I was honored and grateful to have served Global Partners (GP) as executive director for five years (2007-2012). I praise the Lord for the privilege of witnessing his work across many nations, and seeing the global church take part in what it has been called to do. I reflect on those days with deep gratitude.
While saddened by the surrounding circumstances, I am truly honored and energized to step back into the GP team as interim executive director until General Conference in May, when a new full-time executive director will be elected. God continues to move, and we are still running the race set before us.
As I have jumped back into the ministry of Global Partners in this capacity, I have meditated on our shared task to press on amid difficult times, so we can continue reaching the unreached around the world. In doing so, I have felt drawn to powerful phrasing from the old hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Nestled in the third verse is a magnetic phrase which has held my attention — “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”
Upon reading these words, my mind, my heart and my spirit all rose together in immediate unison, and with total clarity felt that this is to be our faith statement and our reality for these months together — strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
The day after I reflected on this phrase, my brother-in-law (a pastor in Nova Scotia) texted me a word of encouragement, quoting that very same line of the hymn. Perhaps this was a continued reminder and confirmation from the Lord. I am endlessly grateful for the ways he cares for us, in every moment and experience.
In meeting newer missionaries and hearing from Wesleyans around the world, I have already noticed this phrase modeled in inspiring ways. I think of our missionaries Liz and Hamed, an immigrant and a refugee, who are preparing to start a mission field in the United Kingdom to reach refugees and the persecuted church. Carrying their own stories of persecution and hardships, they have continually demonstrated their reliance on the Lord for their strength for today and have truly held onto a bright hope for tomorrow.
I also think of our brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea who experienced a terrible fire in 2025, which resulted in the loss of a building at the Bible school. In the face of a demoralizing experience, the community rallied together to rebuild. Our partners joined in supporting the project, which helped bring it to completion. The Lord sustained our brothers and sisters with strength for today and gave them a bright hope for tomorrow.
As a church, by the grace of our God, we truly have strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. I am eager to see what the Lord will do in the next few weeks and beyond. I pray that during this interim time together we would turn our eyes to the Lord and fully rely on him.
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness,” Lamentations 3:22-23.
Dr. H. C. Wilson is Global Partners’ interim executive director and General Superintendent Emeritus of The Wesleyan Church.
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