FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2018
Leaders Launch Worldwide #LetThemLeave Campaign Against Treatment of Three Missionaries
in the Philippines Who Have Been Denied Permission to Leave the Country
ATLANTA – Calling for a missionary's immediate release from the Bicutan Detention Center in the Philippines, the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church today took the unusual step of calling upon the government of the Republic of the Philippines to expedite the discharge of a young adult United Methodist missionary who has been the victim of repeated bureaucratic delays that have caused him to be incarcerated for more than six weeks.
The Council, and the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, the agency from which Tawanda Chandiwana received his Christian commission, are launching a worldwide campaign to call public attention to the plight of Tawanda and two other missionaries who were in the country fulfilling their commission to show God's love in the world.
Despite continuing efforts by the staff of the local regional United Methodist conference, Philippines-based attorneys and officials with The United Methodist Church, Mr. Chandiwana of Mutare, Zimbabwe, Adam Shaw of Brunswick, Ohio, and Miracle Osman of Blantyre, Malawi, have experienced repeated difficulties getting the legal documents and clearance they need to leave the Republic of the Philippines.
Mr. Chandiwana and Ms. Osman are Global Mission Fellows. These missionaries are young adults from all over the world between the ages of 20-30. They are sent by The United Methodist Church to serve for 20 months in works of justice and mercy through participation in such ministries as peacebuilding, creation care, English teaching, human rights advocacy, and social work. Many Filipino young adults are part of this program, serving in such places as Japan, South Africa, Ireland, Barbados, and Uruguay.
Mr. Shaw is a former Global Mission Fellow in the Philippines who now serves there as a global missionary with The United Methodist Church.
"We vigorously protest this treatment of our mission personnel, placed and supervised in collaboration with The United Methodist Church in the Philippines," said Thomas Kemper, general secretary (chief executive) of United Methodist Global Ministries, the worldwide mission agency of the denomination with 12.5 million members in the U.S., Africa, Europe, and the Philippines.
"It is unconscionable that Tawanda has been held for six weeks," continued Kemper. "We are respectfully asking that these young people be allowed to leave."
On June 26, the full Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church joined their episcopal colleagues in the Philippines and Global Ministries in appealing to the Philippines' government to free and allow Chandiwana to leave the country. They also asked for immediate action by the Bureau of Immigration that would allow Ms. Osman, and Mr. Shaw to leave voluntarily. Read more here.
A Call for Prayer
The Council of Bishops called upon United Methodists to pray daily at noon, wherever they are, for the three missionaries for as long as the three are held.
Mr. Chandiwana was taken into custody on May 9, 2018, while attending a training seminar at the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute in Davao City. He was charged with overstaying his visa, though he had initiated the process of having a missionary visa changed to a tourist status since he was nearing the end of his 20-month missionary term. The charge was expanded when he was found to be on a "watchlist" of suspected subversives. He denies any wrongdoing and faults a delay in filing visa paperwork.
The passport of Miracle Osman was confiscated while she was applying to extend her tourist visa and waiting for her missionary visa to be approved. Seizure of her passport has made it impossible for her to leave the country voluntarily. She has requested a return of her passport, which is the property of the Republic of Malawi.
Adam Shaw has been informed that an order to leave is imminent but it has not been served.
All three were detained at police checkpoints in February while taking part in in international ecumenical fact-finding investigation of alleged human rights violations in the southern Philippines area around General Santos City. The area is under martial law in response to disputed reports of terrorist activities.
The United Methodist Church in the Philippines is an organic part of the denomination, represented in the legislating General Conference by lay and clergy delegates. It has three episcopal areas in the country in Davao, Baguio, and Manila.
The bishop's appeal pointed out that "Global Ministries has enjoyed cordial relations with denominational and ecumenical organizations in the Philippines for many years. We have placed young adult missionaries in Mindanao since 2006. We hope to continue to work productively with Filipino partners."
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About the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church
The General Board of Global Ministries is the worldwide mission agency of The United Methodist Church. Founded in New York City in 1819, Global Ministries today supports more than 300 missionaries in 60 countries, including the United States. It has personnel, projects and partners in a total of 136 countries. Learn more about Global Ministries by visiting www.UMCmission.org or follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Dan Curran for UM Global Ministries
770-658-9586 (cell)
[email protected]
