GMC of SC Announces Proposed International Missions Partnerships
Vote to be held at 2025 Behold Annual Conference

Churches across South Carolina are eager to engage in meaningful evangelistic and gospel-centered missions around the globe through the GMC, and our Missions Collective is ready to guide the annual conference in this important work.

In preparation for the 2025 Behold Annual Conference, the Missions Collective is pleased to announce a proposal for the GMC of SC to partner with the Oasis Annual Conference (Africa) and the Peru Annual Conference.  This proposal is the result of months of hard work, site visits, interviews, and prayer.  The Missions Collective is making this proposal and will share additional testimony leading up to a discussion and vote at Behold.

“The Global Methodist Church recognizes the value of partnerships between U. S. annual conferences and both existing and emerging global conferences,” says Janis Albergotti, Missions Collective Chair. “We are one Church in many locations and have much to learn from one another as we engage in mission together. The Mission’s Collective is excited for the GMC of SC to have this international partnership opportunity and we look forward to all that God will do in and through us.” 

At the 2024 Behold Annual Conference, a motion was passed to encourage the Missions Collective to begin exploring potential international missions partnerships. 

“I am very grateful for the hard work of our Missions Collective in preparing this report,” said Conference Superintendent Erik Grayson. “As I visit churches across the state, I continually hear a desire from folks to engage in missions projects and the hope that the annual conference will help provide a model for doing so.  The Missions Collective has reflected very carefully on viable partners and how to make this a missiologically responsible practice.  I look forward to seeing what comes next.” 

About International Partnerships

Why International Partnerships? The Global Methodist Church does not have a top-down approach to mission partnerships; rather, each US annual conference is allowed to establish their own partnerships to help support an emerging international annual conference. One of the goals of international partnerships is to develop genuine relationships between US and international branches of the church.  Partnerships will include financial resources, but it should also be an opportunity where both partners share their faith and strengthen each other through prayer, presence, and proclamation.

What is the financial ask to the GMC of SC? The GMC of SC is seeking to contribute a tithe (10%) of our annual budget to international missions partnerships. This amount will be approximately $85,000 to $90,000 in FY 2025/2026.  With the addition of new churches, and the conservative stewardship of our Finance and Administration team, the GMC of SC should be able to comfortably make this commitment and still increase the conference budget in other needed areas.

How will the GMC of SC decide to support international conferences? The Missions Collective has identified the Oasis Annual Conference (Africa) and the Peru Annual Conference as our first potential partners.  An exploratory visit to Oasis occurred this January and provided for first-hand interactions with mission and ministry leaders. A draft MOU was produced in this context that will be presented for affirmation at Behold 2025.  An exploratory visit to Peru will occur later in 2025 for the purpose of discerning next steps, with a possible MOU with Peru slated for Behold 2026.  Over the next several months, the Missions Collective will share information with the GMC of SC in anticipation of a vote affirming these next steps at the 2025 Behold Annual Conference.

What about supporting the persecuted church? There are regions of the world where the gospel is spreading rapidly among unreached people groups, yet local conditions are hostile to Christianity.  A region known as the 10/40 window, located between 10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator, is one of the world’s most unreached regions with a population of over 3 billion people.  Churches in this region, which includes nations in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, are often forced to operate ‘underground’ with limited resources. Yet despite the fear of reprisal, the church is continuing to make new disciples of Jesus Christ.  The Global Methodist Church is committed to supporting the spread of the gospel among these unreached peoples, but we recognize that supporting annual conferences in these regions will look different than in regions with a safe and established church.  Therefore, support to emerging annual conferences in the persecuted church will likely not be focused on creating sustainability, but rather on providing critical mission support for a set period of time.

Why did the Missions Collective propose supporting two international conferences?  The Missions Collective believes supporting both the Oasis and Peru Conferences together is a smart move for the GMC of SC.  The Oasis Conference is an urgent kingdom need that will rely on small group visits and financial support.  The Peru Conference does not have a high financial need, but their relatively safe and accessible location will enable significant relational ministry.  By pairing Oasis and Peru together, the GMC of SC will support the spread of the gospel in hostile areas and will allow our churches to develop a relational ministry with a South American partner.  

The Oasis Annual Conference

What is the Oasis Conference? The Oasis Conference is an emerging annual conference in Africa serving the persecuted church.  Operating in a number of ‘closed nations,’ the Oasis Conference is following the Spirit to reach people in Muslim majority countries where conversion and baptism are often illegal…