Today – September 1st – marks the fifth anniversary of the start of my ministry in Rome as the director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome (MEOR)! I first arrived in Rome in 2020 during the challenging early days of the Covid pandemic, wondering how my ministry would unfold. Five years later, I continue to be astounded at how the Holy Spirit has guided our ministry of Christian unity.

Jesus Christ prayed that Christ’s followers may be one, as God in Three Persons is One, so that the world may believe (cf. John 17:21). In an age marked by sectarianism and division, Christ’s prayer resonates clearer than ever before as the scandal of our disunity as Christians perverts our Gospel witness to Christ’s saving love. Our ministry of Christian unity is not an elitist or esoteric project; rather, it is a deep calling of all Christians to a way of being in the world. God desires for us to rediscover our unity in Christ as we celebrate our God-given diversity and overcome our division.

Thank you for your support and prayers these past 5 years! Please continue to pray for me and support my mission deployment as I remain in this work in Rome on your behalf.

I met Pope Leo XIV in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on 19 May 2025. He met all the official ecumenical guests who attended his inauguration. In his remarks to us, Pope Leo said, “I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The Roman pontiff further said, “…our communion is realised to the extent that we meet in the Lord Jesus Christ. The more faithful and obedient we are to him, the more united we are among ourselves. We Christians, then, are all called to pray and work together to reach this goal, step by step, which is and remains the work of the Holy Spirit.”

Other ministry highlights in the past months

• My office organzied a two day program in Rome for a group of students from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on 26-27 May 2025. Candler School of Theology is a seminary of The United Methodist Church. Read more
• I spoke at an international conference on church law and the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed on 21 June 2025 in Chichester, UK. My talk focused on the Nicene Creed in the doctrinal standards in church law of Methodist churches worldwide. The main speaker for the conference was the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew. Read more
• From 22-27 August I attended the synod (annual conference) of the Methodist-Waldensian Church in Italy in historic Torre Pellice in northwest Italy near the French border. We celebrated 50 years of the union between the Italian Methodists and the Waldensians who now form one church.

Make a Donation to Support My Ministry

Support my ministry by making a tax-deductible donation through United Methodist Global Ministries. 100% of your donation goes to supporting the deployment of me and other missionaries to serve Christ in the world. My Advance number is #3021378.

Subscribe to receive Matthew’s missionary letters.