Communications Department

April 03, 2012

(Submitted by Ellen Bridge and Conference Board of Global Ministries)

Background: The United Methodist Church was an originating partner of the “Nothing But Nets” campaign which distributed 5.6 million anti-malaria nets by 2004.   By 2010, through “Nothing But Nets” and “Imagine No Malaria” 145 million nets were distributed. An estimated 50% of African homes now have at least one net, and malaria in Africa has been reduced by 17%. The following resolution speaks to the next phase of an anti-malaria campaign through “Imagine No Malaria”.

WHEREAS, malaria was eliminated in the United States in the 1950s, proving that malaria is preventable, treatable, and beatable, and yet, today, an African child dies of malaria every 45 seconds; and

WHEREAS, the “Nothing But Nets” campaign taught us that $10 to purchase a net can save a life; and

WHEREAS, The United Methodist Church has partnered with World Health Organization, The Gates Foundation, The United Nations Foundation, and Global Fund, in an effort to eliminate malaria in Africa by 2015 through the “Imagine No Malaria” program, and

WHEREAS, The United Methodist Church has pledged to raise $70 million for “Imagine No Malaria”;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that every local church of the New England Conference will be invited to join this effort in the following ways: 

• Recognizing that $10 can save one life, $100 can save 10 lives, $1000 can save 100 lives, etc., will consider in 2012, and for each of the three years following, this question: “How many lives can our church save?”
   
• Each year of the quadrennium, each church in the Conference will plan to hold at least one “Imagine No Malaria” [INM] event using the free materials available from the website www.ImagineNoMalaria.org with the intent of increasing awareness of the need and the progress being made, raising money to save lives, and encouraging other congregations and civic groups to join the effort;
   
• And, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Conference adhere to the following quadrennial schedule to participate in the campaign:
   
• 2012: In preparation for a major gifts solicitation in 2013,  with assistance from a campaign consultant paid by the Gates Foundation, each district will be asked to provide the names of at least six (6) persons who might be asked to consider a gift of $10,000 or more to the “Imagine No Malaria” campaign; each local church will hold its first INM event
   
• 2013: Ten persons within the Conference will be trained and assisted by the campaign consultant to make contact with identified major gift prospects; each local church will hold its second INM event
   
• 2014: Results of the major gifts campaign will be announced; each local church will hold its third INM event
   
• 2015: Each local church will hold its fourth INM event and report to the annual conference the number of lives saved through INM efforts; the annual conference will celebrate the great good God has done in Africa with the participation of the churches of New England Annual Conference.

Note: Co-submitted by Bishop Ives with Conference Imagine No Malaria Task Force