About Our Mission
We chose our name, Villages in Partnership, because we think it embodies the core of who we are and what we are about, as summarized in our Mission Statement. We don’t view the work we do as “charity” or a hand-out, nor do we see it as a one-way street. Rather, it’s about building an enduring partnership. As with any truly worthwhile partnership, it is mutually beneficial, with shared burdens and a unified vision. It’s also not about any one individual or any single church or group; it’s about villages—i.e., communities, both here and in Malawi, who are working together for a common purpose.
Although envisaged by the Heinzel-Nelsons and begun by the Allentown Presbyterian Church, Villages in Partnership is made up of many varied people and groups who recognize that when Christ taught us that one of the greatest commandments is to love our neighbors as ourselves (e.g., Matthew 25:34 - 40), he didn’t mean just those who live down the street or around the corner.
Our friends in Malawi are our neighbors, and because we love them, we cannot sit idly by as they suffer the effects of extreme poverty when we know that there are things we can do to help. As we seek to come along side of them, and work together to help empower them to lift themselves out of poverty, we know that our lives will be changed as well. That is the essence of a partnership, and that is what we’re about.