In two roundtable discussions with leaders of several global humanitarian organizations, Presiding Bishop W. Christopher Waddell of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reflected on the Church’s commitment to caring for those in need as a testament to discipleship.
“In our belief, Jesus Christ is hope,” he said.
In keeping with Jesus Christ’s teaching to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will spend $1.58 billion in 196 countries and territories in 2025 in an effort to care for people in need.
The Church’s humanitarian efforts in Europe in 2025 include donating two state-of-the-art digital mammography machines to two of Montenegro’s largest medical facilities, working to launch a national emergency preparedness campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and working with the Felix Project to distribute millions of meals in London, England.
The roundtable was held to focus on the Church’s Caring for Those in Need 2025 report and was held in London, England, on Monday, March 23rd, and in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday, March 24th.
Bishop Waddell was joined in London by Sophie Britt of Save the Children International, Ewan Croshaw of Shelterbox and Tara Hasson of CARE USA, according to a news release on the Church’s UK Newsroom website.
The Church has worked with these organizations to care for people in need and alleviate suffering around the world.
“By working together, we can reach more people in need than we could ever reach on our own,” Bishop Waddell said.
CARE USA’s Hasson echoed that sentiment, saying no organization can address people in need alone.
“Partnerships are at the core of how we operate, and we work with local organizations, governments and communities to ensure we can respond effectively and at scale,” Hassun said.
ShelterBox’s Crawshaw said the number of large-scale crises has increased significantly in recent decades, increasing the urgency of a coordinated response.
“Currently, there are multiple crises occurring simultaneously, each with significant impacts, which makes cooperation more important than ever,” he said.
Bishop Waddell discussed the challenges of caring for people in need around the world, and also paid tribute to the work and expertise of each charity.
Many charity leaders also thanked the church for the support that facilitates their missions.
“Our relationship with the church has always been about solving problems together,” Hassoun said.
Bishop Waddell also reflected on the example of Jesus Christ and the importance of serving one person at a time.
“Despite all the trouble in the world, we see good things happening,” he said. “We’re seeing good people rising up to make change, and that can give us all hope.”
brussels, belgium
At another roundtable in Brussels the next day, Bishop Waddell also said that leaders of various humanitarian organizations had reason to be hopeful.
“I hope they walk away with hope. I understand that we come from very different backgrounds, but it’s the unique talents and abilities that we bring to the table that each of us have individually. When you put it all together, some amazing things can happen,” he said.
Participants included Dr. Daniel Solimari, Ambassador Extraordinary of the Hungarian Assistance Program in Hungary; Mamar Merzouk, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, European Union; Jean-Yves Terlinden, director of international cooperation and humanitarian affairs at Caritas Europe, according to a news release from the church’s Europe newsroom.
Elder Reuben V. Aliaud, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Europe Central Area, also participated in the discussion.
“Caring for those in need is one of our God-given responsibilities as a church. It’s one of the reasons we have a church,” he said.
