Blessed to Receive
When we think of working together with our world church family, we often think about people or resources going from Ireland to somewhere else. But MCI is also blessed to receive people from all over the world, whether they come for the long-term or just visit us for a few days.
Earlier this year, MCI hosted Rev Luca Anziani (President of the Methodist Church in Italy), Rev Godson Lawson-Kpavuvu (President of the Methodist Church Togo), and Dr. Üllas Tankler from UMC’s General Board of Global Mission. All three visits gave us the opportunity to learn from our sister churches, and to share some of MCI’s work with them. Spending time with each other is key to building strong relationships and helps to identify new ways that we might work together.
Coming to Ireland for the longer term, Antonio Flores Montano and Stefanie Gabuyo have moved from Italy to serve in mission in Dublin. They write:
“Hello, I'm Stefanie, originally from the Philippines. I was raised in Milan, Italy, in a Methodist family. I have a background in violin, choral conducting, and pharmaceutical sciences. I’m currently pursuing a degree in Theology at Cliff College, and I serve as Support Officer for the European Methodist Council.”
“And I'm Antonio, an opera singer from Mexico with a Master’s degree in Musicology. After extensive opera training in Italy and Spain, I settled in Milan. I then moved to Rome where I was involved in various roles, including coordinating the “Music Ministry Enabler Project” within Methodist churches in Italy and Europe. I’m currently completing a degree in Theology and hope to pursue a role in ordained ministry, God willing.
In October 2023, we moved to Dublin to become Pioneer Mission Leaders. We are involved in worship at Abbey Street Methodist Church and engage in conversations about God's work. Much of what we do is a response to the challenges facing migrants, and we rely on God’s guidance to address these issues and proclaim the Gospel. We have lots of initiatives planned for the future, including establishing a community care hub which will provide support and space for people who are struggling. We also hope to launch cake and music workshops to promote creativity and empower marginalised groups.”
Stefanie and Antonio’s work is supported by the World Mission Fund, a joint fund of the Methodist Church in Britain and the Methodist Church in Ireland. The fund also provides support for Irish Mission Partners serving overseas. Stefanie and Antonio’s ministry in Dublin, just like Melissa Newell’s work in Ecuador or Barry and Gillian Sloan’s mission in Germany, is a great example of how the world church can support each other. By sharing our gifts, talents and resources, we are working together toward our shared goal of growing the church and transforming the world.