United Methodist Committee on Relief

On April 26, 1940, at a meeting of the General Conference of The Methodist Church, retired Bishop Herbert Welch, in view of the horrific violence of World War II, called for the formation of an agency to respond to the vast needs of human suffering worldwide, and to act as a "voice of conscience among Methodists". The result was the Methodist Committee on Relief (MCOR), which focused on studying the most urgent needs and pressing problems around the world, reporting these needs to the local churches, and administering the necessary funds to "the least of these" through partner agencies and ecumenical networks.

In its first decade of operation, committee members faced troubling questions concerning the allocation of funds, partnerships with non-Methodist organizations, the specific nature of their relief work, and continually generating interest in their cause. Their fears were eased when Americans, eager to help after the United States entered the war, all pulled together to support African, Asian, and European countries devastated by the conflict.

The first ten years of UMCOR (it adopted the title United Methodist Committee on Relief in 1968) saw the organization of several services, endeavors, and initiatives, and saw over nine million dollars, from donations both large and small, make its way to refugees, the homeless, and hungry persons all over the world.

Started only as a temporary relief unit, the committee repeatedly received approval from the General Conference to continue its important work, and eventually, in 1972, became an institutionalized unit of the church and part of the General Board of Global Ministries.

An evolution of focus came about in the following decades, allowing the United Methodist Committee on Relief to reach more people. For instance, whether the problem was earthquakes in Nicaragua, hurricanes in Haiti, famine in Africa, or domestic tornadoes and floods, victims were significantly helped by the Annual Conference Disaster Response System, where coordinators were trained to organize recovery programs and work with government agencies to provide relief. As countries such as Liberia, Rwanda, and Bosnia underwent civil strife, UMCOR was there to rehabilitate and rebuild affected villages and communities. While focusing on disaster relief and refugee resettlements, emphasis was also placed on eradicating the roots of hunger and poverty, with several programs establishing training schools and giving individuals the skills to become educationally and economically self-reliant.

Text taken from the Encyclopedia of World Methodism, Volume 2 and the UMCOR website with permission.