wfn.org | Igniting Ministry awards first round of matching grants

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Dec. 13, 2000  News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.     10-71B{566}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Igniting Ministry, a national television
advertising campaign for the United Methodist Church, has awarded its first
series of matching grants to 32 individual congregations, clusters of
congregations and annual (regional) conferences.   

The Rev. Steven Horswill-Johnston, director of the four-year initiative
approved by the denomination's top legislative body in May, said his office
at United Methodist Communications was "overwhelmed" at the number of
applicants. 

"This says to us that local churches are hungry to embark upon a campaign
that will make an impact on people in our communities who are searching for
a spiritual home," he said.

In the first round of grants, up to $50,000 each was given to 15 local
churches, nine clusters of churches and eight annual conferences.
Horswill-Johnston was particularly impressed that five of the conferences
made a joint request and plan to work closely together on the project. These
are: North and South Indiana, West Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois Great Rivers
(central and southern Illinois). Other conferences receiving grants are New
York, West Michigan and Wisconsin. 

Clusters of churches receiving grants are Macon (Ga.) District; Mississippi
River District in Illinois; Newton County (Ga.) area churches; Quad Cities
in Northern Illinois and Iowa; Columbus (Ga.) District; Thomasville (Ga.)
District; Waycross (Ga.) District; Western and Metro Districts, Portland,
Ore.; and Savannah-Statesboro (Ga.) District.  

Individual churches receiving grants are: Broadmoor, Shreveport, La.; Cabot
(Ark.); Centenary, Lawton, Okla.; Christ, Rockford, Ill.; Decatur (Ill.);
First, Fort Smith, Ark.; First, Washington, Ill.; Gibbons-Resurrection,
Brandywine, Md.; First, Harrison, Ark.; First, Honolulu; Hope, Southfield,
Mich.; Midland (Texas); Munsey Memorial, Johnson City, Tenn.; Rayne
Memorial, New Orleans; Wesley, Springfield, Mo.

The denomination, through United Methodist Communications (UMCom), is
providing $1 million in matching grants each year and about $17 million in
national placement of spots on cable television channels starting in
September and continuing through 2004. 

Despite reports that the church's General Conference allocated $20 million
for the 2001-2004 quadrennium for the Igniting Ministry initiative,
Horswill-Johnston said the amount was $18.7 million. 

"Like all goals in the church, we do not always get the full amount asked
for," he explained.  "From past history, we anticipate that 89 percent of
the $18.7 million goal will be reached, which means the money given to us
will be closer to $17 million than the $20 million reported." 

The first run of commercials is planned for the Lenten season of 2001.
"Research says we can expect to deliver our message to approximately 65
percent of the households in the areas where these matching grants have been
made," Horswill-Johnston said.  

UMCom anticipates providing matching grants three times year for spots that
will be shown during the Lenten, back-to-school and Advent seasons. The next
round will coincide with the airing of new national cable TV spots.
Application deadline for the second round of grants  is May 1, according to
UMCom staff member Jackie Vaughan.  

"Partnership is the key to the matching grants effort," Vaughan said. "We
are able to cooperate in helping local congregations be evangelistic by
extending their outreach into their respective communities. One could call
this 'communications evangelism.'"  

The media plan of each applying church or conference was analyzed by a
professional advertising organization, Vaughan said. "It is our hope that
these churches will not see Igniting Ministry as a one-shot deal but will
use media to reach people in the future." The campaign next spring will
ensure that they reach a significant percentage of their target audience of
non-churched people between the ages of 25 and 54, she said. 

Horswill-Johnston said Igniting Ministry represents the "first time in
United Methodist history that we are able to engage popular culture in a
meaningful way."  

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United Methodist News Service
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