Dear friends and members of University UMC:
March is Women's History Month, and today, I’m thinking about many of the women I’ve had the privilege of knowing through the United Methodist Church’s worldwide connection. Recently I made a quick trip to Chicago for a work meeting. I serve on the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women - one of our United Methodist general agencies. We gathered to celebrate the election of a new General Secretary, the Rev. Stephanie York Arnold who moved from her local church appointment in Alabama to lead the agency. I am excited about her leadership and the board meetings are always a wonderful time to connect with friends and colleagues from around the world. We heard from one of our board members who lives in The Congo. We have our problems here in our homeland for sure. Hearing her stories reminds me others also have stories of pain, suffering, and devastating loss.
We also heard from another member who lives in The Philippines, my new friend Jenn. She shared about the more than 150 women political prisoners in her homeland who risked their lives to fight oppression and uphold human rights. As Jenn spoke, I recalled the witness of Norma Dollaga, a United Methodist deaconess in The Philippines. When a campaign against the use of illegal drugs became a government-sanctioned war against the poor who used drugs, Dollaga became an outspoken advocate for the right of the poor not to be killed. She and other courageous faith leaders refused to be intimidated by then-President Rodrigo Duterte and other government officials who villainized church leaders and others who spoke up for the poor. Norma Dollaga was awarded the World Methodist Council Peace Award and you can read more about her story below. After Jenn shared, she gave each of us a gift - a keychain made by the women political prisoners. As you can imagine, there was not a dry eye in the house.
