also affect volunteer mission teams traveling from UMC churches in the USA to other countries.
As the Executive Director for United Methodist Volunteers in Mission in the Southeast Jurisdiction [UMVIM, SEJ], I have led many mission journeys to countries around the world and train and equip other United Methodists to do the same. As a result, I’m not only familiar with USAID but have seen its work firsthand. When leading a team to Haiti in February of 2010, I witnessed USAID workers give life saving aid to earthquake victims—necessities such as food, housing, and clean water. The aid didn’t solve every problem but in many cases it was the difference between life and death.
During one mission journey, I sat with malnourished children in Mozambique whose lives were saved by “Plumpy-nut,” a peanut-based nutritional paste which is made in the United States, bought by USAID, and transported overseas to treat hunger and malnourishment. That nutritional paste is now sitting in various warehouses, already paid for by taxpayers, spoiling and rotting.
USAID was closed in the name of fiscal conservatism and stewardship but has had the opposite effect: its closure has cost the US taxpayer 6 billion dollars thus far.
How will this closure impact Christian volunteer mission teams? Transportation networks maintained by USAID to move supplies and medicine have been shut down. As a result some supplies, including life-saving medicines, will cost more and health clinics staffed by volunteers may see a massive influx of individuals looking for help elsewhere. In addition, USAID’s closure will reduce funding, limit access to certain areas of the world, and compromise safety in some places. This has the potential to compromise the effectiveness of both secular and faith-based mission efforts. While mission journeys will continue, the impact and sustainability of volunteer teams will decrease.
Some will ask if the government should have any role whatsoever in charity and let the church and other private organizations step in to fill that role. While going back on forth on the merits of this argument, millions are at risk of losing their lives. USAID has long been a critical cog in worldwide charitable efforts, and developing any new program, government based or not, will take decades.
Though USAID has already shut its doors, your support and advocacy for it will not be in vain. Elected officials are still responsible to voters and many legislators have expressed skepticism at its closure. Churches with strong histories of mission service can educate their congregations about USAID’s closure and raise their voices together.
The church’s mission to reach out to those on the margins of society has become significantly more difficult. Many teams will need to step up to fill the void left, and come together in one voice to let those in power know the catastrophic effects USAID’s closure will have. This is a moment to work together and recognize that our faith supersedes any political party or opinion. Let us remember our collective calling to exemplify Christian love in action and remember those who are often forgotten.
UMVIM-NCJ news 7 15 25
https://mailchi.mp/umvim/theres-a-new-look-to-umvimncj-news-8-31-18236270
New Online Team Leader “Refresher” Trainings
Are you an experiened misson team leader, but want to find out the latest up to date information about leading a mission journey! Two Team Leader “Refresher” Trainings have just been scheduled online. These will be led by Rev.
Matt Lacey, Director of UMVIM, SEJ, but are open to all. Click links below for more information and to register!
Saturday, July 12 at 9.30am [Central] - noon
Saturday, August 23 9.30am [Central] - noon
More trainings will be announced soon including an in-person first time Team Leader training.
Preparing For Summer Mission Journeys?
Summer is fast approaching, which means many churches and team leaders are preparing for mission journeys!
UMVIM offers many resources—many of them free—for team leaders who want to make sure their journey is a success:
Downloadable form templates to help teams plan and organize for their mission effort.
Team leader checklist to make sure those leading teams don’t forget any crucial details. [Note: this will download a document through your web browser.]
Insurance to cover teams, in case your journey takes an unexpected detour.
UMVIm-NCJ news 4 30 25
https://mailchi.mp/umvim/theres-a-new-look-to-umvimncj-news-8-31-18234679?e=2865e3c70f
UMVIM-NCJ news 4 15 25
New Projects New Connections https://mailchi.mp/umvim/theres-a-new-look-to-umvimncj-news-8-31-18234206
Opportunities Abound! UMVIM, SEJ News, April 2025
One of the greatest strengths of UMVIM’s ministry and the UMC connectional system is community. We work better because we work together.
Because of its many connections, UMVIM can help individuals find mission teams to join, teams to serve with projects, and projects to suit a team’s specific gifts and talents.
As we move into the Spring, we hope you take the time to glance at the teams looking for additional members, and the projects who are seeking teams. Below are just a few examples, with a more complete listing on umvim.org/openings
Seeking Team Members:
Honduras- AHMEN (Alabama Honduras Medical Education Network) is seeking individuals to join a mission team May 31-June 7. Cost is $1,200 + plane tickets, and AHMEN is offering a $300 discount for college students and an additional $100 discount for bilingual (English/Spanish) members. Specifically they are looking for members to help in the following areas:
organic gardening
lifeguarding and water safety
community advocacy and digital media
clean water culture
Click here to view a more detailed schedule and additional information.
Cuba- Join Mike Burgamy, an experienced team leader to Cuba, for cross-cultural mission journey. Team is planing to travel Oct 3-13th, 2025, with a $350 deposit at sign-up. The total cost is approximately $2200. More information found on the application, which you can download by clicking here.
Nicaragua- El Ayudante, a project serving alongside Nicaraguan communities, is seeking 4 more persons for a journey scheduled Nov 1 – 8, 2025, with a deadline of July 1. Cost is $1700 per person, including airfare. This journey to Leon, Nicaragua will work alongside with the Nicaraguan people to make an impact on the lives of children. Check out the eanicaragua.com to learn more about this amazing ministry. You can also contact Kim at kim@eanicaragua.com for additional information.
Projects Seeking Teams:
Cuba- The Methodist Church in Cuba is in dire need of teams to serve alongside Cuban communities for a variety of projects. Since COVID, teams have dropped significantly created more dire situations in many areas of the country. Churches and teams who are interested can contact Aldo Gonzalez and find more information at umvim.org/cuba
Alabama Rural Ministries- ARM is seeking teams for the summer of 2025. ARM is suited for youth or young adult groups, and for those who many have limited mission journey experience. Visit arm-al.org for more info and contact information.
Alabama Rural Ministries Seeks Summer Mission Teams
Alabama Rural Ministry [ARM] is seeking mission teams during the summer! ARM has been a part of the UMVIM family for a long time, and has faithfully served their community. Join them this summer! More details on the graphic.