Recently, I traveled to Africa University with the General Council on Finance and Administration as president of their board. GCFA was there to hold a Quadrennial Training for over 100 African leaders.

This was a historic meeting designed for participants to learn, listen, and collaborate to help chart the financial future of The United Methodist Church.

It was a rare opportunity for those from across that continent to come together and build bridges and relationships, and to learn.

What I experienced was that people really have a hunger to have the right information and to do things right for the glory of God. And they just have a real appetite to just focus on Jesus.

Sadly, I also heard from my colleagues from the Congo is that the war is still going on there.

I know that all of you are familiar with that area since you helped raise the funds to build an important women’s center at Kindu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Mama Lynn Center, named after your former bishop’s wife, Lynn McAlilly.

Your support of the Mama Lynn Center began in 2016. I have discovered that the Mama Lynn Center again needs our help. As the war rages on, more and more women and girls are finding refuge there. The Center needs funds to build more space to hold these women as well as to pay for windows, doors and furnishings for the most recently constructed structures.

I ask you today to prayerfully consider supporting our friends in Kindu. If you or your church would like to donate to assist them, please visit our website for more information on how you may do that.

God bless you and bless the strong women who have sought out the Mama Lynn Center to learn how they can protect and support their families.

Thank you for your gifts,
Bishop Graves

Give Now to the Mama Lynn Center

GIVE ONLINE   (Select Mama Lynn Center from the dropdown)

Send a check to TWKUMC (designate that it is for Mama Lynn Center) and mail to:

Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, UMC
PO Box 440132
Nashville, TN  37244-0132

In 2025, classrooms are overcrowded at the Mama Lynn Center. There is an urgent need to finish the recently constructed space.

TWK UMC team visit to Congo

In September, the Rev. Birgitte French and her husband, Niels French, the Revs. Robert Martin and wife Amy Martin, and interpreter Linda Boulos spent a week in the East Congo Episcopal Area’s Kindu North and South districts. Read the UMNews story.

Rev. French asked that we share this letter that outlines the current situation at the Mama Lynn Center and includes photographs from the center:

Rev Birgitte French letter – Mama Lynn Center 2025