Who We Are
Global Ministries is the common witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Our two denominations have a formal partnership through which Disciples Overseas Ministries and the UCC’s Wider Church Ministries share common staff, budget, programs/projects, and governance in our presence and witness with international partners throughout the global community.
Global Ministries works with approximately 250 partners in close to 90 countries. We join hands with international partners and walk together in mutual love and respect with our siblings around the world.
With partner churches, nonprofit organizations, and ecumenical bodies throughout the world, we share life, resources, support, and faith. This often includes advocacy work, opportunities for mutual exchange and learning, sharing of mission personnel, sharing of financial and material resources, and being in prayer for and with international partners. Join us in realizing our vision that all of God’s people and creation share in God’s abundant life.
Our Vision
That all of God’s people and creation share in God’s abundant life.
Our Mission
To receive and share the Good News of Jesus Christ by joining with global and local partners to work for justice, reconciliation, and peace.
Core Values
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| Building interdependence and unity among all of God’s children |
| Communities can stretch across boundaries and borders, across cultures and languages, while providing mutual support and collective dreams for the future. By weaving our lives together with those of international partners, we find new ways to nourish each other’s ministries |
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| Walking in hope with others in God’s mission |
| Mutuality means sharing in the visions of partners instead of trying to guide them, and listening instead of lecturing. International partners offer unique projects and programs to serve the needs of their communities as they see them, and Global Ministries offers support of these visions, just as international partners, in turn support the work of our denominations in the United States and Canada. |
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| Living out God’s radical love by confronting powers that deny the fullness of life and the integrity of creation |
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| Embodying reconciling relationships with God, humanity, and creation |
| Peace is more than the absence of war and violence, it provides a vision for finding new ways of encountering and engaging with the other. Joining with partners whose communities have faced decades of brutality, we lift up opportunities for reconciling relationships with God, humanity, and creation. |
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| Manifesting God’s love by living in intentional, committed relationships |
| Presence provides a bold vision of togetherness. In many cases, the most powerful witness we can offer partners is the willingness to share personally in their times of challenge and joy. We are also grateful for the presence international partners offer the Church in the United States and Canada, as they share their experiences and understandings of God. |
Read Global Ministries 101 for more information on Global Ministries
Global Ministries Co-Executives
Rev. Dr. LaMarco A. Cable
Co-Executive Global Ministries
President & CEO, Disciples Overseas Ministries
The Reverend Doctor LaMarco Antonio Cable is a distinguished leader and visionary in the global Christian community. As the President and CEO of Disciples Overseas Ministries (DOM) and Co-Executive of Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Dr. Cable’s dedication to serving and empowering others is a beacon of inspiration. A native of Memphis, TN, Dr. Cable is a pastor, preacher, advocate, and community organizer whose proven track record of transformative leadership is a testament to his vision and commitment.
Before assuming his current roles, Dr. Cable dedicated himself to the church through various capacities within Global Ministries, including as the Area Executive for Africa, Advocacy Associate, and Interim Mission Personnel Executive. His unwavering commitment to social justice and advocacy, a cornerstone of his work, was further exemplified during his tenure as Deputy Director for Organizing at Bread for the World Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Cable’s pastoral experience includes serving as a senior pastor at Hasson Street Christian Church in Rogersville, TN, and Broadway Christian Church in Winchester, KY. He has held pastoral positions in congregations across different cities, including Memphis, TN, Lexington, KY, Washington, DC, and Madisonville, KY, enriching communities with compassionate leadership.
Dr. Cable’s contributions to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are extensive, and his intellectual prowess is evident in his educational journey. He has served on various boards and committees, including the Administrative Committee, the Standing Committee of Renewal and Structural Reform, and the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). His academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Sociology from Transylvania University, a Master of Divinity from Lexington Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL.
Dr. Cable’s commitment to continuous learning and growth is evident through his involvement as a Lexington Theological Seminary’s Alumni Council member and trustee of the National City Christian Church Foundation. Beyond his professional endeavors, he generously volunteers with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Indiana, embodying his belief in the importance of community service and mentorship.
Rev. Shari Prestemon
Co-Executive Global Ministries
Acting Associate General Minister, UCC
The Rev. Shari Prestemon began her service as Acting Associate General Minister and Co-Executive of Global Ministries in January 2024.
She previously served as the Minnesota Conference UCC Conference Minister (2013-2023), as Executive Director at the UCC’s Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi (2000-2013), and as pastor to local UCC congregations in Wheaton, Illinois, and Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
Shari received her Bachelor’s Degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and her Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary. She has served on multiple Boards of Directors in the wider UCC, including on the United Church of Christ Board, as Chair of the Board of Trustees of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Co-Chair of the Common Global Ministries Board of the UCC & Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Vice Chair of the Cornerstone Fund Board. She also served as Chair of the Council of Conference Ministers of the UCC, on the Steering Committee of the UCC Palestine-Israel Network, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Minnesota Council of Churches.
Shari’s faith journey has been profoundly shaped by direct experiences with the ministries she now supports in her current role with the National Ministries. She served as a Peace & Justice Intern for one year with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Dumaguete City on behalf of the (former) United Church Board for World Ministries. She has participated in and led multiple study trips to Palestine and Israel and has journeyed with Global Ministries delegations to Haiti, Columbia, Germany, Indonesia, and East Timor. She partnered extensively with Global H.O.P.E. when Hurricane Katrina devastated Back Bay Mission and the Gulf Coast region in 2005. Of her experiences, Prestemon says, “I have personally witnessed the life-giving, life-changing power of our ministries in so many places and ways. What we do together as Church makes God’s love real in the world and has a tremendous, inspiring impact. I feel incredibly blessed to be in a position where I can nurture and strengthen this amazing work.”
Prestemon’s special recognitions include the Reinhold Niebuhr Award for Service by Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis (2007) and the Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award from Chicago Theological Seminary (2008). She received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Heidelberg University (Tiffin, Ohio) in May 2010 and a Distinguished Service Alumni Award from Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) in 2014.