Ministry Renewal Endowment
The Board of Directors of the General Assembly of the Church of God in Michigan establishes as of this date the “Ministry Renewal Endowment Fund.”
History:
The Church of God in Michigan purchased and maintained a program of “Healing, Teaching, and Training” at the Pinckney Pines Retreat Center. The focus of this ministry was to provide for the retreat and renewal needs of pastors, lay leaders, and congregations who are part of the General Assembly of the Church of God in Michigan. Since the proceeds of the sale of Pinckney Pines Retreat Center form the financial basis for this fund, the Board of Directors establishes the Ministry Renewal Endowment Fund to continue this crucial activity.
Purpose:
It is the intent of the Board of Directors to extend the “ministry of healing, teaching, and training” to pastors, lay leaders, and congregations. The fund shall be used to support and fund such events and programs that undergird the renewal of pastors, lay leaders, and congregations. The financial resources of the fund will be used for ministries such as, but not limited to, those listed below.
- Congregational leadership retreats including planning and training experiences
- Pastoral retreats for renewal and refreshment
- Support for events such as the Pastors' Institute and Ministry Wives Retreat
- Support for sabbatical experiences
- Special projects and/or ministries approved by the Board of Directors to aid and equip pastors and lay persons for ministry
The Board of Directors will have the authority to add, change, or amend the purposes of the Ministry Renewal Endowment Fund.
Funding:
The funding for this endowment shall be designed by the Board of Directors from the proceeds of the sale of Pinckney Pines Retreat Center. The monies shall be invested as directed by the State Pastor in accordance with the Financial Procedures Manual adopted by the Board of Directors.
Grants may not exceed eighty percent of the gain on the investment in any one year. Grants shall not exceed $1000 to any individual or congregation each year. However, this $1000 may be exceeded if the project or event is funded by a Division of the General Assembly and the amount is approved by the Board of Directors.
The funding for potential grants will be determined in the following manner. - The General Assembly Treasurer will determine the gain on the investment for the previous year through the report of the investment company. - Eighty percent of this gain is set aside by the General Assembly Treasurer. - The Pastoral Health Ministry will receive applications for grants, review the applications, and interview applicants, if deemed advisable, then make grants in the second half of the calendar year. The grants will be included in the expense budget approved by the Board of Directors and the General Assembly in November each year. The funding for the grants will be included on the income side of the annual budget. - Grants will be disbursed in the following year.
This process will assure the Pastoral Health Ministry and the Board of Directors that the monies are on hand for disbursement without regard to the fluctuations of the investment market.
Oversight Committee:
The Board of Directors may name a Ministry Renewal Endowment Fund Committee or they may name the Pastoral Health Ministry as the oversight committee. The committee is responsible to publicize the availability of the grants so that the monies will be broadly distributed among the congregations and leaders of the Church of God in Michigan. They shall devise an application form and review the process which gives fair and equitable distribution of the funds. They shall prepare a list of grant proposals to the Board of Directors for inclusion in the annual General Assembly budget and report how the budgeted money was actually spent. The Pastoral Health Ministry or the Ministry Renewal Endowment Fund Committee shall periodically review the effectiveness of the process and make recommendations to the Board of Directors.