Friday, August 22, 2008

Janet McCarty, our GBGM missionary

Returning to serve at Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges (SPMC) at the beginning of 2007, Janet McCarty is a commissioned deaconess and missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church who has served in Nepal as well as the Philippines.

SPMC, located in Minddanao, the large southern most island of the Philippines, started in 1994. Because the college is in an economically depressed area the majority of the students are on scholarship for need. The college offers a BA in Theology, Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education, an Associate in Computer Science, a Certificate in Early Childhood Education for 18 units, and a pastors’ school. The Bachelor in Early Childhood Education is for deaconesses who will serve in the church as preschool teachers, leaders of Sunday school, music coordinators and co-workers with the pastors. ‘Ma’am Janet’, as she is called, helped to develop this program when she served at SPMC from 1999 to 2002. Currently she is serving as Dean of Education while teaching education courses.

From 2002 through 2006 Mrs. McCarty taught children of the UMN (United Mission to Nepal) appointees in a tutorial setting. (Missionaries are not allowed in Nepal so they are called appointees.) UMN is a co-operative effort between the people of Nepal and a large number of Christian organizations from 18 countries on four continents. The United Methodist Church was one of the founding members of UMN in 1954. UMN seeks to serve the people of Nepal in the name and spirit of Christ.

Born in East St. Louis, Illinois, Mrs. McCarty studied accounting at Hardin Brown Business College in Jacksonville. She later earned a B.A. degree in sociology from Illinois College in Jacksonville and received a Master's in Education degree from the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

Mrs. McCarty has two grown children living in Illinois. Her home church is Centenary United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, IL. Before becoming a missionary Mrs. McCarty was a public elementary school teacher for Jacksonville School District #117.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Leo A. Soriano, Bishop of Davao Episcopal Area

Leo Soriano was elected as Bishop on the 5th ballot during the 2000 Philippines Central Conference held in Cabanatuan City, Philippines. The overwhelming support and his early election in the 5th Ballot was phenomenal and unprecedented in the history of the United Methodist Church in the Philippines. His election was an indication of the Filipino Methodists desire of change in their church politics. The personal background of Leo, having family roots from the North of the country yet living and representing the South, became a symbol of the desire of the Church to be all inclusive and intentional in representing equally all ethnic groups of the country.

Bishop Soriano is the current Resident Bishop of the Davao Episcopal Area, one of three Episcopal Areas of the Philippines. His offices are in the Spottswood Methodist Center in Kidapawan City. In 2004 he was appointed to a four year position as one of four voting members of the General Council on Finance and Administration of the United Methodist Church. He has served as a member of the UMC Council of Bishops, the UMC General Council on Ministries, and the cross denominational organizations Christian Conference of Asia and National Council of Churches in the Philippines.

As of 2007 serves on the Philippine Christian University Board of Trustees.

He has acted as a spokesperson for UMC Philippines during the December 2003 typhoons and Southern Leyte mudslides and signing a Bible sent to President George W. Bush as congratulations following his re-election, a 200-year-old UMC tradition.

*Wearing the black gown is the bishop surrounded by the pastors.