An Occasional Word from the Bishop: March 4, 2011

03-04-2011
Dear Friends:

These are only some of the facts.

I am not a fast reader, but in the two minutes it takes me to read aloud these “occasional words,” four children will die of malaria.

Each year, between 350 and 500 million people are infected with malaria. Ninety percent of them are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Each year, more than a million people die from malaria, and many more are incapacitated for varying periods of time.

The most startling fact is that if we are committed to putting our money where our mouths are, we can make malaria a memory in our lifetimes. If we work at it with passion, it can be essentially eradicated by 2015.

While we have been very fortunate to have essentially eliminated malaria in the U.S. (there are only a handful of cases each year), still it is a disease that knows no national identity, no racial, ethnic, gender, age or economic boundaries. Did you know that George Clooney, the award winning actor, recently contracted malaria while filming a documentary in Sudan?

The United Methodist Church has joined in a global alliance with a wide variety of foundations and global health partners to work toward the eradication of malaria in the next few years. The General Conference of 2008 stepped out in faith and declared that we as a church would raise $75 million over the next several years to do our part.

No apportionment dollars have been allocated toward this goal. It will depend on the efforts of local churches if this is to transpire.

Our continuing work through UMCOR and our efforts with our global partners involve not only providing mosquito nets for families, they also involve public health training, increased efforts to eliminate standing water, associated water projects, treatment facilities and medications.

All of this accompanies our continuing work on a spiritual level as we respond to mind, body and spirit.

In areas where the governments of malaria-ridden countries are unable to respond, the church is already present. We have a network of laity and pastors ready and able to carry the heavy burden. We simply need to step up and give them the tools.

Other information on this page can help you tell the story. There will be suggestions about how you can be personally involved. You might even throw a party....

In the name of Jesus Christ, for the sake of all God’s children, we can be world-transforming.
 
Faithfully,

Charles Crutchfield

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Eradicate malaria by 2015?
It is possible—with your help

The Nothing But Nets initiative has seen great success in distributing insecticide-treated bed nets, along with education on their proper use, to protect people from the bites of mosquitos that often carry malaria.

In the Arkansas Conference, individuals and churches have given enough money to distribute more than 24,500 bed nets to malaria-affected areas in Africa—and that just takes into account the donations sent through the Conference office. Many people gave online at nothingbutnets.net, as well.

But, as Bishop Crutchfield wrote in his column, there’s more work yet to do. That’s why the United Methodist Church has launched Imagine No Malaria—to push forward with the effort to eradicate a disease that claims the life of someone’s child, parent or sibling every 45 seconds.

Bishop Crutchfield also mentioned throwing a party as one way to get involved. To learn more about the Imagine No Malaria House Party concept, visit imaginenomalaria.org/houseparty.

Even if hosting a party isn’t for you, don’t count yourself out. You still have opportunities to educate yourself, your friends, your church and your neighbors.

Visit imaginenomalaria.org for:

•  Personal stories of those affected by this deadly disease
•  Information on the partnerships making the work possible
•  An interactive map of where mosquito nets have been distributed
•  Resources to help spread the word.

‘As United Methodists, we are strong—11 million strong. We believe the world is our parish. Every life is important to us, and every one of us is important in making this vision real. In reaching out to people to relieve suffering, we find a revitalization of our own faith and our understanding of what it means to be Christ followers.’