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UPDATE: Sudan & South Sudan Christmas Offering

by Rev. Todd Chancey • Published Wednesday, February 4, 2026

MidSouth Annual Conference Family — Thank You for Your Generosity,

I want to express my deep gratitude for your generosity through the 2025 Christmas Offering. God has provided in abundance! Our goal for the offering was $40,000, and to date, we have received more than $70,000. Praise be to God!

The Christmas Offering was designated to help fund our fourth international mission partnership. As we move forward, the MidSouth Annual Conference now supports the following four international mission partnerships:

Central Europe (Slovakia, Croatia, Czech Republic)
Western States (Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, as well as Fiji and parts of Australia)
Mozambique (Africa)
Nile River Valley (Sudan and South Sudan)

Our original plan was to send a small team of five people from the MidSouth, along with Bishop Scott and Mary Lou Jones, to Juba, South Sudan, to host the convening Annual Conference for the Nile River Valley region. The dates were set for February 8–20, 2026, and significant planning and preparation had already taken place.

Unfortunately, the U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 travel advisory, advising U.S. citizens not to travel to South Sudan. After much prayer and discernment, and under the leadership of Bishop Jones, the trip and convening Annual Conference have been postponed until August 2026.

There is good news. God remains in control, and because of your generosity, we have the resources to continue our ministry partnership with the Nile River Valley Methodists while allowing time for civil unrest in the region to subside. We can fund the salary and essential office needs of Rev. Emmanuel Uka, who is serving as the projected Conference Superintendent for the Nile River Valley.

Once again, thank you for your faithful generosity through the Christmas Offering and for your continued support of our sisters and brothers in Sudan and South Sudan. We will continue to share updates as details are finalized and as we move toward the August Annual Conference in South Sudan.

Blessings,

Rev. Todd Chancey

Rev. Todd Chancey serves as the MidSouth Conference Superintendent. He is committed to the local church and expansion of the GMC vision, to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe. Todd most recently led Trinity GMC, a church plant in Frankfort, KY. He also served as an adjunct professor at Candler School of Theology at Emory University and co-authored two books: "Heavenly Helper: A Guide to Church Employment Administration" and "God in the Midst of Thorns: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Strength and Justice" (Zondervan, 2019).