November 17, 2008

Jan. 10 is the deadline to apply for an Ethnic Local Church Grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). The grants program is to strengthen ethnic local churches through education, advocacy or leadership training and development as they engage in social justice.

The program is to strengthen ethnic local churches through education, advocacy or leadership training and development as they engage in social justice.

To qualify for grant consideration, applicants must be either:

Two funding periods are available for consideration: Jan. 10 for the March cycle and Aug. 10 for the October cycle. The Ethnic Local Church Committee makes grant recommendations to GBCS’s Board of Directors at spring and fall meetings.

Chronic social problems

Grant recipients must be programs initiated by or developed in partnership with one or more United Methodist ethnic local churches. Racial/ethnic persons shall be the majority of those served by the program.

The project must focus on needs identified by ethnic local churches as they address one or more chronic social problems or concerns, such as housing, employment, health care, human rights, education, the environment and racism. "The Social Principles" of The United Methodist Church contained in its Book of Discipline, (¶¶s 160-165) can provide more information on denominational social justice positions.

All applicants must have a supervisory board composed of a majority of ethnic persons that shall make all policy decisions.

Each funding request will be considered on its own merits with no required minimum or maximum amount. All funding from GBCS must be used for programmatic components and not for salaries, purchase of equipment, purely administrative costs, and direct delivery of services or building construction.

Start-up money

The intent of the grants program is to provide start-up money. Therefore, priority goes to first-time applicants.

Priority consideration shall be given to programs that are part of a Comprehensive Plan of an Annual Conference.

Applications may be downloaded at Ethnic Local Church Grants or may be obtained from Marvlyn Scott.

For more information, contact The Rev. Neal Christie, assistant general secretary, GBCS Office of Ministry of Education and Leadership Formation, at (202) 488-5611.

Editor’s note: To learn about fall grant recipients, go to “$155,000 in Ethnic Local Church grants”.