Global Mission Partners are United Methodist-related ministries located in geographically diverse regions of the world.  The Dakotas Conference parnters with agencies of The United Methodist Church in a variety of outreach ministries. To learn more about these partners, click on the links below.

Abundant Health – our promise to children is the global health initiative of the United Methodist Church. This initiative is led by Global Health Unit of Global Ministries.

The problem: Children are our future; yet nearly 6 million children under the age of five die every year. Millions of children and adolescents still don’t have access to the life-saving information, services and supplies they need for a healthy fulfilled life.

The goal: The Abundant Health initiative is The United Methodist Church’s primary global health goal for the next four years. It will focus on four core areas of church and community engagement.

The Solution: The United Methodist Church is working to bring better health to all children in every place —from our own backyards to around the world.

• We want to ensure safe births and good nutrition, promote wellness, improve health education and access to care. We want to save lives through prevention and treatment.
• We seek to engage churches around the world to provide services and ministries to improve children’s health, and to give to support global needs. Learn more
• We are working with the United Nations initiative “Every Woman Every Child”, the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health to reach children with lifesaving interventions.
  UMC Abundant Health

In more than 60 countries around the world, United Methodist missionaries come from many places and backgrounds and witness and serve in dramatically different locales and cultures.

They engage in a range of activities and professions including pastors, educators, congregational and leadership developers, regional coordinators for UMCOR, agriculturalists, health coordinators, and doctors.

Ways you can help support United Methodist Missionaries:

• Learn about our missionaries and how they live faith through their remarkable work. Choose a missionary's name below to visit his/her bio.
• Pray for them and their ministry.
• Share news of United Methodist missionaries at your church. Use these featured resources to help.
• Give to missionaries serving around the world.
• Support a specific missionary by selecting a name from the drop-down list.
• Partner with a missionary through a Covenant Relationship.

   For more information about specific missionaries and ministries, check out the website for United Methodist Global Ministries.

The Dakotas Conference is no longer collecting UMCOR mission kits.

Early in its existence, UMCOR engaged in shipping material resources to people in need around the world. However, over the years, we have come to recognize that shipping these items may cause harm if the materials displace potential local purchases that would otherwise support the local economy. To this end, UMCOR determined that it would cease international shipment of material assistance. 

Even within the United States, the collection and distribution of relief kits are becoming challenging. The logistics are costly with the rise of e-commerce coupled with rising fuel costs, carriers are reporting higher vehicle-maintenance expenses. 

If a local congregation would like to continue collecting kits consider working directly with Midwest Mission, a United Methodist partner ministry, with locations in Jefferson City, Iowa and Pawnee, Illinois.  Learn more about the ministry. 

Al Roll, who serves as the Missional Impact Development Coach for the Dakotas Conference, encourages local congregations to look at supporting Dakotas Conference mission efforts like Bakken Oil Rush Ministry in Watford City, North Dakota, Solar Oven Partners, Spirit Lake Ministry Center, and Tree of Life. 

“We have generous hearts and want to make the most impact that we can,” said Roll. 

As part of the General Board of Global Ministries, Volunteers in Mission (VIM) serve in a wide variety of ways in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Information on teams led by people in the North Central Jurisdiction can be found on the North Central Jurisdiction Volunteers in Mission website. That's also where you can get help deciding where, when, and how to serve; where to get training and specific information; read lessons learned from those who have “been there and done that;” complete background checks; locate insurance and health forms, and more.

Linda Kropenske, UMCOR trainer leads a group of Dakotas Conference volunteers in ERT training. Photo by Doreen Gosmire, Dakotas Conference.

Volunteers serve in a variety of ways:

• Construction on homes, churches, schools, and clinics
• Disaster response (emergency response training; certification is required)
• Teaching: Vacation Bible School, English as a Second Language (ESL), and camp counseling
• Health care: Community-based rural projects, dental, water purification
• Sorting and packing supplies for overseas shipment

Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Those ages 18-30 can participate in an annual Mission Discovery trip, building relationships and working alongside those of the same age.

The website lists current and future U.S. and international teams with a brief descriptions, dates, skills desired, approximate costs, and contact information for each opportunity. It also lists training dates and information.