When the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) announced last month that Sager Brown Depot will close, many Holston Conference mission workers were sad and concerned while fondly remembering the times they traveled to the Louisiana warehouse to serve.
Jane Currin has so far made seven trips to Sager Brown. Serving as missions director at Concord United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, Currin has joined or led mission trips to Sager Brown since 2017.
“Once it became clear that assembling kits in other countries was more cost‑effective -- particularly during international disaster responses -- it made sense to rely on local or regional workers to build the kits and have nearby suppliers provide the necessary materials,” Currin said. “Eliminating international shipping and customs fees resulted in significant savings.”
Disaffiliation of UMC Impacts Mission Efforts
Yet, Currin said she was disappointed to see “this connectional ministry” come to an end.
“The division within The United Methodist Church, particularly those related to disaffiliation, have had a substantial impact on mission efforts in many areas,” Currin said. “When we were unified, we had a strong and meaningful collective ability to make a difference regionally, nationally, and globally.”
Over the past decade, Jan Ivey has participated in or led six mission trips from Burks United Methodist Church to Sager Brown Depot. She’s planning to make the 600-mile trip from Hixson, Tennessee, to Baldwin, Louisiana, one last time in October 2026.
Ivey says she’s encouraged that Burks United Methodist Church will serve at one of the “affiliate warehouses” mentioned in Sager Brown’s February announcement.
“Specifically, our church will take a team to work for a day once a month from March through November at the United Methodist disaster warehouse in Decatur, Alabama,” Ivey said. “I hope that more teams will connect in the future and serve at a regional warehouse or at some of the other missional opportunities available within the UMC."
One Last Mission Trip
In April 2026, Currin will make her eighth and last trip to Sager Brown with a mission team from Concord United Methodist Church. Her favorite memories include building wooden boxes to cover trash cans for local towns and discovering an armadillo living beneath a mobile home as her team replaced the subfloor. “It wasn’t the most pleasant discovery, but the repairs made the home much safer.”
Maxine Schultz has led 18 mission teams to Sager Brown Depot. Her church, First United Methodist of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, started sending teams to Baldwin in 2006 to support Hurricane Katrina recovery.
“Since then we have sent 172 missioners and a countless number of disaster relief kits to the facility,” Schultz said. The last team from First Oak Ridge went to Sager Brown in 2024
“I sit here and think about the fulfillment gained from worshiping in the vesper services and the great feeling gained as we placed the last box of hygiene kits in the cargo container that was preparing to go to Haiti following the earthquake of 2010,” Schultz said. “The fellowship gained through serving with Methodists from all over our great country cannot be surpassed.”
Your Donations Help
Your gifts on UMCOR Sunday helps support the foundation for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) so that they can provide lifesaving grants to people suffering from disasters around the world.
excerpt from a story by Annette Spence, faith writer, Holston Conference an United Methodist News Service contributed to this report.
This story shows the impact of UMCOR Sunday—one of six United Methodist Special Sundays with offerings—to ensure that help and hope reach those in crisis. Your gifts cover the administrative costs of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), so that 100% of other donations can go directly to disaster response and humanitarian aid. Together, we make it possible for the Church to respond swiftly and faithfully when the world needs care most.
When you give generously on UMCOR Sunday, you sustain the ministry that enables the Church to bring God’s love and practical help to disaster-stricken communities.
