UM Men and Big Brothers Big Sisters join forces on Amachi
From left: Robert Powell, UM Men Foundation; Mark Scott, center, director for the Philadelphia-based Big Brothers Big Sisters organization; Bishop William Morris, interim General Secretary of the General Commission of UM Men
The General Commission of United Methodist Men (UMMen) has signed a historic agreement with Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi, a program matching local church congregations with youth whose parents are incarcerated.
NT UMMen president Todd Bristow has been instrumental in developing this partnership, which carries the promise of offering new hope and new life to thousands of children.
Amachi is a Nigerian word meaning, "Who knows but what God has brought us through this child?" Big United Methodist Men Brothers Big Sisters is located in 5,000 communities through-out the United States. The signing ceremony took place during the plenary session of the National Association of Conference Presidents (NACP) of UMMen.
"This is a historic day for our organization," said Larry Coppock, UMMen staff executive. "The partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Amachi affords United Methodist Men an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young men in our church communities."
The Commission will begin the program with pilot projects in one annual conference in each of the five Jurisdictions. The NTC will be one of these pilot conferences.
The General Commission and UMMen Foundation congratulated Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas and Amachi, Texas; St. Luke "Community" UMC, and Hamilton Park UMC, Dallas; and the UMMen of the North Texas Conference for pioneering, partnership efforts in mentoring youth through Amachi.
Amachi's leadership estimates that there are approximately 700,000 parents and guardians - primarily mothers and grandmothers - rearing children while a parent is incarcerated. At present Amachi has matched 6,300 children of prisoners with caring adults. The goal is to serve 25,000 children by the end of 2007.
A recent BBBS study found that a child with a caring adult is 52 percent less likely to skip a day of school and 46 percent less likely to start using illegal drugs.
The NTC UMMen are committed to spreading Amachi's message and saving children. Their goal is to match 400 children this year. For more information, please call 817-277-1148, ext. 382, or e-mail: tbristow@bbbsnt.org.
