MINISTRIES AND MISSION FUNDING
Q: How do I request funding when I have a ministry or mission idea?
A: New ideas originate in the local church and should begin as a micro-project involving neighboring churches or compass groups. Design a small test project that involves multiple people, multiple churches, and your District Superintendent. Ask if you can raise these funds locally. If not, ask if the District has some funding available. Each District receives limited apportioned dollars for new projects. You can also find a list of conference grants for various purposes on the link below, scroll down to the section on Ministry and Local Church Grants.
Scholarships, Grants, and Financial Aid
Q: How can I request recognition/renewal as an Advance Special?
A: Please review the current guidelines for conference Advances below before applying. The District Mission and Strategy Committee will review most Advance Special applications. Download and complete the application below and submit it to the East Ohio Conference Connectional Ministries office with the supporting documentation by January 15. If approved by the committee, the list is presented to Annual Conference for final approval. The Board of Missions can discontinue or add new Advances throughout the year if necessary. Approval does not guarantee you will receive funding. Being a conference Advance Special means you will be promoted in local churches, you’ll be listed in the Journal and on the Advance Special page, and you’ll be given an EOCUMC Fund number for donor directed giving through the Conference Treasurer.
If you are an existing East Ohio Health and Well-Being Agency, please do not fill out the application below. Contact Melanie Thomas if you would like to apply to become a Health and Well-Being Agency.
Q: When does District funding become Conference funding?
A: As a pilot project succeeds and grows, District or Conference funding can help fund growth that multiplies an already successful outcome for other or broader settings. The most important resources our connection provides are the coaching conversations and shared learning that happen when Conference and District staff and committees work with local communities and churches. Conference funding no longer provides speculative or venture grants. Conference funding results from the conversations and learnings that are ongoing. To receive Conference funding, your ministry or mission idea needs to involve District or Conference Boards or Committees. Connectional Ministries staff and District Superintendents are good points of initial contact.
Q: How can I support ministries and missions?
A: The most important level of support is personal involvement as a volunteer and prayer partner. Financial support begins with paying Conference and District apportionments at 100%. Apportionments provide both the funding for administrative/leadership networks and funding directly to the ministries and missions. Administrative funding is apportionment Fund 2. Ministries and Missions funding is apportionment Fund 1. District funding is a combination of apportionment Fund 4 and part of apportionment Fund 1. The apportionment budget for each year can be found in The Journal.
The second level of support is through donor directed giving to a specific Conference Advance project number. This giving can be paid to the local church then forwarded by the treasurer on the bottom of the Conference remittance form or individuals can donate directly to the Advance they wish to support. The most up-to-date list of Advance Specials can be found here.
Q: How can I request Ministries and Missions Apportionment Funding?
A: Apportionment funding is processed based on the Connectional Ministries budget timeline below. Districts Superintendents and District Strategy Teams have always been and will continue to be the primary place to receive requests for new ministries, local community ministries, ecumenical partnerships and other mission needs. District leadership will identify reserves and other strategic funds that may be available to meet critical needs without increasing District or Conference apportionments. District leadership will help promote Advance Specials and local mission partnerships as the primary form of support. The Conference Board of Missions and Mission Awareness Committee will support districts in this effort. Where ministries are better served at Conference level due to size and scope, the districts will communicate with Conference Boards and Agencies.
Application forms must be received by each Conference Board or Committee based on their meeting schedule, usually in January or February. Apportioned funds are prioritized based on alignment with the Conference Mission and Vision Strategy.
Q: How do I support national and worldwide missions?
A: Global Ministries reviews and authorizes General Advance projects. These can include projects in Ohio or missionaries from East Ohio serving under the supervision of Global Ministries. Local church treasurers forward funds to the Conference Treasurer on the remittance form by indicating the Advance number assigned by Global Ministries. The Conference Treasurer then forwards fund to Global Ministries.
Rev. Ed Fashbaugh
Executive Director, Connectional Ministries
Ext. 136
The East Ohio Conference Office:
located in North Canton, OH,
near Akron-Canton Airport.
Address:
8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
North Canton, OH 44720
Phone:
(330) 499-3972
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.