Collaboration Among Southern Dallas Churches To Aid Community
Wheatland UMC, The Village UMC, First UMC Lancaster and Church of the Disciple join together, identify three areas of ministry opportunities
A group of churches in the Southern Crescent of Dallas will be strengthening their coordination as agents of community development with the help of the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM). Rev. Montreal Martin, who pastors Wheatland UMC and serves as a chaplain for Methodist Healthcare System, has been working to increase collaboration among the churches in Southern Dallas County.
Rev. Martin worked with the support of the Center for Church Development to convene area UMC leaders for discerning common missional opportunities. Participating churches thus far include Wheatland UMC, The Village UMC, First UMC Lancaster and Church of the Disciple.
This cohort identified three areas of ministry opportunity that each of our respective communities/mission fields have in common. Wheatland UMC was recognized as the potential "Hub" for these ministries and other churches that will serve as campuses for a specific ministry. Areas of opportunity include:
- Education/affordable childcare
- Access to drug/alcohol rehabilitation/mental health treatment
- Access to food
GBGM leaders alerted conferences in Fall 2020 about a cohort that will begin in February 2021 for leadership teams from churches working together in a geographical area and who sense a call to strengthen their Christian community development approach.
The Community Developers Program (CDP) is “a network of racial-ethnic congregations and communities throughout the United States committed to advancing the church’s capacity to be in mission in partnership with the communities where they are located. Work includes advocacy, economic development, youth organizing, addressing local needs, creating an awareness of national and international causes and effects.”
Those interested in future cohort opportunities should email Rev. Andrew Fiser.
Published: Wednesday, February 17, 2021