Renfro Trust Fund Guidelines

Download and print Renfro Trust Fund Application (PDF).
Download and print Renfro Trust Guidelines (PDF).

Guidelines for the Renfro Trust Fund

The United Methodist Church, Southeastern Jurisdiction

GUIDELINES FOR THE RENFRO TRUST FUND 2011

1. Purpose and Eligibility:

Under provisions of the Renfro Trust, the income from the Fund is to be used for the purpose of establishing and supporting United Methodist churches in rural areas of the United States within the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. The term “rural areas” shall be interpreted to mean towns of less than 10,000, villages, and open country.
Situations described as unusual and challenging and for which insufficient funds are available from other local sources shall be considered as eligible for grants from the Renfro Trust Fund.
Grants will be considered for projects involving new or existing church buildings only, not for parsonages. Repairs required to maintain the structural integrity or soundness of the church building may be included as part of a request. Major equipment directly related to the overall project may be included in a request. Grants will not be awarded for general maintenance on a church building or equipment. Grants for debt reduction will not be considered.
The maximum amount for each grant shall be $5,000.00. Funds are awarded as grants, not as loans.
New applications need to be submitted each year. Grants will be made to a church for the same project only one time.

2. Application process:

Local churches should contact their Conference office to obtain the 2011 Renfro Application, Guidelines and information about their conference deadline for submission.
All questions and data must be completed in full on the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Give a good narrative description of what is to be accomplished by the project. Pictures, drawings, estimates and similar attachments are not necessary.
Each conference should set its own deadline for receiving completed applications from local churches or district superintendents to ensure that they are certified and ranked by the appropriate conference committee related to global ministries or missions prior to the September 1 deadline.
Each conference is expected to verify completeness, certify, rank and sign applications from their conference then submit as a package to Lake Junaluska at the address below to be received no later than September 1, 2011. Conferences are encouraged to submit only their top five (5) applications. Conferences should use the same eligibility criteria listed above.
All signatures and application information are required in order for an application to be considered complete.
Application path: Local Church, to District Supt., to Conference, to Lake Junaluska

3. Award process:

Applications will be considered upon the basis of need. Recommendations for grant awards will be considered by a committee consisting of the Lake Junaluska Executive Director or designee, Development Director and at least 3 conference representatives with responsibility for global/ethnic ministries/missions.
Grants will be approved by the Board of the Lake Junaluska Assembly at its fall meeting. All applicants, their District Superintendent, DCM and CSGM will be notified after the awards have been approved.
Award checks will be sent to the Conference Secretary of Global Ministries/Missions or related position in care of the Conference Director of Connectional Ministries to be forwarded to the local church.

4. Grant Recipient reporting:
Each local church receiving a Renfro grant will be expected to submit a one page report no later than September 1, 2012 to the Lake Junaluska address below. The report will:

in narrative form share how the grant was used and its impact on the life of the church and its outreach programs; and
provide a simple financial statement about how the funds were dispersed and the current balance, if any.

Questions about the application form, award process or the Renfro Fund may be directed to:

Aly Groesser, Administrative Assistant
Office of Development and the Foundation
DevelopmentOffice@lakejunaluska.com
828-454-6680

Jack Ewing, Executive Director
Lake Junaluska Assembly
828-454-6702

Completed application forms including all signatures, certification and ranking must be received from the Conference office no later than September 1, 2011. Mail to:

Renfro Trust Fund
c/o Lake Junaluska Office of Development and the Foundation
P O Box 67 759 North Lakeshore Drive (UPS delivery only)
Lake Junaluska, NC 28745