Council for Mission
CMSI sends Covid support to global Church
Last week saw the Church Mission Society Ireland (CMSI) transfer the first wave of financial support to its partners, as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. In all, over £20,000 was distributed across 12 Global Partners in seven countries, bringing much needed help to churches as they respond to the crisis on their own doorsteps.
CMSI launched its Covid–19 Response Appeal at the start of April when it became clear that the impact of the pandemic was going to be particularly severe for its partners and the communities they serve.
As CMSI’s Mission Director, Jenny Smyth, explains, the initial support for the appeal has been very encouraging: “We are so thankful for every donation that we have received towards this appeal. We are especially grateful for a generous grant of €10,000 from the Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal. Thanks to this grant and to the generosity of churches and individuals throughout Ireland, our partners are now getting to work to stop the spread, support the vulnerable and relieve suffering.
“The requests and needs of our partners are vast. We want to encourage more people to support them at this time. The more we give, the more they can do.”
The money distributed to CMSI’s partners last week included support for:
– Food relief programmes in DR Congo, Egypt, Kenya and Rwanda;
– Water tanks and hand washing facilities for schools in Burundi;
– Logistical support for PPE distribution to rural hospitals in Nepal;
– Shelter and counselling for those made homeless by flooding in DR Congo;
– Training and support for Covid–19 preparations at a clinic in South Sudan; and
– Support for mask–sewing initiatives in DR Congo and South Sudan.
The Rt Revd Ferran Glenfield, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh and a member of the Church of Ireland Council for Mission, had this to say about CMSI’s response: “The global Church has been greatly impacted by the crisis. CMSI works in partnership with sister churches in some of the poorest places on Earth. Can I invite you to support CMSI’s Covid–19 Appeal which will make a huge difference to some of the most vulnerable people in the world? We are all in this together, so please give generously as resources will be needed in the short and long term to put things right in Jesus’ name.”
CMSI works closely with 20 Global Partners across nine different countries in Africa and South Asia. These partners are all local expressions of the Church, engaging in life–changing, holistic mission. Given the long–term nature of the relationship with these partners, CMSI and link churches throughout Ireland are able to respond quickly, directly and personally to its partners.
Money donated to the CMSI Covid–19 Response Appeal will ensure that the Church is supported at the centre of this crisis – enabling God’s people to share His help and His hope with those who most need them.
To find out more or to support the CMSI Appeal, visit www.cmsireland.org