First United Methodist Church of Dubai is now organized!
from reports by Rev. Ruby-Nell Estrella
The Dubai mission is now the First United Methodist Church (UMC) in Dubai – apparently the first ever organized in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and in the Middle East. After struggling for two years, the mission work, sponsored by Knox United Methodist Church, was organized on April 17, 2009 as The First United Methodist Church, Dubai.
The Rev Ruby-Nell Estrella, a former district superintendent of the Philippines Annual Conference, said, “After some consultations and prayers, initial apprehensions were replaced with excitement as 55 professing members and 15 baptized members from different churches (UMC, UCCP, Roman Catholic Church) in the Philippines and other Fellowships in Dubai have made the historic decision to become The First United Methodist Church not only in United Arab Emirates but in the whole Middle East!”
DS Estrella disclosed that she encouraged the Dubai mission work, earlier known as the United Methodist Christian Fellowship (UMCF) in Dubai, and that they could get organized as the first church of the UMC if they would just “Move Forward Together in Faith.” The UMCF celebrated its second year of mission work on that theme.
Related to the organization of this Dubai UMC local church, the UAE Council of Evangelical Churches has finally voted on June 22, 2009 to approve the affiliation of The United Methodist Church to the Council, thereby legalizing the existence and ministries of the new church. With this affiliation, the Council will soon be able to sponsor the most needed priestly visa of the mission pastor, Rev. Christopher M. Cruz.
DS Estrella said, “We believe that with these in place, we could strengthen and further extend the ministries of The United Methodist Church not only in the UAE but in the neighboring Arab countries as well. The new church approved an annual budget of AED 191,500.00 (equivalent to Php2,393,750).
The First UMC, Dubai was recognized as a local church and as part of the Philippines Annual Conference during the 99th regular session of the Philippines Annual Conference at Tagaytay Mission Camp, Tagaytay City last April 28, 2009. Their elected lay member to the PAC, Engr. Nelson Villena, was warmly welcomed by Bishop Lito C. Tangonan and the members of the Conference in session.
The elected officers of The First UMC, Dubai are: church council chairperson, Bro. Roger Aquino; lay leader, Bro. Elimelech Maranion; lay member of the PAC, Engr. Nelson Villena; first alternate, Bro. Roger Aquino; second alternate, Bro. Norby Sampang; treasurer, Claire Romualdo-Soquerata; secretary, Dorothy Grace Daroy-Marcelo; nurture chairperson, Rowena Roque-Bucud; outreach chairperson, Jeffrey Bautista; witness chairperson, Rhea Cubacub; finance chairperson, Ghie Bartolata-Flores; financial secretary, John Paul Gutierrez; auditor, Lydia Aquino; staff-pastor-parish relations chairperson, Rachel Quiroz-Fulong; church historian, Darwin Marcelo.
