1996 Book of Discipline: Paragraph 267| General Conference 2000

GENERAL PROVISIONS REGARDING CHURCHWIDE SPECIAL SUNDAYS WITH OFFERINGS

¶ 267. Six special churchwide Sundays with offerings shall be celebrated in each United Methodist Church.

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, and the net receipts shall be distributed on ratio to the administering agencies by the treasurer of the General Council on Finance and Administration (see ¶ 816.7 and ¶ 806.1d). The funds shall be promoted by the General Commission on Communication in cooperation with the agencies responsible for the administration of these funds. (See ¶ 1806.12.)

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, except where noted differently below, 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 with an offering, preferably on the Sunday before the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. This Sunday occurs during Epiphany, 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.

The offering receipts will be allocated and administered as follows:

a) Community Developers Program: 57 percent (administered by the General Board of Global Ministries);

b) United Methodist Voluntary Services Program: 33 percent (administered by the 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 with an offering, preferably 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. 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 General Board of Global Ministries, to be administered by the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

3. World Communion Sunday--World Communion Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably on 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 ¶ 816.8 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.

{@N}{@N}Over one half of the offering receipts must go to ministries beyond the United States of America. The receipts shall be divided as follows, with the last two to be administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry:

a) 50 percent for Crusade Scholarships, to be administered by the Crusade Scholarship Committee of the General Board of Global Ministries;

b) 35 percent for the Ethnic Scholarship Program; and

c) 15 percent for the Ethnic In-Service Training Program.

4. United Methodist Student Day--United Methodist Student Day shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the last Sunday in November or another Sunday appropriate to the local church. United Methodist Student Day calls the Church to support students as they prepare for life in uniting faith with knowledge. The offering receipts support the United Methodist scholarships and the United Methodist Student Loan Fund. The funds shall be administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

5. Peace with Justice Sunday--Peace with Justice Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the first [emphasis added] Sunday After Pentecost. Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit calling for God's shalom. 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.

a) The annual conference treasurer shall retain 50 percent of the receipts for Peace with Justice ministries in the annual conference, to be administered by the annual conference board of church and society or equivalent structure.

b) The annual conference treasurer shall remit the remaining 50 percent of the receipts to the General Council on Finance and Administration. The funds shall be administered by the General Board of Church and Society for Peace with Justice ministries.

6. Native American Awareness Sunday--Native American Awareness Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably 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) The annual conference treasurer shall retain 50 percent of the receipts 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.

b) The annual conference treasurer shall report gross receipts and remit the remaining 50 or 100 percent of the receipts as applicable to the General Council on Finance and Administration.

c) The funds to be distributed include 50 percent to the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry to provide scholarships for Native Americans attending United Methodist schools of theology and schools of theology approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church.

d) The remaining 50 percent of the fund shall be distributed to the General Board of Global Ministries to expand the number of target cities in their Native American Urban Initiative.



	1996 Discipline ¶ 267
	`GENERAL PROVISIONS REGARDING CHURCHWIDE SPECIAL SUNDAYS WITH OFFERINGS` `¶ 267. Six special churchwide Sundays with offerings shall be celebrated in each United Methodist Church.` 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, and the net receipts shall be distributed on ratio to the administering agencies by the treasurer of the General Council on Finance and Administration (see ¶ 816.7 and ¶ 806.1d). The funds shall be promoted by the General Commission on Communication in cooperation with the agencies responsible for the administration of these funds. (See ¶ 1806.12.) `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, except where noted differently below, 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 with an offering, preferably on the Sunday before the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. This Sunday occurs during Epiphany, 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.` `The offering receipts will be allocated and administered as follows:` `a) Community Developers Program: 57 percent (administered by the General Board of Global Ministries);` `b) United Methodist Voluntary Services Program: 33 percent (administered by the 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 with an offering, preferably 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. 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 General Board of Global Ministries, to be administered by the United Methodist Committee on Relief. 3. World Communion Sunday--World Communion Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably on 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 ¶ 816.8 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. `{@N}{@N}Over one half of the offering receipts must go to ministries beyond the United States of America. The receipts shall be divided as follows, with the last two to be administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry:` `a) 50 percent for Crusade Scholarships, to be administered by the Crusade Scholarship Committee of the General Board of Global Ministries;` `b) 35 percent for the Ethnic Scholarship Program; and` `c) 15 percent for the Ethnic In-Service Training Program.` 4. United Methodist Student Day--United Methodist Student Day shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the last Sunday in November or another Sunday appropriate to the local church. United Methodist Student Day calls the Church to support students as they prepare for life in uniting faith with knowledge. The offering receipts support the United Methodist scholarships and the United Methodist Student Loan Fund. The funds shall be administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. `5. Peace with Justice Sunday--Peace with Justice Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the first [emphasis added] Sunday After Pentecost. Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit calling for God's shalom. 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.` `a) The annual conference treasurer shall retain 50 percent of the receipts for Peace with Justice ministries in the annual conference, to be administered by the annual conference board of church and society or equivalent structure.` `b) The annual conference treasurer shall remit the remaining 50 percent of the receipts to the General Council on Finance and Administration. The funds shall be administered by the General Board of Church and Society for Peace with Justice ministries.` `6. Native American Awareness Sunday--Native American Awareness Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably 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) The annual conference treasurer shall retain 50 percent of the receipts 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.` `b) The annual conference treasurer shall report gross receipts and remit the remaining 50 or 100 percent of the receipts as applicable to the General Council on Finance and Administration.` `c) The funds to be distributed include 50 percent to the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry to provide scholarships for Native Americans attending United Methodist schools of theology and schools of theology approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church.` `d) The remaining 50 percent of the fund shall be distributed to the General Board of Global Ministries to expand the number of target cities in their Native American Urban Initiative.`
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1996 Discipline ¶ 267