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Czech Republic Church Partnership After 40 years of oppression under Communism, the United Methodist Church and all other churches in the Czech Republic were struggling. Church buildings were in ruins after decades of abuse and neglect. Only a few clergy remained and many of them were in poor health. In 2000, Bishop William Oden of the North Texas Conference led a group of clergy to the Czech Republic as part of the In Mission Together initiative of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Our Senior Pastor, Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball was a member of this group. At the time, she was Sr. Pastor of Greenland Hills UMC. The In Mission Together program seeks to partner congregations in covenant relationships. Partnerships are for a minimum of three years (renewable) and consist of financial support of $3600 a year and the exchange of gifts, letters, and mutual visits. Most of these partnerships are between American and eastern European congregations. The North Texas Conference has entered into a conference partnership with the Czech-Slovak Conference. In August of 2005, a team of 11 persons from Suncreek UMC
visited the Czech Republic in order to
explore the possibility of forming a partner church relationship with St.
Lukas UMC in Karlovy Vary. (St. Lukas translates as St. Luke's in
English.) In late 2005, we officially began the church partnership
relationship. Suncreek's special Christmas Eve offering was designated
to support this ministry.
In July and August of 2006, we brought Rev. Miloslav Cech's, his wife Jana, and their three children (Matej, Eliska, & Jitka) to Dallas for two weeks. It was an extraordinary visit that was spiritually uplifting to all parties. We are planning to send another team to the Czech Republic in the Summer of 2007. Our current plans are to staff an English Language camp for persons in the community. This is a great way to build relationships with persons in the community and to introduce them to the church. Why
build a relationship with a church so far away?
In our work
in Juarez, Mexico, we often encounter families that are spiritually rich, yet
they are coping with severe poverty. We feel called to help them move from
cardboard homes to cinder block homes.
The beauty
of the town of Karlovy Vary can be deceiving. The exterior of the town looks
like a little bit of paradise. Most of the persons who support the tourist
industry of the town live in smaller communities that surround Karlovy Vary.
They have a modest income, an adequate home, and basic healthcare. (The
average family income in the Czech Republic is about $600 a month.) They now
have political freedom. Yet, some have said that there are times when their
country seems like a spiritual desert.
They express
that the visits of persons from churches like Suncreek are vital. They
share that it is easy for Christian leaders to get discouraged and feel
isolated. They are seeking to revive a church that is relevant to
contemporary life in the Czech Republic. They experience contact with an
active and growing church like Suncreek as spiritually energizing. They are
seeking new ideas about how to do ministry and to reach those who are
searching. They proclaim, "we need your help."
Progress on the Renovation of the Historic Church Building Our support, support from
another Methodist Church in Virginia, and Czech government grants for historic
buildings permitted replacing about 75% of the slate roof in 2005.
Completing repair of the remainder of the roof will cost about $30,000.
After that goal has been achieved, attention will be focused on replacing the
very old and unusable electrical wiring in the church. Summer 2007 English Camp We took a team to Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic in July 2007 to conduct an English Camp. The camps was for youth and young adults in the community who already had some basic English knowledge. This is part of our efforts to introduce the church to residents of Karlovy Vary. Due to the decades of Communism and occupation many persons were taught to be suspicious of churches and that the Christian faith is something old and irrelevant. At the conclusion of the trip, we spent some time in the city of Prague. Summer 2008 English Camp We are seeking team members to participate in our second annual English Camp in Karlovy Vary from July 10-21, 2008. If you are interested in being part of a future team, contact Janet Hunt in the church office.
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