Maximizing Efforts for Relief, Care and Youth Worldwide
The Benevolent Arm of the International Christian Churches
Overseen by Nick and Denise Bordieri
“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11
“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Proverbs 14:31
“He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done.” Proverbs 19:17
“Rich and poor have this in common: the Lord is the Maker of them all.” Proverbs 22:2
“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Proverbs 22:9
“He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.” Proverbs 28:27
“Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17
“The poor you will always have with you.” Matthew 26:11
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” James 1:27
After Kip and Elena asked us to consider leading the formation of a benevolent arm within our movement of churches around the world, we reflected on our experiences living, working and traveling in different regions of the world where we witnessed first-hand the poverty, despair and hopelessness of so many.
We went back home to study the Scriptures to better understand what God had to say about the poor, the needy and the destitute. As we read, God made it very clear that there will always be the poor, the widows, the orphans and those who are in need among us. What was also very clear was His command, as disciples of Jesus Christ, to “give”, “defend”, “encourage”, “share”, “look after” and “be kind” to them. If we follow Jesus’ example of love and compassion for those in need, “we will honor God”. (Proverbs 14:31) However, “if we close our eyes to the poor we will receive many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27) As we read and prayed, we were broken and convicted seeing God’s heart toward those who are in need.
We are very excited and extremely humbled to be appointed to lead this effort for God’s new movement. At the 2008 Jubilee, we kicked it off with a contest to name our new benevolent organization. We received an overwhelming number of responses. Thank you to all who submitted names. After reading the many entries and through much prayer, we are very excited to announce the name of the new organization: MERCYworldwide, an acronym for Maximizing Efforts for Relief, Care and Youth worldwide. The winner of the contest is Shay Vloet.
MERCYworldwide seems a fitting name, as it reflects the character and the humble beginnings of this new movement. Just a few short years ago, God began gathering a remnant of sold-out, like-minded disciples from all walks of life and from different parts of the world in Portland, Oregon. Out of God’s MERCY, He raised us up from the ashes of despair, giving us a new life. With this small remnant, He began working powerfully to rebuild His Kingdom. Today, we stand as a unified movement of God, with over 30 congregations in 17 countries. The unique advantage we have to affect change in the world, both as a movement and as MERCYworldwide, is the unified, focused effort of all the disciples in our congregations around the world.
MERCYworldwide will start small, like the mustard seed in Jesus’ parable. To begin, each church planting in our young movement has agreed to contribute 2% of their weekly contribution to support the building of the MERCYworldwide organization. Initially, programs will minister to the needs of our local communities. In 2009, a Day of MERCY will be designated, at which time each of us within our local congregations will Maximize Efforts for Relief, Care and Youth in need within our communities. In time, the scope of our charitable work will broaden to national and international programs, which prayerfully will attract sponsors from the private sector, both individuals and corporations, and partnerships with larger benevolent organizations for greater impact.
MERCYworldwide will be led out of Los Angeles, but there will be MERCYworldwide representatives within each of our local churches, with specific responsibilities that include:
Developing and coordinating programs for our local communities.
Remaining connected to the central organization as we develop and implement programs at the national and international levels.
We are thankful that Kip and Elena, who are leading our young movement of churches, gained tremendous experience in building a global, faith-based charity in HOPEworldwide. In 1991, the McKeans asked Bob and Pat Gempel to lead this fledgling effort to minister to the poor and needy around the world for the Boston Movement, which in 1994 was named the International Churches of Christ (ICOC). In 10 years time, HOPEworldwide built projects in over 80 countries, which included building homes for lepers in India, a free hospital in Cambodia, job training for young women who renounced their lifestyle of prostitution in Thailand, AIDS information and treatment in South Africa and Ivory Coast, partnering with orphanages for adoptions from China and Romania, soup kitchens in Russia, and in the United States, there was nationwide immunization canvassing, as well as free computer mentoring of less fortunate teenagers. This short list recognizes but a few of the amazing efforts of HOPEworldwide.
During those years, Kip served as the Chairman of the Board for HOPEworldwide. As the leader of the movement, Kip, along with all the World Sector Leaders, was able to mobilize every member of the ICOC to participate in designated HOPEworldwide projects. Sadly, today the Gempels have retired from leading HOPEworldwide.
The present HOPEworldwide leadership has expressed that they have no desire for any involvement from the new movement. Perhaps most discouraging of all the consequences of the ICOC reverting to the Mainline Church of Christ’s government of autonomy is, no longer can the entire ICOC fellowship be mobilized.
However, with a central leadership, the SoldOut Movement, the International Christian Churches, will inspire and mobilize each and every member to be a volunteer force whether local or global, participating either personally and/or financially. Therefore, if you are “partners in the gospel” within the SoldOut Movement, it is now our honor and privilege to share with you in the work and blessings of MERCYworldwide!
By faith as a movement, we will take the gospel to all nations in this generation! Therefore, we envision programs in all the nations that meet the needs of “as many as possible”. Be assured, our benevolent dreams are not an end in themselves, but another way to testify to the light of Jesus in this very dark world. Therefore, by the MERCY of God, by the power of His Spirit unleashed through our tearful prayers, and by the unified volunteers from all of our churches, God will Maximize Efforts for Relief, Care and Youth worldwide!
And to God be the glory!
Nick and Denise Bordieri
