Global Ministries’ devotional lifts the challenges and hopes of those in Pacific Basin region

Blue skies above. Lapping waves below. Palm trees blowing softly in the wind. Togoru, a village located on the south coast of Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu, seems to have it all.

But paradise is an illusion.

Gazing out at the water one can see the tips of ancient headstones amid the waves. The submersion of ancestral burial grounds is a reminder of how rising sea levels and coastal erosion are claiming Fiji’s past — and present.

Togoru’s watery grave (watch video here) is just one of many scenes Brande Midgett-Crosby, a mission education and communications program associate for the United Church of Christ’s Global Ministries team, captured last year while touring the Pacific Basin region.

Her videos are now part of the recently launched online Pacific Basin Initiative Advocacy Devotional created by Global Ministries, a joint mission of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

The devotional is presented in three categories — climate; migration; and, peace and resilience. Each category invites readers to pray with scripture, discover the latest statistic and studies, and watch video stories that bring the region’s challenges, as well as hopes, closer to home.

“Devotionals not only provide a learning opportunity for individuals and groups wanting to engage in the Pacific Basin Initiative, but they allow us to pray not just for but with our partners,” said Derek N. Duncan, Global Ministries minister for East Asia and the Pacific Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the UCC.

While the Global Ministries communications team has produced devotionals for previous initiatives, said Duncan, the Pacific Basin Initiative Advocacy Devotional “may be the first to incorporate video in this way.”

Resources foster solidarity

The devotional is part of the Pacific Basin Initiative which was launched at the 2023 General Synod in Indianapolis. The region includes Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, Marshal Islands and Fiji.

Working with its partners in East Asia and the Pacific, who are on the forefront of advocating for creation justice, promoting peace and supporting migrant communities, Global Ministries has created eye-opening resources to help those in the U.S. Walk alongside their siblings overseas.

“Paul writes that when one member of the body of Christ suffers all members suffer. Our accompaniment not only provides solidarity when partners seek international support, but we recognize that their struggle is our own,” said Duncan.

Reviving Indigenous practices

One of the lessons emerging that Duncan said is “a gift of our global relationships” is the value of Indigenous wisdom and the ways of understanding and engaging in the world. He also noted how there has been a revival of Indigenous practices that were eradicated through Western colonialism, including missionary efforts.

 “Partner seminaries like Pacific Theological College, though, have become creative centers of Indigenous theology, where traditional concepts and craft ways are recovered and reinvested with meaning and purpose. This leaning into Indigenous identity gives agency and informs local strategies to address issues like climate change,” said Duncan. “We have much to learn from partners about their resilience and faithful action in the face of challenges.”

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