Blessed to Be a Blessing During COVID-19
June 17, 2020
When United Methodist ministries shifted into a new way of being church because of COVID-19, video recordings on mobile phones were getting the job done. Many were soon asking, “Could we do it better?” A small investment in equipment or online capability could make a big difference. The United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina saw this need and offered grant support from its Reynolds Ministry Fund.
The Reynolds Ministry Fund was already widely-known from its annual ministry grants. The fund, generously entrusted to the Foundation by Royce and Jane Reynolds of Greensboro, supports initiatives that make disciples of Jesus Christ. Though the fund had awarded $371,500 during its regular 2020 grant cycle in February, the need to offer additional support for ministries as they adapted to the new reality was plainly evident.
With the full support of the Reynolds, the Foundation opened a special grant cycle specifically for churches adapting to COVID-19. $100,000 went directly to the Western North Carolina Conference to support various Conference-level ministries. An additional $102,000 in grants were awarded to 178 churches and related ministries to purchase recording and lighting equipment, online meeting software subscriptions, and expand local internet access and capacity.
“Thank you, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart,” offered Lee Rice from Rock Hill UMC in Stanley. “We are a small church with a mighty heart! This will help so much. I am all smiles.”
For the Foundation, these grants are about more than helping out. They’re about faithful stewardship over the resources entrusted to them.
“It’s an honor to be a part of a real-time response to an obvious and pragmatic need. Times of crises require that we all do what we can. The faithfulness and generosity of Royce and Jane Reynolds of Greensboro has, for many years, supported initiatives in this Conference and beyond on an extraordinary level. Our gratitude for Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds cannot be overstated.” – Caroline Cox, Director of Reynolds Ministries and Programs, United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina
Learn more about the United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina at www.umfwnc.org.