Journey of the Heart
What I Have Learned from United Methodist Deaconess/Home Missioners in the Philippines
- History & Biography
- Evangelism & Missions
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
Where does one find joy? How does one overcome difficulties? Who does one turn to when sad? What motivates or inspires one? Sharon McCart asked twenty-eight deaconess/home missioners in the Philippines these questions and more, but what she learned went both broader and deeper. Her journey of the heart began with a four-hour Easter sunrise service where her heart was softened. McCart went on to learn not only about the people she interviewed but also more about herself and more about God. She learned how to step out of the culture of the colonizing nation and began to understand God from the viewpoint of a previously colonized people. She learned that God goes ahead of her wherever she goes and waits for her to catch up, that she is stronger when she allows herself to be weak, how to pray more faith-filled prayers, and much more. McCart understands resistance and solidarity in more tangible ways. This and more all happened because she went to the Philippines and met deaconess/home missioners!
Endorsements (4)
“First book about deaconesses and home missioners authored by a deaconess from the USA! Deaconess Sharon McCart grounded and connected herself deeply in the situation, struggles, and hopes of the community. She witnessed how deaconesses and home missioners found joy and remained committed to serving God and his people—and how these heroes without capes continuously work for justice, love, and service. Journey of the Heart will surely inspire and challenge readers to face whatever battles lie ahead with courage and faith! This book invites us to walk together, connect deeply, and embrace the call to serve. Come, let’s journey together!”
“Journey of the Heart is captivating, drawing readers into the courageous witness of deaconesses and home missioners in the Philippines. Through personal reflection, rich storytelling, and careful listening, McCart illuminates lives marked by solidarity with those in the margins, offering a moving portrait of vocation, justice, and the enduring spirit of the Order of Deaconess and Home Missioner.”
“Dr. McCart’s book is a must read for all who follow Jesus, the servant leader of the church. From this book the reader will learn from the faithful hearts of the deaconesses and home missioners of the Philippines the meaning of God’s call to discipleship, the priority of ministry in the margins, the imperative of justice ministry, and the call to intentional solidarity with one another. Vital prayer and connection to God brings strength for this work as does the joy of worship and relationships. Dr. McCart explores questions about God’s call to servant ministry and the sacrifices required for the sake of the Gospel.”
“United Methodist deaconesses in the Philippines could aptly be called unsung heroines of the faith. But with her book, Journey of the Heart, Sharon Rae McCart has made sure that is no longer the case. With sheer grit and determination, fueled by a passion and love for deaconess/home missioners and the work that they do, McCart journeyed several times to the Philippines—notwithstanding martial law, Covid, and very rough terrains—to live amongst them, and to witness how they carried out their various ministries faithfully, and with great dedication. While she lifts up the exemplary witness and faith of these deaconess/home missioners, some of whom faced dangerous risks for standing up for justice, human rights, and on behalf of the poor and oppressed, Sharon Rae McCart’s own faith shows through in the stories she told of them, and in her expressions of Christian mission as being in solidarity with ‘the least of these’ (Matt 25:40).”
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