Special WMSCOG Newsweek Feature
The World Mission Society Church of God carries out numerous volunteer efforts around the world. In this post, I’d like to share a Newsweek story about the great contributions the Church of God has made to society and the recognition it has received for its service.
WMSCOG Newsweek Article
In July 2015, Kijun Lee wrote for Newsweek, “World Mission Society Church of God Moves the Heart of America Through Volunteer Services.” Lee writes about the numerous awards the Church of God has received for its contributions to communities in America.
On June 23, 2015, the Church of God received the President’s Volunteer Service Award. The Corporation for National and Community Service awarded the Church of God a gold medal, the highest level for group, recognizing its more than 1,000 hours of consistent volunteer services.
Lee continues, “The Church of God, which has helped underprivileged neighbors, raised citizens’ awareness, and made efforts to change the world in the U.S., was recognized in 2011 and 2014, and this is the third time to receive the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award Gold. “
To save the lives of people in desperate need of blood, the Church of God has hosted numerous blood drives in New York, New Jersey, Colorado, California, Florida and Texas. Volunteers were also among the first to respond to the needs of communities on the East Coast following the massive destruction of Hurricane Sandy. And have also carried out disaster relief efforts to victims of tornados, fires and flood.
“In Denver, Colorado, they held a charity concert to help Nepal earthquake victims on June 28, 2015, to deliver strength and courage to them […] the Nepalese ambassador to the U.S. thanked the church sincerely and presented [the Church with a] certificate of appreciation.”
In his four page WMSCOG Newsweek feature article, Lee also wrote about the Church’s environmental protection awareness campaigns, where volunteers have cleaned streets, parks, streams, rivers, and forests in cities such as Washington, DC, New York, Seattle, San Diego, Baltimore and Memphis.
The Miami-Dade County Office of the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners proclaimed January 19, 2014, as World Mission Society Church of God Day. Quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous American author, who said, “Religion is to do right. It is to love, it is to serve, it is to think, it is to be humble,” Carlos Gimenez, the Mayor, stated, “It is fitting and proper that official acknowledgement be given to the World Mission Society Church of God, for its plethora of contributions make a lasting difference in the lives of countless souls.”
Not only in the United States, but all around the world, the Church of God always looks to provide hope in the face of disaster. Lee describes that when Nepal was struck by a deadly earthquake, “even while the Nepalese government was in a state of panic, the church members in yellow vests surprised the local residents as they performed relief efforts with their bare hands. The church delivered relief goods — tents, bottled water, food, and daily [necessities.]”
The article ends by pointing out that the driving force for all of these contributions to mankind, “which moves the world beyond languages, cultures, and borders, is the love of God the Mother.” The main hope of the Church of God is to “continue to spread Mother’s love until all people can live a happy life without pain and suffering.”
This is the mind of all members of the Church of God and reflects the teachings of the Church.
