World Communion Sunday
Engage in Ministry
“It is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry,…” – 2 Corinthians 4:1b, NRSV
World Communion Sunday
Engage in Ministry
“It is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry,…” – 2 Corinthians
4:1b, NRSV
“I’ve always had a very
strong love for the local church,” asserts Bishop Joel N. Martinez, San Antonio
Area. “I feel a deep sense of gratitude toward the church in helping me grow as
a Christian. I want to help local churches to grow in spirit and in mission and
to be that kind of nurturing community.
A former Crusade Scholar, Bishop Martinez experienced the call to ministry as a
teen-ager. After graduating from the University of Texas – El Paso, he entered
Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas. “My ministry
dream would not have been realized without the church’s scholarships,” he said.
During the past four decades, Bishop Martinez has played many roles in the local
church, district, community and general church.
A former World Methodist Council member and World Council of Churches delegate,
Bishop Martinez counts ecumenical involvement as one of the richest rewards of
his ministry. He advises aspiring clergy, “always to serve in an ecumenical
spirit, open to tradition and wisdom of your sisters and brothers in the faith.”
In his second letter to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul wrote, “It is by
God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry,…”
”The Crusade Scholars program made possible my seminary education,” Bishop
Martinez says. “This program is vital to our church’s future.” He appreciates
the generosity of United Methodists through the World Communion Sunday offering
that provides:
♦ Crusade Scholarships for international and U.S. racial- and ethnic-minority
graduate students;
♦ Ethnic Scholarships for undergraduate students; and
♦ Scholarships for racial- and ethnic-minority persons seeking second careers in
church-related vocations.
Our World Communion Sunday gifts nurture members of our family in faith to
engage in life-changing ministries. Please give generously on World Communion
Sunday, the first Sunday in October. Your gift makes a world of difference.
