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188Th Annual Session Liberia Annual Conference the United Methodist Church

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188Th Annual Session Liberia Annual Conference the United Methodist Church Office of Connectional Ministries Liberia Annual Conference The United Methodist Church Connectional Ministries 2020 Annual Program Performance R E P O R T Presented to 188th Annual Session Liberia Annual Conference The United Methodist Church Performance Review Contents 1.0 Introduction & Overview 01 a) Program Management & Implementation 01 b) Strategic Direction Engagements 04 2.0 Program Performance & Ministry Actions 06 a) Pillar One - Evangelism, Spiritual Formation and Mission 06 b) Pillar Two - Financial and Infrastructure Management, Accountability & Stewardship 12 c) Pillar Three - Agriculture & Rural Development 18 d) Pillar Four - Education, Human Capacity Development & Outreach 23 e) Pillar Five - Health & Social Welfare 46 f) Pillar Six - Peace, Reconciliation and Unity 80 g) Pillar Seven - Age–Level Ministries 85 h) Pillar Eight - Ecumenical Relations and Connectional Partnerships 102 3.0 Next Steps & Conclusion 103 a) Program Mid-Term Performance Appraisal b) Ministry Review and Conclusion Submitted by: Rev. George D. Wilson, Jr., Director Office of Connectional Ministries, LAC-UMC Approved: Rev. Dr. J. Sarwolo Nelson, Jr., Acting Chairperson Council on Connectional Ministries & Strategic Connectional Ministries - 2020 Annual Report Commission, LAC-UMC 0 | P a g e Office of Connectional Ministries Liberia Annual Conference United Methodist Church Corner of Tubman Boulevard & 12th Street, Sinkor Monrovia - Liberia 1.0 Introduction & Overview The Office of Connectional Ministries of the Liberia Annual Conference is honored to present its program performance report for activities undertaken over the last conference year, March 2020 – February 2021. Thou challenged by the global health pandemic, and occasioned by the shot-down of routine activities, the Liberia Episcopal Area undertook a number activities that provided basic health services as well as humanitarian support. The health services provided some essential medical support while humanitarian support provided some immediate relief supplies to local communities. In support of the global call for addressing situation, the Resident Bishop of the Liberia Area Episcopal Area, Bishop Samuel J. Quire, Jr., constituted an Anti-COVID-19 Task Force. With reasonable normalcy emerging few months later, the LAC-UMC Anti-COVID-19 Task Force was reconstituted and named: Disaster Relief and Response Committee. Alongside the limited activities undertaken, the Office of Connectional Ministries coordinated the execution of some essential mission and ministry actions. As such this program performance report is presented for your appraisal. This stock taking exercise is to appraise you of some the various actions undertaken by the various organizations, program agencies and mission stations as activities to support the mission and ministry of the United Methodist Church in Liberia. This annual performance review covers actions taken by a number of program agencies and mission stations whose activities particularly focus on addressing the needs of the health pandemic, Anti-COVID-19 and the provision of some basic relief support as well as limited program management support and services. However, as a result of the challenging situation, the global health pandemic, only a few program agencies and mission stations could undertake some activities. The annual program performance review is being facilitated through the Strategic Direction Program implementation process with the conference organization, program agencies and mission station positioned accordingly. However, this annual performance review contains submission from two (2) conference organizations, seventeen (17) program agencies, and, four (4) mission stations. a) Program Management & Implementation Administration & Supervision The cardinal duties for managing the program implementation of the Liberia Episcopal Area is being facilitated by the Office of Connection Ministries through two keys functions - general administration and personnel services, and supervision, monitoring and evaluation. These functions executed a number of activities this conference year. Among the various activities executed include the following: 1 | P a g e i) Distribution of Solar System Accessories; ii) LAC-UMC Web Site Development; iii) LAC-UMC Internet Usage Policy; iv) LAC-UMC Email Address (www.liberiaumc.org); and, v) LAC-UMC Staff Manual. Communications & Information Dissemination The dissemination of information is entrusted to the Liberia Annual Conference’s Department of Communication. This responsibilities is extending beyond radio broadcasting to other activities that include internet television broadcasting, audio-visual activities, among others. However, the information technology system recently provided by a program partner of the Liberia Episcopal Area is making communication interaction a little more accessible with the global community. Meanwhile, the Department of Communication remains most instrumental, very serviceable and useful in providing information dissemination. Department of Communications Introduction: The Director of Communications, Station Manager and the entire Staff of the Communications Team extend deep and sincere appreciation and greetings to the Director of Connectional Ministries for his continued guidance and support during the reporting period. His occasional insights and perspectives contributed enormously in containing several explosive situations at the department. We also owe a debt of deep gratitude to our Bishop, Dr. Samuel Jerome Quire, Jr. and the entire leadership of the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church for the opportunity given us to serve our church. Administration: The establishment of the Department of Communications was flawed with the exclusive focus on the Radio Department to the exclusion of audio visual and print productions. All staff, tools and equipment were purchased to support radio production. No attention was given to other areas of communications including print and audio visual. Trying to reverse this trend has been challenging; especially without budgetary support. We have however made some progress in utilizing other media channels but not in a very sustained manned. We also have not succeeded in enlisting the support and mainstreaming communications’ activities of the various programs, missions and clusters in crosscutting communications. Most programme agencies are just not interested or feel comfortable with external media collaboration. The DOC have a staff of seven (7) on the payroll of the Annual Conference and nine (9) volunteers drawing from various communications training schools in the country. In this group, the Station Manager has a BA in Sociology and the rest of the Team are High School graduate and at various levels of college. 2 | P a g e Finally, there is too much favor and external interferences in the activities and management of the Department. We will not advance the objectives of the DOC without reversing these vices. The DOC must be made into a professional entity with highly principled and disciplined staff. The Department of Communications of the Liberia Annual Conference has repeatedly faced enormous challenge of power supply during the reporting period, this situation became even more complex the five ampere provided to the Department by Orange Liberia could no longer operate our transmitter and studio equipment. With the assistance of the Bishop and other Annual Conference Members, we negotiated with Orange Liberia and our electricity supply from Orange was increased from five ampere to twenty ampere. We want to thank the Bishop for his kind intervention. Radio Broadcasts During the reporting period, the Department through its Radio Station 98.7 FM broadcast daily from 4:00am to 12:00am. The broadcast includes a mix of sermons, hymns, top shows, announcements and other motivational purposes. Repair and Rehabilitation: During the reporting period, the Department purchased a new control board, a new Head phone and new Air-condition for the studio. We also purchased sixteen new batteries, one blower, and etc. United Methodist Church Television: The Department of Communications has commenced the expansion and diversification of its program and structure with the creation of the Department of Online Television within the Audio Visual component of the Department. We manage forty (40) hours of daily broadcasts, two hundred and eighty (280) hours of weekly and one thousand one hundred and twenty (1.120) hours of monthly broadcasts using sixteen (16) staff. Programme/Mission Communications Support This aspect of our work is what is generally referred to cross-cutting communications support. What it means is the mainstreaming and prioritizing communication issues of the various programme agencies; mission stations and ensuring that there are disseminated regularly and strategically. It implies a clear consensus of the target audience, key messages, and channels and use of message treatment and positioning principles. It also suggests a desire and willingness of programme agencies to appreciate the need for strategically driven communications. During the reporting period, the Department of Communications commenced assigning staff at the various programme agencies to support their communications initiatives. As a result of these 3 | P a g e initial engagements, the DOC have visited the Old Folks Home, the Agriculture Project, the Basic Education and have produced various programs and special features. Bishop’s Prayer for the Nation:
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