…so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” 

–Romans 12:5

Dear Family of APUMC,

While the scriptures and our worship in recent weeks have focused on the nature of Christian community, I am excited for the opportunity to share hospitality with members of the body of Christ from regions far and wide. Next Tuesday, September 22, we will welcome my friend, the Rev. Eric Soard and his special guest, Jackson Sampson, a recent graduate of Wesley College in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Ashland Place UMC has had a connection to Wesley College for some years now. The “Teaming with Tanzania” partnership has been a priority for the Alabama-West Florida Conference for nearly a decade, as first initiated by our former Bishop David Graves. This connection has been important for me and my family. I first visited Wesley college in 2018, then Kristi in 2019, and again with two of our sons in 2025. To see the development of the program and the increasing impact of this mission over the years has been a great source of inspiration for all of us.  

To make the most of our visit together, we are shifting our original plan from the dinner hour to a midday luncheon at 12:00 on Tuesday, September 22. Thus, I encourage you to join us in a gathering of our congregation and other invited guests from the Southwest District. All are welcome for this time of fellowship, witness, and inspiration.

My thanks to Crystal Roberts who is preparing a special meal for the event, inspired by the culinary traditions of Tanzania. I promise it will be good!

Will you please register your attendance with us today? You can do so by clicking the button below to email Jennifer. This will be a great help to the chef in her preparations.

Grace to You,

Darren

Tanzania 2025