Recognizing the place of “planned giving” in the stewardship program of the local church, the 1988 General Conference enacted legislation enabling a Permanent Endowment Fund Committee in every United Methodist Church. This legislation was most recently updated in 2004. While this Committee is not a part of the required organizational structure, it can be one of the most important committees in the local church. The Book of Discipline 2004 sets forth this permissive legislation:
“Paragraph 2533. Permanent Endowment Fund Committee—A charge conference may establish a local church Permanent Endowment Fund Committee.” The Book of Discipline 2004
The Charge Conference, which elects other officers and leaders of the local church, can elect and empower a Permanent Endowment Fund Committee, and this Committee can provide vital leadership to this important aspect of the local church’s stewardship program.
While Paragraph 2534 of The Book of Discipline 2004 permits the organization of local church foundations, in most cases the organization of a Permanent Endowment Fund Committee and the establishment of a Planned Giving and Endowment Program in the local church, working cooperatively with United Methodist Foundation, is preferred as a simpler and more effective approach. Local churches are urged to consult with United Methodist Foundation before considering a local church foundation.
The familiar quotation —“A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”—certainly applies to an effective program of planned giving and endowment funding in the local church. A good “first step” begins with an Ad Hoc Committee made up of people who have a dream for their church, who want to see their church’s stewardship vision grow, and who want to see their church in the role of inspiring persons to be good stewards.
The Ad Hoc Committee should include the pastor and other staff related to the stewardship program along with several lay persons whose interest in planned giving and endowment funding has already surfaced or who would be open to considering some new and different stewardship concepts and procedures. In some churches the Work Area or Committee on Stewardship might serve as the Ad Hoc Committee; or, at the prompting of the chairperson of the Work Area or Committee on Stewardship, a separate committee might be convened.
The agenda for the first meeting might well include a visit from the Executive Director of United Methodist Foundation. This resource person is skilled in matters related to gift planning, has assisted other churches in the establishment of endowment programs, and can provide valuable information, guidance, and resources for your church.
While the Ad Hoc Committee will spend much of its time brainstorming new ideas, its primary objective should be to prepare for presentation to the Administrative Board/Council a recommendation that a Permanent Endowment Fund Committee be elected and empowered. The Ad Hoc Committee will want to make a strong presentation to the Board/Council which should include:
(Note: The Committee must be created and members elected by the Charge Conference. The Administrative Board/Council is simply asked for its support and endorsement.)
The Ad Hoc Committee should prepare a resolution to be presented to a regular or called Charge Conference for the purpose of creating the Permanent Endowment Fund Committee as described in Paragraph 2533 of The Book of Discipline 2004. The procedures for holding a Charge Conference are given in Paragraphs 246-247 of The Book of Discipline 2004 and should be carefully followed.
The sample resolution creating an endowment committee may be presented in the Charge Conference session by the chairperson or a member of the Ad Hoc Committee, or it may be presented as a recommendation from the Administrative Board/Council. (If the resolution is presented by the Ad Hoc Committee, it is preferable to have the prior endorsement of the Administrative Board/Council.) Once the Charge Conference votes to create a Permanent Endowment Fund Committee and elects members to this Committee, the Ad Hoc Committee is dissolved.
The sample charter for an endowment program will provide valuable assistance to the Ad Hoc Committee as the resolution is prepared. The sample charter may be modified by the local church to meet its specific needs, but attention should be given to assurance that the organization of the Permanent Endowment Fund Committee and the authority given to the Committee be in compliance with the most recent edition of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church.
Note: The Endowments section of this website is excerpted from the Planned Giving Handbook For Churches Of The North Carolina Conference, published by United Methodist Foundation, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina specifically for use in churches of the North Carolina Conference. If your church would like to receive a copy of the Planned Giving Handbook for Churches of the North Carolina Conference, please call our office at the numbers below or email: .