Advance Special Ministries Sunday is scheduled this year for Sunday, Nov. 5, in the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.
On Sunday, South Carolina churches are encouraged to feature an offering in support of Advance Special Ministries, but they also are urged to support the Advance Special Ministries in the communities through volunteer work and other ways.
The 16 Advance Special Ministries are missional organizations within the conference that have been recommended by the Conference Board of Global Ministries and approved by the Annual Conference.
These independently controlled and run organizations share a connection to the South Carolina Conference either through history or mission. They must apply for certification every quadrennium for approval by the Annual Conference and apply for funding every year.
Each Advance Special Ministry has its own board of directors, which must have United Methodist representation to be eligible as an Advance Special Ministry.
Click here to read more about
Advance Special Ministries.
The S.C. Conference supports these organizations in several ways:
- The primary way is through the connectional system of the United Methodist Church.
- In addition, by being sponsored by the conference, these organizations have the ability to solicit funding through the local churches in their surrounding area and statewide.
- The Conference Board of Global Ministries encourages local churches and districts to partner with a nearby Advance Special Ministry and support them with not only financial help but in the many other ways in which help is needed.
- These organizations also are supported by a line item in the Connectional Ministries budget. This amount – supported by apportionment giving – was $130,200 in 2016.
- Finally, ASMs are supported by an offering taken through Advance Special Ministries Sunday each year.
2017-2018 Advance Special Ministries
- Alston Wilkes Society
- Bennettsville-Cheraw Area Cooperative Ministry
- Bethlehem Community Center (Columbia)
- Bethlehem Community Center (Spartanburg)
- Christian Assistance Bridge
- Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center
- The Cooperative Ministry
- Interfaith Community Services
- Jubilee Academy
- Killingsworth
- P.A.T.H.
- Rural Mission Inc.
- Tracy Jackson Program (G.I.F.T)
- United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM)
- United Ministries of Greenville
- Wallace Family Life Center
