Philippines Partnership
The Mississippi–West Tennessee Conference of the Global Methodist Church partners with two Global Methodist conferences in the Philippines: the Mega Manila Conference and the Covenant Conference. Through these relationships we are also connected with Global Methodist congregations serving Filipino Christians in the Middle East, including churches in Qatar, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. The churches in the Middle East are currently connected administratively to the Mega Manila Conference, while our partnership in the Philippines includes both the Mega Manila Conference and the Covenant Conference. Many Filipinos live and work throughout the Gulf region, and churches there often maintain close relationships with pastors and congregations in the Philippines. These connections have created a natural link between churches in the Philippines and Global Methodist congregations serving believers overseas.
Global Methodist Churches in the Philippines
Many Global Methodist congregations in the Philippines have formed in recent years. When pastors aligned with the Global Methodist Church, many were not able to leave their previous denomination with their buildings or congregations. As a result, many pastors planted new churches. These congregations often began meeting in homes, rented spaces, or small gathering places before gradually organizing and growing. Our conference currently partners with two conferences in the Philippines: the Mega Manila Conference and the Covenant Conference.
Filipino Christians in the Middle East
Millions of Filipinos live and work outside the Philippines, including large populations in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Because of this, many Christian congregations in those countries include Filipino members and leaders. Today Global Methodist congregations meet in Doha, Qatar, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. These congregations serve Filipino believers working in the region while also ministering to Christians from many other nations.
How Churches Operate in Qatar
Christian worship in Qatar takes place within government approved religious complexes. Churches are allowed to gather but must meet within these designated areas. Because of this structure many congregations share the same facilities, churches from different denominations meet in the same complex, and congregations rotate worship times throughout the week. Churches in Qatar cooperate through the Evangelical Churches Alliance Qatar, which includes over 130 congregations from many Christian traditions.
A New Worship Complex in Qatar (Miracle In the Desert)
To serve the growing number of congregations, the alliance is constructing a new worship complex. The total cost of the entire ECAC worship complex is estimated to be about 50 million dollars and is shared by many participating churches and denominations.. Each participating group contributes toward the construction of its own worship space within the complex, while shared areas such as hallways, parking, and infrastructure serve all congregations using the building. Even with the new facility, many churches will continue rotating worship times. The additional space will help relieve scheduling pressure and allow more congregations to gather.
Administrative Structure of the Middle East Churches
The Global Methodist congregations in the Middle East are not yet large enough to form their own annual conference. According to the Global Methodist Church Book of Doctrines and Discipline, a conference must meet certain size and organizational requirements before it can be recognized as its own conference. For that reason, the Global Methodist churches in Qatar, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi currently fall under the Mega Manila Conference for administrative oversight until the churches in the region grow large enough to form their own conference.
The Global Methodist Portion of the Qatar Project
The Global Methodist Church is not funding the entire complex. Instead, the Global Methodist contribution supports one worship space within the larger facility. This portion of the project is expected to cost roughly 450,000 dollars including furnishings. The space will seat about 200 worshipers and will provide a permanent gathering place for Global Methodist congregations serving believers in the region.
The Global Methodist portion of the worship center still needs approximately $270,000 to complete the space reserved for Global Methodist congregations. Churches and individuals who would like to support this effort can contribute through the Mississippi–West Tennessee Conference. Donations can be made by clicking the button below and selecting “Qatar” from the giving options. These gifts will go directly toward completing the worship space that will serve Global Methodist congregations gathering in Qatar.
