Thomas Kemper, who serves as the general secretary and chief executive of the General Board of Global Ministries, the mission and humanitarian assistance agency of the United Methodist Church, has joined the board of directors of Heifer International. The board is composed of 18 members from diverse backgrounds in the business, agriculture, academic, faith-based and private sectors.
For more than 70 years, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training around the world and currently is working in more than 30 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant.
Mr. Kemper cited in a Feb. 20 news release the already established collaboration between Heifer and United Methodist congregations and agencies. “I look forward to a deepening relationship, and I am eager to learn more about Heifer’s innovative models of community and economic development,” he said.
He is an advocate of developing partnerships between institutions like Heifer and the United Methodist Church. “Faith-based organizations have expanding opportunities in the broad field of development and can be most productive when they work together,” he said.
Global Ministries currently supports 340 missionaries in 60 countries. It also has personnel, projects and partners in 136 countries. Heifer has a long history of collaborating with the people of the United Methodist Churches and the General Board of Global Ministries. For years, congregations have supported Heifer’s work through contributions via The Advance, an official program of The United Methodist Church for voluntary, designated giving from churches and individuals
Mr. Kemper is based in Atlanta. He began his career with the church in 1986 when he served as a missionary in Brazil for eight years until returning to his native Germany to lead ecumenical advocacy at one of the regional churches within the Association of Protestant Churches. From 1996-2010, he served as mission leader for the United Methodist German Central Conference.
For more information, call Laura Finkelstein at 908 328 4156.
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