What does it mean to be a Global Mission Church? One congregation finds out

This past January, First Congregational Church of Tallmadge became a Global Mission Church. The congregation enthusiastically voted and signed the covenant statement with Global Ministries to intentionally pray for, learn about and support its siblings — spiritually and financially — around the world.

Global Ministries, the joint witness of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), has been providing churches like First Congregational with the support needed to cast a wider mission net for 30 years — a milestone being celebrated throughout 2026.

(Click video below for more on the unique 30-year partnership.)

Questions lead to answer

For First Congregational, the decision to become a Global Mission Church began with questions.

“Our social action committee began talking about the struggles throughout the world and began asking more questions,” said the Rev. Daniel Doty, pastor of the Tallmadge, Ohio church.

Among the obvious action-focused questions of “What can be done?” were the harder-to-answer inquiries of “Why?” Why was there global unrest? Why the political violence? Why famine, poverty and genocide?

Doty was ready to delve into the questions. The pastor’s “love for global missions has blossomed,” he says, since his days spearheading a “young ambassadors” program in the Heartland Conference UCC — an exchange program for U.S. and German youth, which fosters the Conference’s relationship with the Evangelische Kirche.

Global awareness from the pulpit  

The congregation, though, wasn’t starting their discernment with a blank slate. Their pastor had already been laying a global awareness foundation for them.

Three years ago, Doty began incorporating Global Ministry’s calendar of weekly prayers, which draws attention to the needs of a specific region. Doty would incorporate the prayers written by Global Ministry partners in the church’s worship services.

“It is powerful to use their actual words and to lift their voices in our time of worship,” said Doty.

This year, more resources have been added for congregations like Doty’s to use. Global Ministries has created a 30th Anniversary Toolkit, featuring easy-to-use downloadable social media, marketing and worship resources.

A deeper dive beyond Sunday

First Congregational then went beyond the Sunday pulpit promotions and prayers and began working through the “Be a Global Mission Church” workbook, a curriculum with reflection and discussion prompts, global stories and prayers.

Information sessions were then added to the church calendar, scheduled at various times ensuring all had the opportunity to be part of the “becoming a Global Mission Church” conversation.

“We had breakfast meetings as well as dinners,” said Doty.

The congregation also dived into the Middle East conflict, reading and studying a chapter each month from the book compiled by the Global Ministries team, “Rooted in Faith and Justice: Christian Calls to Conscience, Cries for Peace in Palestine.”

Doty took advantage of the congregation’s proximity to the UCC National Office as well, inviting Dr. Peter Makari, Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe for Global Ministries, to speak with them.

“We kept doing these things to answer the questions and to discern our entering into a covenant to be a Global Mission Church,” said Doty.

When the time came for the vote, not a nay was heard. And Doty couldn’t be happier for the direction his congregation is going to be globally aware — and active.

“I celebrate this ministry because when something happens in the world we don’t have to ask, ‘Who do we partner with?’ Global Ministries already has partners in more than 90 countries around the world,” he said.

As for congregations who are just now wondering and perhaps asking, “What does it mean to a Global Mission Church?”, Doty has an answer.

“It can be anything you want it to be. Lift the prayers available on the Global Ministry website, invite speakers to come and share their stories, etc. There is no prescribed way to do this,” he said.

While every church will be different, Doty is sure that “once you get into the global mindset you realize it is so much better to have that wider perspective.”

“You see things differently. You get out of your own head,” said Doty. “Becoming a Global Mission Church gets from the scarcity model of ministry to abundance.”

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