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Jesus said, “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.”
– John 10:10b (NRSVUE)
Beloved in Christ,
This week, critical funding for PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) is slated to be removed from the federal budget. For over two decades, PEPFAR has been an example of what can be achieved when nations unite for good, saving millions of lives across Africa. Alongside PEPFAR, reductions in USAID support are placing African health centers, including those within our United Methodist connection, in a precarious position.
As United Methodists, we strive to live by three simple rules passed down from John Wesley: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. The call to do no harm leads us to promote justice, respect diversity, and care for the most vulnerable in our global community.
Please watch this powerful message from Bishop Tom Berlin, who has faithfully visited Sierra Leone for nearly 30 years. In this short video, he explains how the withdrawal of these programs threatens to leave UMC Mercy Hospital, along with other health centers, without life-saving HIV test kits. Without them, the virus will go undetected and continue to spread. Your generosity can help fill the gap and sustain the vital work of UMC Mercy Hospital.
I support ensuring that every individual has the ability to live a full, healthy, and abundant life. I encourage those within the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area to contribute generously to this effort by visiting umcmission.org and giving to Advance #15173A.
Blessings and peace,
Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling
Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area
The United Methodist Church
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