Global Ministries marks 30-year milestone: Unique ecumenical partnership sees collaboration as a spiritual necessity

At a time when studies reveal global partnerships flatlining, Global Ministries enters 2026 celebrating 30 years of being a steadfast haven of hope.

It’s a milestone anchoring the shared peace building and justice seeking witness of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in a world where political unrest, environmental threats, and economic instability are brewing the perfect storm.

“We are living a divisive time. To be one in our shared witness strengthens our witness to God and to the Church,” said the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President/CEO of the United Church of Christ.

Global Ministries was established in 1996 as a partnership between the two denominations, underscoring at the time the importance of working together to foster unity in a fractured world. (Click here for a look at the UCC’s mission timeline.)

A unique and powerful mission model

Thomspon said the formation of Global Ministries has been “a powerful” ecumenical partnership, providing a successful model for being in mission together.

The Rev. Shari Prestemon, Associate General Minister and Co-Executive of Global Ministries, United Church of Christ, agreed, noting that the collaboration between the UCC and the DOC “truly represents something unique in the ecumenical world.”

“No one else in the ecumenical space has joined hands in this kind of ongoing, operational fashion to do global ministries together,” said Prestemon.

Adding to the powerful testimony of unity between the two denominations is that a verbal agreement has been the only tie binding them together for three decades.

“There’s no legal or corporate entity that binds us together. We choose this, every day, because of the covenant we share and our shared commitment to the global work of the Church,” said Prestemon.

Partnership and mutuality make it work

For the Rev. Dr. LaMarco Antonio Cable, Co-Executive of Global Ministries, the shared mission goes beyond ecumenical cooperation. He said the teams in Cleveland (UCC national offices) and Indianapolis (DOC national offices) “share life, staff, and ministries.”

“We are together in our accompaniment of communities around the world, and we have a shared mission, vision, and core values,” said Cable, who also serves as President and CEO of Disciples Overseas Ministries.

At the core of Global Ministries’ longevity are partnership and mutuality, observed Prestemon. Something, she added, that is “sorely lacking in today’s global relations, in our politics, and in our communities.”

“We honor and celebrate the wisdom each of us brings to the table. We recognize that we need each other in a profound way, that God requires us to struggle side-by-side for the peace and justice God desires,” she said. “It’s who we are and how we do what we do.”

Collaboration is a spiritual necessity

Global Ministries’ collaboration has never been more vital in building bridges of peace and justice among its 290-faith based international partners in 90 countries. But for Cable, collaboration is not a strategy. It’s a spiritual necessity.

“The triune God — Creator, Christ, and Spirit — exists in eternal relationship, mutuality, and shared mission. When we collaborate, we mirror that divine life,” said Cable.

Collaboration also reveals God’s reconciling love to the world.

“It shows that the Church can model a different way of being — one rooted in mutuality, humility, and shared purpose,” said Cable, adding that the challenges facing the world are just “too complex, too interconnected, and too urgent” to be faced alone.

Being stronger together than apart has been the theological underpinning of Global Ministries since its inception. Now 30 years later, the “one body, one spirit” call echoed in Ephesians 4:4, is also becoming the spiritual key opening the door to the next generation of disciples.

“Young adults long for authenticity, shared purpose, and global engagement. They are drawn to ministries that work across boundaries and build genuine partnerships,” said Cable. “If we want to invite them into the life of the Church, we must model the kind of collaborative, justice‑seeking, globally connected ministry that speaks to their deepest hopes.”

Visioning for the future

As retrospectives and celebrations are planned to mark Global Ministries’ 30-year milestone (click here for all the latest events), 2026 will also be a year of visioning and planning for the future. 

“We recognize that the world and the Church have changed immensely over these last three decades, and we want to ensure that our global ministries remain faithful, relevant, and impactful for another 30 years and beyond,” said Prestemon. “We look forward to discerning how the Holy Spirit is calling us in fresh ways to accompany God’s people and build a world together where peace and justice flourish.”

And like any living entity, Global Ministries continues to evolve.

“For nearly 10 years, we focused on initiatives that highlight partners in a specific region and organize pilgrimages, learning opportunities, and funding to support the work of those partners,” said Cable. “In this new season, we are working to connect the dots so that people in the pew understand the interconnectedness of our world and the regions. What affects one indeed affects us all.”

Global Ministries will be focusing greater attention to public witness and advocacy statements, as well as to educational and worship resources. All of which Cable says will strengthen the Church’s engagement in God’s world.

“The demand to shake the shackles of colonial mission practices is ever present, and we have the unique opportunity to be a transformative ministry that leads in a noncolonial way,” said Cable. “I hope that we can continue being faithful trailblazers in modeling new ways of doing mission around the world.”

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