The General Board of Discipleship, through its Racial Ethnic Local Church Concerns committee, is accepting applications for grants up to $10,000 to help local United Methodist churches build ministries that strengthen and support racial and ethnic church concerns. The ministry/project must be a project of a local United Methodist church or of The United Methodist connectional system.
The ministry/project contained in the grant application must be a project of a local United Methodist church or of the United Methodist connectional system, and also must:
• Contribute directly to the mission and ministries of making disciples of Jesus Christ
• Be consistent with the doctrine and social principles of the United Methodist 2012 Book of Discipline
• Focus on developing and strengthening the racial ethnic local church for witness and mission
• Involve racial ethnic church members in the planning, leadership and decision-making.
In addition, the ministry/project must be related to one or more of these essential services provided by the GBOD’s ministry areas: accountable discipleship, Christian education, curriculum resources, evangelism, family and life-span ministries, lay ministries, leadership development, spiritual formation, stewardship and worship.
Priority will be given to new programs for the 2013-2016 quadrennium, rather than programs that were funded during the 2009-2012 quadrennium, Walker said. Funds are not provided for personnel and equipment. Grant applications are due January 15, 2014.
For more information and to download a grant application, go to www.gbod.org/ethnic. Applicants with questions are encouraged to contact Walker by phone toll free at (877) 899-2780 Ext. 7167, or by email at clwalker@GBOD.org.