£10,000 grant to Methodist Church in storm-battered Fiji
A solidarity grant of £10,000 has been sent to the MethodistChurch in Fiji, which has been helping communities affected byflooding after a tropical storm hit the islands.
A powerful tropical storm hit Fiji in early April, of a severitynot known for years. It is proving difficult to assess the fullextent of the damage, but it is clear that so far at least sevenpeople have lost their lives and the livelihoods and homes ofthousands have been destroyed. The Fijian Church is providingsupport for flood affected families, offering them clothes, food,kitchenwares and utensils, as well as other donations made bychurch members.
"In the western region of Fiji, this flooding was the third timethis year that devastating heavy rain has taken lives and leftthousands of families homeless," said mission partner JuliaEdwards. "Once again, the Church has acted quickly to help thosemost in need. We are very thankful for the generous support thatwill enable people to start to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.Relief efforts have been ongoing and the youth of the Church havebeen especially active."
The grant, which has been provided by the British Church's WorldMission Fund, will help the Church's ministers to exercise theirpastoral role in their communities.
The Church's ministers themselves have been effected, as the cropsthat would have paid their stipends have been lost. This has leftthem worried about how to feed their own families as well as servethe needs of their communities.
"The Methodist Church in Fiji is already showing its greatgenerosity to those whose lives and livelihoods have beendevastated by the flooding," said Christine Elliott, Secretary forExternal relationships for the Methodist Church in Britain "We hopethat this grant helps them as they live out their call to clothethe vulnerable and feed the hungry."
People can donate to the World Mission Fund online