Church and Society Awards Over $98,000 in Grants for 2022 Funding Cycle

PEACE WITH JUSTICE GRANTS

Supports programs and projects that witness to God’s demands for a faithful, just, disarmed, and secure world. Fifteen grants for a total of $30,000

Peace and Justice Story Path

Our Lord’s United Methodist Church
Conference: Wisconsin
This project involves “planting” an Intergenerational Peace and Justice Storytelling Path on the church grounds in Wisconsin. The Story Path will allow shared learning toward a more peaceful world through open discussions about pressing social justice issues.

Training Community Members for Affordable Housing and Criminal Justice

J.U.S.T. Pensacola
Conference: Alabama – West Florida
This project is facilitation of the specific training by the Direct Action and Research Training Center, (J.U.S.T) in Pensacola, Florida. Four training sessions offered in 2023 will focus on 1) understanding God’s mandate to do justice, 2) how to raise funds locally, 3) how to conduct effective research, and most importantly, 4) learning to build power to take on the massive issues plaguing our community.

Young Offender Awareness Workshop for Peace in Kinshasa

UMC Church and Society Central Congo
Conference: Central Congo
This 3-day workshop for 50 young people – both criminal offenders and non-offenders in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In partnership with the local Elikya church, the Church & Society Committee of the West Congo Annual Conference seeks to educate and train participants about peacebuilding, organizing for shared security, and advocating for nonviolence in Kinshasa and its political institutions.

Gambella Peace Building Project

Ethiopia United Methodist Church
Conference: Kenya – Ethiopia
This project supports reconciliation training and peacebuilding dialogue amidst the heavy fighting in the capital of Ethiopia’s Gambella region, where heavy fighting and attacks on the capitol have left people of all ages internally displaced. Planned activities for this multi-day program are organized by intended/invited participants: advocacy and peace dialogues for youth, peace walks for women, stakeholder engagement on peace with local government workers and leaders.

Church and Society Combating Juvenile Crime

United Methodist Church of Eastern Angola District
Conference: Angola
This project aims to provide conflict resolution training and support for up to 400 youths, young adults, clergy and civil society members in Distric Eclesiástico de Calandula, Angola. Participants will attend four separate educational workshops covering peacebuilding and nonviolence actions, including community dialogues on substance abuse, addiction, recovery and civic engagement.

Peace and Justice Program

United Methodist Church Manila Episcopal Area
Conference: Manila Episcopal Area
This project in Manila, Philippines helps to address ongoing human rights violations by supporting the creation of a rapid response team, comprised of church people trained as human rights defenders, to respond to the immediate needs of victims of violence and human rights violations (especially the poor who have no access to the justice system).

PUMC Church & Society Committee

Pittsboro United Methodist Church
Conference: North Carolina
This project supports the group’s work hosting open support groups with professional speakers on three topics, (1) trauma-informed mental health resources for local Chatham County School students, (2) shared space and community with local ethnic churches during Advent Season, and (3) supportive mentorship space for parents of LGBTQ+ youth.

Plowshares Artist Residency

UMC Swords into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery
Conference: Michigan
Swords into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery is a ministry of Central UMC, and this program seeks to deepen its connection to the local community. The Plowshares Artist Residency will host emerging socially engaged artists in the Detroit, Michigan area for a 3-month program.

Community Legal Clinics

Justice For Our Neighbors North Central Texas
Conference: North Texas
This program provides high-quality, free legal assistance and “Know Your Rights” presentations to low-income immigrants. Serving the low-income immigrant community in the North and Central Texas Conferences of the United Methodist Church, the program also provides information for the public, and engages in advocacy with immigrants.

Ambassador for Peace and Social Cohesion

United Methodist Church
Conference: Burundi
This project brings together 33 leaders of United Methodist Churches along with other local religious denominations in East Africa to strategize for nonviolence and social cohesion. Because poverty and conflict in Burundi has disproportionately harmed women and children, the group will organize programming to reknit the social fabric through the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the empowerment of women and youth, and the establishment of links between crisis and poverty.

Building Bridges Community Experience

West Ohio Conference of the UMC – All in Community
Conference: West Ohio
The 2020 West Ohio’s “All in Community” has coordinated a community engagement initiative, where several statewide learning communities convene for an annual reentry gathering. The purpose is to raise awareness of the social, economic, and political force multipliers of violence and criminal justice-involvement. Efforts focus on creating more restorative policies, practices, and reentry pathways at the state and local level for men and women coming home following an incarceration experience.

Fostering Peaceful Coexistence Among Religious Faith Groups, Through Inter-religious Dialogue (IRD) in Southern Nigeria

UMC Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Conference: Southern Nigeria / Nigeria Episcopal Area
This project facilitates peaceful, substantive interreligious dialogues, especially as open roundtable discussions, with diverse, multi-religious stakeholders as part of ongoing peacebuilding efforts in the Taraba State region of Nigeria.

Resource Project on Intersectionality

Reconciling Ministries Network
Conference: n/a
The Reconciling Ministries Network of Chicago project is the creation of a “Curriculum,” or multimedia resource in a Vacation Bible School format serving whole congregations, small groups, and Children’s Sunday School classes from a variety of theological perspectives. The purpose is to invite faith communities into a deeper understanding of intersectional justice as a means for creating more peace-filled, holistic communities.

Peace With Justice Film Series

Park Slope United Methodist Church Social Action Committee
Conference: New York
This project enables Park Slope UMC, New York to relaunch and develop its community film series with films on gun violence prevention, women’s rights, immigration, LGBTQ+ and AAPI issues, anti-racism work and climate justice from the perspective of human rights.

Ecumenical Advocacy for Justice and Peace (EAJP)

Ecumenical Bishops Forum, Inc.
Conference: Manila Episcopal Area
This Project designed by The Ecumenical Bishops Forum of Bishops from six churches in the Central Conferences has three program components: 1) Education; fora on justice and peace issues affecting the disenfranchised, marginalized and oppressed sectors; 2). Mobilization and solidarity; wherein the Church opens its facilities and resources to those in need; and 3) Sanctuary and legal/material assistance.

HUMAN RELATIONS DAY GRANTS

Supports advocacy and community engagement aimed at uplifting the right of all God’s children to realize their potential in right relationship with one another. Nine grants for a total of $38,765

Montgomery Communities of Transformation

Communities of Transformation
Conference: Alabama-West Florida
The program is a partnership with the Montgomery, Alabama District criminal justice system to provide the Next Steps Program for those awaiting adjudication. The program lowers the risk of recidivism and offers rehabilitative space outside the prison system.

Cypress School Kindness Club

First United Methodist Church Redding
Conference: California-Nevada
The program provides a school-based “kindness club” in Redding, California offering a variety of skills including effective communication, leadership, and conflict resolution. The program would include a Playground Peace Patrol, Affirmation Stations, Kindness Coins, and model inclusive behavior. The program will also include outside speakers and provide students opportunities to be in service to one another.

Rural Entrepreneurship and Community Development

Central Congo Church and Society
Conference: Central Congo
The project conducted by the Church and Society committee of the West Congo Conference will partner with churches in rural communities in the Bateke plateau. The objective is to advocate for better access to urban markets for rural producers with the goal of more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities for rural areas.

Consolidation of Peace in The Fizi-Itombwe Region

Fizi District
Conference: East Congo
This project will develop peaceful solutions to intra- and inter-community conflicts and develop within the youth a culture of nonviolence. The project includes trainings with community leaders and youth in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and addressing poverty.

Vocational Training Support for Young Worker’s Project

United Methodist Church of East Congo
Conference: East Congo
This project provides vocational training and support for unemployed young people in the city of Kindu where high unemployment rates among the youth has led to conflict and anti-social behaviors. The program will have a workshop in the United Methodist Youth Center and train young people in professional trades.

Parents and Youth Together

Young People East Congo
Conference: East Congo
The project focuses on community education and mentoring as well as advocacy for government policies that promote entrepreneurship among at-risk youth.

Promote The Non-participation of Young People in Armed Conflict

United Methodist Youth
Conference: East Congo
This project works with existing institutional partnerships including local civil society organizations to train United Methodist youth leaders and clergy in Goma, Kindu and Bunia with chaplaincy skills to help young people avoid armed conflicts.

Rural Community Outreach Program

Taraba West District
Conference: Nigeria
This project provides training and activities for at-risk youth in the Taraba West District including awareness of drugs and alcohol, art theory, gardening, and cooking.

Community Farming for Sustainable Livelihood Development

Kapatiran-Kaunlaran Foundation, Inc. (KKFI)
Conference: Philippines – Manila Episcopal Area The project will develop a community demonstration farm in Gilead Center, Pulilan, Bulacan to provide agribusiness trainings to community members of the Manila North Cemetery and other areas. The demonstration farm will provide skills in agribusiness and social enterprise to sustain families.

ETHNIC LOCAL CHURCH GRANTS

Supports self-identified needs of ethnic local churches and persons as they address one or more chronic social issues or concerns. Fifteen grants for a total of $30,000.

Civic & Chess Masters Boys Program

Ames UMC Bel Air
Conference: Baltimore-Washington
Purpose of this Ames UMC Bel Air, Maryland project is to address racial disparities and to teach moral and civic responsibilities to young men. Funds will be used for guest speakers, programming and advertising.

Jabez Project

Asbury North UMC
Conference: West Ohio
The purpose of the Asbury North UMC, Columbus Ohio project is to help congregations learn biblical money principles by addressing financial management and education. Funds will be used for workshops, membership for the entire church, and a Church Site License.

Boys to Men Mentorship Project

Canaan United Methodist Church
Conference: South Carolina
The purpose of the Canaan UMC project in Cope, SC is to mentor young black men ages 7-18 for 12 months. Funds will be used for books, materials, and field trips.

CommUnity at Central

Central United Methodist Church
Conference: Desert Southwest
The purpose of this project from Central UMC of Phoenix, AZ is to help the Hispanic/Latino community who were forcibly displaced from their country due to violence. Funds will be used to help pay for transportation.

Community Enabler Developer

Community Enabler Developer, Inc.
Conference: North Alabama
Purpose of this project is to assist students with educational programs, homework support and computer training who live at or below poverty level. Funds will be used for clothes, food household items, school supplies and emergency assistance.

Next Gen Leaders

First UMC
Conference: Holston
The project is a program that provides outreach to youth in the surrounding areas of the neighborhood and ministering to their needs. The grant will be used to provide training to the young adults that graduated from the program and are volunteers to be better mentors.

All People’s Pantry

Hanscom Park UMC
Conference: Great Plains
The purpose of the Hanscom Park UMC, Omaha, NE project is to help provide immigrants/refugees who suffer from food insecurity with traditional foods that other food pantry’s do not offer. Funds will be used for food and supplies.

Five Loaves Food Pantry

Lennon Seney UMC
Conference: Holston
The project of Lennon Seney UMC, Knoxville, TN provides food and other necessities for an area that is a food dessert/lives below the poverty line. The funds will provide pantry necessities to the community.

Native American Family Camp

Native American International Caucus
Conference: Greater New Jersey The project is for Family Camps for Native American United Methodist Families. Grant will be used to support the costs of the camp.

Greater Mabaan Community Family Support

South Sudanese United Methodist
Conference: Iowa
The project helps strengthen the Mabaan Community of South Sudan in Iowa. The children of the Mabaan community speaks English while the parents do not. The funds will help cover the cost of translators.

Surviving, Thriving and Striving to Serve the Lord with Effective Leadership

Trinity and New Hope UMC
Conference: Florida
The funds will help cover the cost of a train-the-trainer leadership retreat for community leaders from both Trinity UMC in Gainesville, FL and New Hope in Brandon, FL that have been engaged with the community.

Amani Café

Two Rivers United Methodist Church
Conference: Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference
Amani Café is a non-profit restaurant that provides employment and community to the African immigrant and refugee community in the city of Rock Island, IL. The grant will help fund a year of pop-up restaurants.

Simbahan at Bayan (Church & Society)

United Media Channel TV PH
Conference: Philippines
Simbahan at Bayan is a TV show that speaks on pressing issues of the community by using the Social Principles. The fund will help expand the show and bring broader awareness and be able to contextualize the content by episcopal area.

Local Church outreach Among Displaced Communities in Mayodassa

United Methodist Church Antakiya Mayodassa
Conference: Southern Nigeria
The project will be an intensive interfaith dialogue event between Muslims and Christians in Mayodassa, Nigeria to work towards peaceful coexistence.

Awareness and Sensitization Campaign Program Against Child Trafficking, Modern Slavery and Drug Abuse for Young Females of the UMC, Nigeria Episcopal Area

United Methodist Young Female Network-Nigeria
Conference: Nigeria
The project is to create awareness for young women on signs of human trafficking and drug abuse as they are often the targeted group in the community.

THE 2023 GBCS GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS WILL OPEN IN JULY OF 2023