wfn.org | London Mennonite elder

[BethAH <BethAH@mbm.org>]

August 15, 2001
Beth Hawn
Mennonite Board of Missions
(219) 294-7523
<NEWS@MBM.org>
August 15, 2001

London Mennonite elder to develop short-term opportunities

BARCELONA, Spain (MBM)  In response to continued interest in
short-term mission opportunities in Europe, Mennonite Board of
Missions has appointed Tim Foley to a half-time position
developing opportunities in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Foley, a paid elder for the past four years at Woodgreen
Mennonite Church in London, England, will begin his new duties
Oct. 1.

What Im supposed to do is facilitate young people from the
[United] States coming over to volunteer through already
established programs like RAD (Reaching and Discipling) and Youth
Venture.   In addition, Foley will focus on developing
assignments for individuals looking for short-term assignments of
up to one year.

While some of the placements developed may be working in civil
society organizations such as Foundation for the Victims of
Torture, Foley hopes to create several placements with churches
in England.

While there is only one Mennonite church [in England], Foley
said, there are a number of Anabaptist-related churches.  I hope
to draw on that.  Some of them have access to volunteers through
their own denominational programs, so part of it is helping them
to see how attractive this is.

The churches, Foley said, would benefit from the energy of the
young people and from their training.  As long as the church has
some sort of program set up, there is the potential [for the
volunteers] to do a lot of good work, to lay foundations for
longer term projects.

The volunteers, Foley believes, would also provide an injection
of hope for small congregations struggling to find their way in
the post-Christian reality of todays United Kingdom.

Only 10 percent of Britains population consider themselves
active members of a church.
The church is in decline, Foley said.  Its one of those
things that gets dropped off the list as things get busy.

The result is a large number of small congregations struggling to
survive in a pagan society, Foley said.

It will be interesting for kids, Foley said, because the
church is very strong in the United States, and by contrast, the
UK will be a mission field.  The churches lack hope and it can
be a draining experience.  But its a reality they may have to
face in the future in the United States.

Persons interested in serving in England would apply through
Mennonite Board of Missions or, after February 2002, the
Mennonite Mission Network, Foley said.

Once volunteers are screened in North America, Foley would work
to match volunteers with available assignments, or could develop
a new assignment to fit the needs and skills of a volunteer.

Its such a new thing, really, he said, but we see it as a
good thing for both sides.  We want to make it work.

Youth Venture allows youth, ages 14 to 20, to seize the
opportunity to see their world from another perspective through a
one- to two-week summer service experience in North America or
internationally (age 16 to 20 only).  Youth Venture is jointly
administered by Mennonite Board of Missions (Mennonite Church)
and the Commission on Home Ministries (General Conference
Mennonite Church).

RAD (Reaching and Discipling) offers youth, age 18 and older, a
way to explore meaningful short-term mission as they receive
three months of intensive discipleship training, followed by an
eight-month team assignment to a mission site in Europe, Latin or
North America.
* * *
Grant E. Rissler