General ProvisionsRegarding Churchwide Special Sundays with Offerings
275. Six special Churchwide Sundays provide for Churchwide offerings to express our commitment.
Purpose--The purpose of the churchwide offerings shall be determined by General Conference upon recommendation of the General Council on Finance and Administration, after consultation with the Council of Bishops and the General Council on Ministries. The purpose of these funds shall remain constant for the quadrennium. The funds shall be promoted by the General Commission on Communication in cooperation with the agencies responsible for the administration of these funds. (See 1906.12.)
Each offering shall be promptly remitted in full by the local Church treasurer to the annual conference treasurer, who shall transmit the funds in full to the General Council on Finance and Administration within thirty (30) days of receipt in the office of the annual conference treasurer.
1. Human Relations Day--Human Relations Day shall be observed during the Season of Epiphany on the Sunday before the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday with an offering recommended by the General Council on Finance and Administration and adopted by the General Conference. Epiphany is the season of manifesting God's light to the world. Human Relations Day calls the Church to recognize the right of all God's children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with each other. The purpose of the day is to further the development of better human relations through funding programs determined by the General Conference upon recommendation of the General Council on Finance and Administration after consultation with the General Council on Ministries.
For the 1993-1996 quadrennium the offering receipts will be allocated and administered as follows:
a) Community Developers Program: 57 percent (administered by the National Division, General Board of Global Ministries).
b) United Methodist Voluntary Services Program: 33 percent (administered by the National Division, General Board of Global Ministries).
c) Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program: 10 percent (administered by the General Board of Church and Society).
Net receipts of the Human Relations Day Offering shall be distributed on ratio to the administering agencies.
2. One Great Hour of Sharing--One Great Hour of Sharing shall be observed on the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Lent is the season of repentance, self-examination, and awareness of the hurts of the peoples of the world. One Great Hour of Sharing calls the Church to share the goodness of life with those who hurt. All local Churches shall be fully informed and encouraged to receive a freewill offering in behalf of the relief program. The observance shall be under the general supervision of the General Commission on Communication. Insofar as possible, the planning and promotion of the One Great Hour of Sharing shall be done cooperatively with other denominations through the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., it being understood, however, that receipts shall be administered by The United Methodist Church. Net receipts from the offering, after payment of the expenses of promotion, shall be remitted by the treasurer of the General Council on Finance and Administration to the United Methodist Committee on Relief Department of the General Board of Global Ministries, to be administered by that department.
3. World Communion Sunday--World Communion Sunday shall be observed the first Sunday of October. World Communion Sunday calls the Church to be the catholic inclusive church. In connection with World Communion Sunday there shall be a churchwide appeal conducted by the General Commission on Communication in accord with the following directives: Each local Church shall be requested to remit as provided in 916.8 all the communion offering received on World Communion Sunday and such portion of the communion offering received at other observances of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as the local Church may designate.
The net receipts, after payment of promotional costs, shall be divided as follows: 50 percent for Crusade Scholarships, to be administered by the Crusade Scholarship Committee; 35 percent for the Ethnic Scholarship Program; and 15 percent for the Ethnic In-Service Training Program; the last two to be administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Over one-half must go to ministries beyond the United States of America.
4. United Methodist Student Day--United Methodist Student Day shall be observed on the last Sunday in November. United Methodist Student Day calls the Church to support students as they prepare for life in uniting faith with knowledge. The United Methodist Student Day offering, taken annually on the last Sunday in November, shall be received for the support of the United Methodist scholarships and the United Methodist Student Loan Fund. (The changes in 275.4 become effective upon the adjournment of the 1992 General Conference.) Net receipts from the offering, after payment of the expenses of promotion, shall be remitted by the treasurer of the General Council on Finance and Administration to the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, to be administered by that board.
5. Peace with Justice Sunday--Peace with Justice Sunday shall be observed on the Second Sunday of Pentecost. Peace with Justice witnesses to God's demand for a faithful, just, disarmed, and secure world. The observance of Peace with Justice Sunday shall be under the general supervision of the General Board of Church and Society. Net receipts from the offering will be distributed as follows:
a) There shall be a churchwide appeal and offering. All receipts shall be remitted by the local Church treasurer to the annual conference treasurer.
b) The annual conference treasurer shall retain 50 percent of the moneys for peace with justice ministries in the annual conference, to be administered by the annual conference board of church and society or equivalent structure.
c) The annual conference treasurer shall remit the remaining 50 percent of the moneys to the General Council on Finance and Administration. Net receipts from the offering after payment of the expenses of promotion shall be remitted by the treasurer of the General Council on Finance and Administration to the General Board of church and society for peace with justice ministries.
6. Native American Awareness Sunday--Native American Awareness Sunday shall be observed annually on the Third Sunday of Easter. This Sunday serves to remind the Church of the gifts and contributions made by Native Americans to our society. The observance of Native American Awareness Sunday will be under the general supervision of the General Board of Global Ministries.
a) There shall be a churchwide appeal and offering. All receipts shall be remitted by the local Church treasurer to the annual conference treasurer.
b) The annual conference treasurer shall retain 50 percent of the moneys for the developing and strengthening of Native American ministries within the annual conference, to be administered by the annual conference committee on Native American ministry.
Should there be no Native American ministries within the annual conference, the annual conference treasurer shall remit this 50 percent to the General Council on Finance and Administration.
c) The annual conference treasurer shall remit the remaining 50 percent of the moneys to the General Council on Finance and Administration.
d) After the payment of the expenses of promotion, the treasurer of the General Council on Finance and Administration shall remit 50 percent of the net receipts to the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry to provide scholarships for Native Americans attending United Methodist schools of theology and the other 50 percent to the General Board of Global Ministries to expand the number of target cities in their Native American Urban Initiative.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 275
1996 United Methodist General Conference