Missouri Church Donates to COVID-19 Relief

Schweitzer UMC mailed a $66,000 check on Wednesday, May 6 to help with immediate food relief in Mozambique.

Rev. Dr. Lucas Endicott, Associate Director of Mission, Service and Justice and U.S.-based representative of the Mozambique Initiative, is working closely with the General Board of Global Ministries, Mozambique-based MI representative, Ezequiel Nhantumbo (Ezy) and with Bishop Joaquina Nhanala, resident Bishop of the Mozambique Area, to ensure that the money is distributed quickly. Once the check clears, the funds will be used to purchase food across Mozambique in as soon as three or four days.

The donation will be distributed to the following:

• $18,000 to be distributed in North Annual Conference
• $17,000 to be distributed in Southeast Annual Conference
• $14,000 to be distributed in South Annual Conference
• $11,000 to be allocated to Chicuque Rural Hospital

Beneficiaries have already identified by the respective conferences: rural pastors, elderly women, conference staff and hospital needs. As donations come, community needs can be met. There are some food nutrition projects being introduced, such as home gardening, to produce crops in the backyard without the need to move around. The idea is to supplement people with nutrients needed to remain healthy.

Ezy reports on the situation in Mozambique, "Truly the disease is beginning to cause discomfort in our communities: pastoral staff, refugees and displaced persons camps from recent political unrest, regions of extreme poverty, orphanages and elderly centers, women and children, people living with disabilities and healthcare institutions and Missions in Chicuque, Cambine and Gondola Center. As the COVID-19 crisis endures, these populations will be disproportionately affected. The impacts of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable communities will extend far beyond the individual and public health consequences; resulting in new and heightened educational, social, economic and political challenges. We are working to realize, understand, prevent and mitigate all challenges as we simultaneously prepare for recovery. Due to low economies in the country, our Church is struggling since it solely depends on members' apportionments. With a confined Church, nothing is produced in our communities to feed the Pastor and his family. Institutionally, the Church was left with no resources to cover staff salaries in both the Central office and Missions. It is a state of calamity, due to uncertainties as to when the pandemic will come to an end. The State of Emergency declared on March 30 by the government of Mozambique – while it is appropriate to prevent the disease, it has restricted people’s movements to practice a number of productive activities."