In a world increasingly defined by crisis – political instability, economic injustice, climate change and mass displacement – 42 young adults see a different future: one guided by faith, service and deep commitment to community. In Accra, Ghana, The General Board of Global Ministries commissioned the 2025-2027 cohort of Global Mission Fellows (GMFs) to serve in 23 countries around the world for two years.
While these young adults range in age, background and vocation, a common thread in their stories is clear – a calling to put faith into action and embody change through community.
Young Adults Serving Communities Worldwide
For many fellows in this cohort, a call to community is not new. It’s been growing for years, shaped by personal experiences, academic study and spiritual formation.
Jonathan Odia Mwaba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, will serve in the West Angola Conference in the area of agriculture. His calling emerged from seeing his own community’s struggles. “I witnessed the struggles of smallholder farmers like food insecurity, environmental degradation and limited access to resources. These experiences shaped my understanding of the interplay between social justice, environmental stewardship and community resilience.”
Mwaba grew up in The United Methodist Church and earned a degree in agriculture and natural resources management. “Fundamentally, my goal as a fellow is to create long-lasting change by integrating agricultural knowledge with social and environmental justice. I believe together and through shared learning, new ideas can be developed and created that are beneficial both to people and the planet.”
Seul “Stella” Lee, a native of South Korea who will serve in Germany, sensed the call to serve God in another country and different culture. “Missionary work is not simply about spreading the gospel, but also about putting God’s love into practice,” she said. Lee will work at Bethanien Diakonissen Stiftung (Bethanien Deaconess Foundation) to support vulnerable groups who receive very little to no governmental assistance, like people with mental illness and the elderly.
Bolivian fellow Anssery Ivia Mamani Cala, will serve with the Evangelical United Methodist Church of Ecuador. Education is a core piece of her calling. “Global Mission Fellows offers me the ideal platform to put into practice what I’ve learned as an early childhood educator and what I’m passionate about: working for a more just and inclusive world” she said.
A Charge to Extend Love and Care
Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana, the Most. Rev. Prof. Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, delivered the sermon and led the act of commissioning. He was joined by four more bishops and Global Ministries representatives who laid hands on the fellows. After they were commissioned, the new fellows were vested with the anchor cross by the outgoing class of GMFs who have journeyed with them as candidates.
As the fellows go forth from Accra, they are sent by The United Methodist Church with both a blessing and a charge: to extend love and care in uncertain times, to build community in unlikely places and to trust that God is already present in the work they are called to do.
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excerpt from a story by Sara Logeman, senior manager of Content and Marketing for Global Ministries
