Following is an open letter to North Georgia United Methodists from Rev. John R. Moeller, Jr., president and CEO of Action Ministries.
Oftentimes, it is only in retrospect that the words of others really ring true and speak to us. I believe this to be true of the closing words of Jesus to his disciples in the upper room on the night before his crucifixion. At that time, he told his followers they would do even greater things than he had done while he was with them (John 14:12-14). I feel confident that those words likely fell on deaf ears that night. As a reader of this text through the years, I must admit that these words also glanced off of me.
However, these words became more powerful and real as I looked back over the course of this past summer. I’m blown away that, under the direction of Action Ministries’ staff, our volunteers (most of them United Methodist) in communities across north Georgia, ensured that many of the hungriest children received a nutritious meal 219,000 times. It is mind-boggling to think that approximately 4,380 children were fed daily by kind volunteers who often brought enrichment activities to accompany lunch, expecting nothing in return. When I look back through this lens, Jesus’s words, “You will do even greater things . . .” are brought back front and center from the recesses of my mind.
I praise God that I am caught up in the greatness of others who come together to meet the needs of the least of these in their communities. We, as United Methodists, are all bound up together in His greatness. Praise be to God!
Peace,
Rev. John R. Moeller, Jr.
President & CEO
jmoeller@actionministries.net