Church and Society Awards Grants for 2020

Ethnic Local Church Grants

Rust College Wilkes/Smith Institute

Conference: Mississippi Awarded: $3,500

Builds on the growing relationship with Church and Society and Rust College, the oldest historically Black College in the UMC and is a follow up to Church and Society staff lectures on the legacy of Ida B. Wells and workshops focused on moving from mercy to justice in 2019. Funding to be applied toward social justice Seminars and advocacy training for students.

Online with Jesus, Holman UMC

Conference: California Pacific Awarded: $4,000

Holman UMC is an historic Black UMC seeking to meet the needs of Latinx and African American youth through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) enhanced education in the community. Funding to be applied toward increased access to curricula and mentoring to reduce the education gap for students of color.

Initiative Méthodiste Anti-Tribalisme

Conference: Central Congo Awarded: $3,400

Seeks to address the root causes of tribalism and the social practices and impacts that sustain this form of discrimination. The grants committee encourages the Central Congo Conference to work with Church and Society staff on the design and implementation of this timely project. Funding to be applied toward training of women and men, laity and clergy.

Student Leadership Internship Program, Wesley Foundation

Conference: North Texas Conference Awarded: $2,800

Focuses on primarily African American student internships to support Wesley Foundation outreach programming in spiritual formation and community engagement and funding will make possible two part-time or one full-time student internship.

End Tribalism East Congo Youth Ministries

Conference: East Congo Awarded: $3,500

Addresses the root causes of tribalism in East Congo and prioritizes critique of the social impacts of tribal practices in the church and society through training of youth. Funding will support meeting and travel costs. The grants committee encourages the Central Congo Conference to work with Church and Society staff on the design and implementation of this timely project.

Oasis Global UMC Mission

Conference: North Texas Awarded: $2,800

A multi-racial congregation engaged with vulnerable populations in the Greater Dallas Area, funding will invest in UM education on social justice as a means for greater discipleship and community engagement.

Drugs and Substance Abuse Eradication Young Adult Ministries

Conference: Zimbabwe East Awarded: $3,500

Addresses the health care needs and prevention education on substance abuse and related violence with UM primary and secondary schools. Funding to be applied toward substance abuse eradication training.

Addressing Affordable Housing in Communities of Color—Mt. Zion and McCabe UMC

Conference: Florida Awarded: $3,000

Focuses on community organizing leadership with two African American UM congregations in Pinellas County, FL and advocacy for low and fixed-income families of color. Funding to be applied toward congregational training, $2,000 online training and $1.500 3 on 3 trainings.

Elections Reconciliation Campaign

Conference: Ivory Coast Awardex: $2,900

A national campaign by Church and Society ion the Ivory Coast Conference to promote UMC messages of peace and reconciliation prior to the national presidential elections end of October 2020, this with support public messaging and forums across tribal affiliation and political party membership to address common values in political platforms.

Human Relations Day Grants

Advocacy for Children/Minors Incarcerated

Conference: Central Congo Awarded: $3500

A joint advocacy program between The United Methodist Church in Central Congo and the Civil Society Consultation Framework to enforce laws, legal texts and international instruments to defend the rights of children and minors who have been imprisoned.

Epworth UMC – At-Risk Youth Re-entry Outreach

Conference: Western North Carolina Awarded: $5000

The Epworth “at-risk” Youth Reentry Outreach (EatYRO) program works with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s Office of Reentry Programs and Services to assist returning citizens as well as evaluate, develop, and revise policies to support re-entry initiatives.

Training Center for Young Delinquents

Conference: East Congo – Kindu Awarded: $4000

Engaging young offenders from the Mikelenge commune, the program supports reconciliation with families, training in field of choice including carpentry, construction, sewing, etc), and organizing support and development within the community.

Unaccompanied Children

Conference: East Congo – South Kivu Awarded: $5000

Engaging parents, religious communities, and public authorities, the program supports unaccompanied children in the Kivu province. Participants will advocate with the provincial and central governments for support in accordance with existing legal frameworks.

Peace with Justice Grants

Roundtable for education and empowerment of pygmy people

Conference: East Congo Awarded: $1,000

This grant supports: a roundtable dialogue between the clergy of the Kindu district, local elected officials, state agents of the educational system, and natives of the Kibombo territory to discuss equitable educational justice – especially how to address the illiteracy that makes pygmies vulnerable to deception and exploitation.

Capacity-building & sensitization of youth leaders to promote peace and justice in Kinshasa

Conference: West Congo Awarded: $1,000

This grant supports: a 3-day workshop-style training of 50 young leaders from the Kinshasa region on peace, justice, & human rights. The training will create a network for youth leaders to continue supporting each other in peacebuilding, including monitoring/reporting human rights violations.

Letting Girls Be Girls

Conference: North Carolina Awarded: $1,400

This grant supports: Health education programming and services for young girls in the Rotifunk community of Sierra Leone who face high rates of severe poverty, child marriage, and maternal mortality.

Forum for Church and Farmers

Conference: Manila Episcopal Area/Southern Tagalog Provisional Annual Conference Awarded: $1,000

This grant supports: One-day forums in both Quezon and Laguna for church and community members to discuss sustainable, Christ-centered solutions to the worsening economic conditions wreaking havoc on their coconut oil and rice industries.

Pursuing Justice and Human Rights in Addressing War on Drugs

Conference: Philippines Central Conference Board of Church and Society, Kasimbayan, and Rise Up Awarded: $3,850

This grant supports: Educational trainings (on human rights, lobbying, “know your rights” legal basics, advocacy, etc.) to develop church leaders and laypeople into human rights defenders, promote a human rights framework in addressing war on drugs, and organize a volunteer network of human rights advocates including a “quick reaction team.”

Engaging Youth Leaders in Peacebuilding

Conference: Zimbabwe (Africa University and United Methodist Student Movement) Awarded: $1,000

This grant supports: A 2-day leadership in peacebuilding training for 80 students, to be led by members of the Africa University United Methodist Student Movement. Participants from prayer groups, students organizations, and school clubs will be invited to learn skills to actualize their leadership capacity. The project aims to strengthen solidarity towards youth-led sustainable development and economic recovery, on campus and beyond.

Bridges Alliance of Johnson County – Surviving to Thriving

Conference: Indiana Awarded: $1,750

This grant supports: part of the cost of one 14-week BAJC Surviving to Thriving training. Participants - minorities living below 185% of the federal poverty line - receive vocational training, job search assistance, physical and emotional wellness, and continued access to a support network afterwards.

Anti-Violence Awareness Campaign in the Southwest Region

Conference: Cameroon Mission (Cote d’Ivoire Annual Conference) Awarded: $4,000

This grant supports: a 3-day roundtable for 50 local youth on restoring and maintaining sustainable peace. To combat the problem of teens being recruited/coerced into committing political violence, the dialogue will focus on anti-violence education and expert presentations on conflict prevention. The group will offer support to victims of violence and plant peace trees.

Creating Safe Space for Girls and Women in Tarime, Tanzania

Conference: North Katanga, Tanzania Awarded: $1,000

This grant supports: the creation and maintenance of a week-long “Girls’ Camp” at Gamasara UMC in December, when ceremonial female genital mutilation occurs and teenage girls are most targeted. Gamasara leaders will offer personal testimonials and educate girls age 11-15, plus their parents, families, & communities, about the dangers of FGM, as well as their self-worth as children of God.