FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2016
NEW YORK—The World Mission Society Church of God launched a multi-state public awareness campaign emphasizing the importance of volunteerism. The Church—with state locations in Long Island, Manhattan, New Windsor, Queens, Rochester and Syracuse—received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, leading 2.7 million global members to recommit to volunteering in their communities. In Manhattan, the Church leads a spiritual healing initiative through Mother’s Love Art Gallery, which depicts the depth of maternal love and explores its origin through art.
“Our church believes in Heavenly Mother and wishes all people of the world to live a happy life by putting the love of Mother in their hearts through voluntary works,” said General Pastor Kim Joo-Cheol of the World Mission Society Church of God. “The Church of God contributes to the peace of humankind by following the teachings of Heavenly Mother, transcending boundaries of race, culture, nationality and religion.”
The public awareness campaign includes an advertorial in Time magazine describing volunteers as “everyday superheroes” who willingly sacrifice their time and efforts to improve communities. With a call to action for everyone to volunteer, the advertorial features the Church’s six areas of community service, including healing through art.
Mother’s Love Art Gallery features multiple exhibits that pair various forms of art with literature, evoking a sense of nostalgia. Nearly 5,000 people have visited the free-admission Gallery in the past year. The Gallery also hosts fundraisers to cover educational expenses for two local first-generation college students.
Queen Elizabeth II presented the Church of God with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service—the top volunteer award in the United Kingdom—after an extensive screening process. Through the award, the Church became a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a designation for exemplary organizations, and is recognized by 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, including Australia, Canada and Singapore.
The World Mission Society Church of God is a faith-based, non-profit organization that spreads God’s love through good deeds. Established in 1964, the Church of God has more than 2,700 locations in 175 countries with 2.7 million members. The Church of God conducts volunteer service in disaster relief, environmental protection, blood drives, social welfare, smile campaigns and healing through art. For more information, visit newyork.wmschurchofgod.org or its social media sites, Facebook and Twitter.
