Last Updated Jul 2008
More Resources Required to Address Growing Social Needs
By Tiffany Ginyard
AFRO Staff Writer
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The outreach ministries of the church are critical to the strengthening of the communities in which they reside. But with the economy in a slump —job cuts, food and gas prices on the rise — the collection plate, too, is in decline. And, as a result, outreach ministries are facing a financial crunch, while the needs of the community are steadily increasing.
”.. A.M.E. Church is embracing new streams of ministries to bring about a just society..”
But leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal Church are impressing upon their congregations the importance of searching for and securing other sources of income outside the church.
“The church has to look for other streams of revenue in order to support mission and ministry in the global sense,” said the Rev. Ronald Eugene Braxton. “I don’t think we can depend solely on the offering plate. We need to partner with government, private sector and other institutions in order to address the needs of people who are in crisis.”
Here at the general conference, the Rev. Delavago Scruggs, project director of Inter-faith and Community-based Logistics and Symposium for McFarland & Associates, a Maryland-based technical and professional services firm, held a financial empowerment workshop for pastors and other missions clergy.
Pastor Mark Whitlock, director of corporate partnerships for the church, said this was a critical area that required more attention.
“We are excited about the fact that A.M.E. Church is embracing new streams of ministries to bring about a just society,” he said. “The key for me is finding resources that provide access to capital.”
The mission of McFarland & Associates is to support and strengthen social welfare organizations that provide services in the areas of substance abuse prevention; intervention and treatment; juvenile crime and delinquency prevention and rehabilitation; HIV/AIDS-related services; epidemiology and child and adult education. Over the past 10 years, the firm has awarded $10 million to faith-based organizations.
In 2004, McFarland & Associates was awarded a five-year contract from the Center for Substance Abuse and Prevention (CSAP) — an offspring of the United States Department of Health and Human Services— to assist faith- and community based organizations that work around the issues of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. Through 2006, McFarland and Associates awarded 68 grants of $25,000 to qualifying faith- and community based organizations. And, in 2007, the firm awarded 15 organizations $50,000 for prison reentry programming.
However, of the 83 organizations that have benefited from McFarland & Associates’ new initiative, none were from the A.M.E. Church. In 2006, the firm’s initiative was introduced to the nondenominational community at Bishop T.D. Jakes’ MegaFest and then to the Full Baptist Church Fellowship.
“This year it’s the A.M.E.’s turn,” said Rev. Scruggs, who is personally vested in this initiative. He is now able to fund programs that he could’ve used as a 13-year-old heroin addict, high school dropout and convict.
“My passion is to connect with the churches who want to do more than just have church — those churches that have community engagement as a top priority,” Scruggs continued.
The competition in the non-profit sector for funding is stiff. Wanting to engage in the community, however, is half the battle. But being equipped to compete for funding and knowing where to go for it, said Scruggs, makes a difference in whether an organization will acquire the funds they need.
“It’s embarrassing at how bad the proposals submitted by faith organizations are in trying to identify and connect with resources. You’d be surprised,” said Scruggs. “Sometimes I wonder if they even read the RFP (request for proposal).
“And that’s why it’s so important for the organizations applying for grant money to understand what a funder’s priorities are to grant those awards.”
So in addition to providing awards to faith- and community based organizations, McFarland & Associates also provides the know-how to its clientele on where to search for resources that match their mission, how to write winning grant proposals and where to locate faith-based Web resources.
Conferees said not only did they leave the workshop with a Faith-Based Resource guide from the CSAP but also with empowered spirits to go back into their communities and serve those in need without having to break the bank.
Said Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, “You’re going to go home with information from this workshop that can change your life, the life of your family and the members of your congregation.”