Mahomet resident John Taylor shows love through action.
A retired United Methodist minister, Taylor spent his life not only serving others using resources to find solutions to problems that affect the way people live.
“I’ve learned about the importance of sharing with one another in a tangible way that reflects love that is so critical to the Christian faith,” Taylor said. “Jesus’ parting advice to the disciples was to love one another as I have loved you.”
Part of that love is reaching out to people in need.
The practice of listening to a problem and coming up with a solution is what led to Taylor becoming an active donor to the United Methodist Liberian Ministries.
Until 2006, the United Methodist Church in America provided clergy with the Ministerial Pension Plan for their service to the church. This along with other investments through teaching and being a Dean of Students, left Taylor with enough for retirement.
Taylor’s late wife also invested their money wisely before she passed away. He is now the recipient of those funds.
Living comfortably, Taylor heard while United Methodist ministers in Africa sacrificed their livelihood to the church, they were not compensated for their work. Furthermore, upon retirement, the church thanked them for their service, and sent them off without any retirement funds.
Taylor said the extended family or clan culture that is present in Africa makes this lifestyle possible. When a family member is ill or in need, the extended family is expected to care for them. This is how many ministers survive.
The American United Methodist Church National Board of Pension and Health Benefits decided to help the African retired ministers by giving them a stipend.
Taylor decided to get in touch with the director of the Board of Pension and Health Benefits in Liberia to see if he could correspond with a couple retired ministers. Through letters, Taylor learned that these ministers only receive $20 a month.
“It tore my heart to know that this is the way people are expected to live,” he said. “As one of God’s children, I am no better than he is. I was trying to find a way to help.”
With his own investments coming in, Taylor know he could help the men more.
He took money to Fisher National Bank. The money was sent to an international trading bank in New York, which sent it to Liberia.
The bank in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, said they did not receive the money.
“When someone like me yells loud enough, something happens,” Taylor said.
Monrovia eventually found the money and sent it to the Pension and Health Benefits Board. They had claimed to misplace the money after that. After Taylor yelled once more, they found it again and it delivered it to the ministers.
Taylor did not want to deal with this process every time he went to give. He then met Reverend Priscilla Jaiah, an ordained United Methodist Minister and principal of a missionary school in Ganta, the second largest city in Liberia. She told Taylor about MoneyGram.
MoneyGram wires funds to business and organizations throughout the world. This helped ease Taylor’s fears of corrupted officials taking over the money he was trying to send.
With this tool, Taylor could do more.
With all the investments and pensions Taylor was receiving, $100 a month did not sound like much, so he was able to send that amount to both ministers every month.
With the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2006, Taylor was able to avoid paying income tax on the money by donating it to the Mahomet United Methodist Church (MUMC) with the understanding that it would go into an account, which would send the money to the Liberian Ministries.
Through this account, Taylor also supports the education of two young women, whose deceased father was a retired minister. The women are in nursing school and Taylor continues to pay their tuition.
“I have experienced the joy that one gets in helping others,” he said. “I have this money coming, and that enables me to be helpful.”
Jaiah visited Taylor last year when she attended the United Methodist Church General Conference. She spoke to women at MUMC about her work in Ganta.
When Jaiah returned to Liberia, she was named the Director of Missions with the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church.
She is in charge of rebuilding a hospital which was destroyed during the civil wars. She has also purchased land to replant rubber trees in crops left behind by Firestone Liberia.
“I have enjoyed knowing her and seeing how such a dynamic person is able to lead the body of Christ into new areas,” Taylor said.
MUMC recently presented Taylor with a check for $2000 which has gone to Jaiah’s work in Liberia.
“I have seen pure faith at work,” he said. “I have seen men and women sacrifice their own livelihood for the benefit of people who don’t know God. And they come through stronger as human beings who’ve made the sacrifice and those who have experienced a living faith.”
“Sharing love has been a thrilling experience for me,” Taylor said.
