| Bishop's CornerA
School In Mozambique
By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker
 At the 2001
Florida Annual Conference, United Methodists of Florida contributed
generously to a fund for the construction of a school in Mozambique in
memory of the late Bishop Cornelius Henderson and in honor of his
spouse, Dorothye. Since then others have continued to contribute to this
mission. A total of $265,599 has been given toward the goal of $250,000.
Congratulations to you on surpassing your goal! As soon as a team from
the Florida Conference can visit Mozambique to approve plans for
construction, this school can be built. You will make a profound
contribution to the lives of children in Africa.
This mission is part of an initiative of the
Council of Bishops called “Hope For the Children of Africa.” This
initiative is an invitation for United Methodists around the globe to
invest in the future of God’s children in Africa. It is a part of a
larger initiative known as the “Bishops’ Initiative on Children
and Poverty” (BICAP), which is a challenge for the United Methodist
Church to be involved in ministry to children in local communities and
around the globe, especially where poverty is robbing them of their
chance to develop fully as the children of God.
At the 2002 Florida Annual Conference Event in
Lakeland May 28-31 another special offering will be received.
Seventy-five percent will be designated for “Hope For the Children
of Africa,” and 25 percent will be designated for BICAP to be used
in Florida to provide grants to local congregations in ministry to
children.
The first $50,000 in contributions to “Hope
For the Children of Africa” will be designated for use by the East
Angola Conference. Bishop Jose Quipungo of East Angola has informed me
that the East Angola Conference will begin construction of a school in
March for 980 children. Angola is one of the countries of the world
that has been most devastated by war in the past. Including the
support for the Henderson School and the contribution to East Angola,
eventually we hope to raise $450,000 for the entire initiative of “Hope
For the Children of Africa.”
I give thanks to the living God for what you are
doing for God’s beautiful children in Africa as you are led by the
Holy Spirit in witness to Jesus Christ our Sovereign and Savior.
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