Global Missions

International Missionary Support and Ministry

Rev. John Calhoun

General Board of Global Ministries of the Methodist Church

Vienna, Austria

Rev. John Calhoun is a GBGM Multicultural Ministries Leader, currently serving as pastor of the English-Speaking UMC in Vienna. Prior to that, John was the Coordinator of International Ministries in Kiev, Ukraine.

Megan Ginder Melicharova*

United World Mission

Prague, Czech Republic

Megan is the leader of discipleship programs in the local Czech church; also involved in outreach programs for young adults who have grown up in a predominantly atheistic country.

*A daughter of First UMC

NATHAN BURKE

Romania Without Orphans

Iasi, Romania

Nathan, a native of York, moved to Romania in 2001 to work with orphans. He is part of a ministry called “Romania Without Orphans”, which is under the umbrella of “Co-Mission for Children at Risk”, an organization in Mount Joy. Nathan's vision is comprised of two points:

• to be a father to the fatherless and to be part of a movement to empower Romanian believers
• to care for orphans. Nathan serves on the Romania Without Orphans movement's core team with a focus on training and supporting families to help children who have experienced trauma.

Jamaica Ministry

Support for the restoration and maintenance of Watsonton Methodist Church to encourage the spiritual education and well being of the children and members of the Lionel Town, Jamaica community.

Sierra Leone Initiative

The Sierra Leone Initiative is a ministry of the Susquehanna Conference to provide medical clinics, schools, theological training, trade schools and other resources to assist recovery from the ravages of war. Our partner congregation is the Methodist Church in Kissy Brook-Moyiba.

Raising Hope, Inc.—Ukraine

A registered 501c3 nonprofit, Raising Hope provides Christ’s love and hope to orphanages and other institutions, children, and families in need in Ukraine through various means of support.

HOPE International 

HOPE invests in the dreams of families in the world’s most under-served communities while proclaiming and living the Gospel. They share the hope of Christ as they provide biblically based training, savings services, and loans that restore dignity and break the cycle of poverty. The love of Jesus Christ motivates them to identify with those living in poverty and be His hands and feet as they strive to glorify God.

Uganda Children Support

In 2013, First UMC partnered with the Children’s Heart Project, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. Members hosted 2 young boys from Uganda along with their mothers while the boys had surgery for Congenital Heart Disease at Hershey Medical Center. Feeling that God led the boys, Edwin and Naushad, into the life of our church family, we have committed to help with their educational expenses in Uganda.