A United Methodist Pastor's Theological Reflections

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory (nikos) through our Lord Jesus Christ." - I Corinthians 15:57


Saturday, January 16, 2010

In Loving Memory of Rev. Sam Dixon, Head of UMCOR


Today, we mourn the loss of Rev. Sam Dixon, head of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) who died from injuries sustained from the recent Haiti earthquake. UMCOR is the humanitarian relief and development agency of the United Methodist Church. Compelled by Christ, UMCOR responds to natural or human made disasters—those interruptions of such magnitude that they overwhelm a community's ability to recover on its own.

“Sam Dixon was a tireless servant of the church of Jesus Christ on behalf of all of us,” said Bishop Joel N. Martinez, interim top executive of the Board of Global Ministries, UMCOR’s parent agency. “His death is an incalculable loss to Global Ministries, UMCOR and our worldwide ministry of relief to God’s most vulnerable children. Our directors and staff extend their condolences to Sam’s wife, Cindy, their children, and their wider circle of friends and colleagues.”

For more information on Rev. Dixon's tragic death, click on this article from The United Methodist website.
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For information how we can offer gifts to UMCOR in response to the Haiti earthquake, here's the UMCOR link. Anyone may give to UMCOR directly and if you are part of a United Methodist congregation, you are encouraged to make a check payable to your local UM church with "Haiti Relief" on the memo, place it in the offering, and your church will send a church check to UMCOR to help the denomination keep records of the relief giving of each local congregation.
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Tomorrow, in my congregation of First UMC in Lancaster, Ohio, I will personally offer my Haiti relief gift to the glory of God in loving memory of the people of Haiti as well as Rev. Sam Dixon.

2 comments:

Judy Hug said...

Thank you for sharing the link regarding Sam's death and. more importantly, his life. There is so much to grieve yet Sam's work is not completed. I prayerfully hope that others will follow his example in caring for God's children in Haiti and throughout the world.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your kind words. Sam Dixon was my uncle and I have many a memory of him, that I will never get to relive with him. I am at a loss for words to express the loss that not only I feel but his whole family. He was an amazing man that touched many lives, and I hope that his dream and his spirit will live on in us all.