The Crisis

In Darfur, Sudan, 300,000 to 400,000 people have died since 2003 as a result of civil unrest, lack of food and disease. More than 2.5 million children, women and men are refugees, with little food, drinkable water, protection or hope. The U.N. has identified Darfur as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.

The Response

Ginghamsburg Church is a 4500+ United Methodist congregation in Tipp City, Ohio. In December 2009, Senior Pastor Mike Slaughter challenged Ginghamsburg’s attendees for the sixth year to spend only one-half on Christmas gifts of what they would normally spend and to bring the rest in for the Sudan Project “Miracle Offering.”  This year’s result? Nearly $667,000 to continue Ginghamsburg’s child protection & development program, serving 22,000 children in Darfur, Sudan, while also expanding a four-year project enabling 14 water yards that will provide safe water and sanitation for 219,000 people, the most critical health need in Darfur today. The 2009 offering total was especially miraculous given the economic crisis.

This is the sixth year that Ginghamsburg and partner churches/schools have participated in this Christmas “Miracle Offering” initiative, which has enabled the church since January 2005 to provide $4.4 million in Darfur relief. The first year resulted in $317,000, which Ginghamsburg Church immediately used in partnership with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to establish the self-sustaining agricultural project. This project put 5209 Sudanese families back into the farming business in 2005 and resulted in a successful harvest that has now expanded to feed 80,000 people in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and host communities in Darfur until the next harvest season. The program also strengthened the region’s economy as local blacksmiths created the tools, area threshers assisted with the harvest, and resultant seed was packaged for selling at local markets. The second year’s offering resulted in $530,000, which Ginghamsburg deployed in partnership with UMCOR to initiate the five-year child protection & development program. The first year’s results included 190 teachers trained, 90 schools constructed or rehabilitated and 15,000 children receiving educational materials. The 2006 and 2007 miracles offerings each resulted in more than $1 million to continue expansion of the child development and safe water projects. As of the end of 2009, 173 schools have been constructed with almost 22,000 enrolled students.

Pastor Mike Slaughter through his speaking engagements in locations throughout North America and abroad has also challenged other churches to take compassionate action toward Darfur, which the United Nations has named as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. Those challenges to other churches as well as schools and business partners have resulted in partners providing more than 15 percent of the $4.4 million total. (View partners for the 2009 offering.) For more information on how you can help, visit Get Involved.

Our Strategic Partner - UMCOR

The United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) is the not-for-profit humanitarian agency of The United Methodist Church. Since 1940 UMCOR's mission-providing relief in disaster areas, aiding refugees and confronting the challenge of world hunger and poverty-has helped to heal the hurts of humanity in nearly 100 countries. When you give money to the United Methodist Committee on Relief one hundred percent of your tax-deductible gifts go to the emergency or project that you designate. UMCOR's administrative costs come from other sources. Visit UMCOR on the web at www.umcor.org