Stories
Communion Class Celebrates 40 Years by Establishing an Endowment Fund
In March, the Communion Sunday School Class celebrated its 40th birthday! Class members have supported marriages and relationships, helped to raise children, celebrated the joys and grieved the losses of its members. And from the very beginning, this faithful Class has championed worthy causes both in the local community and throughout the world.
Building on its past and with an eye to the future, in June of 2018, the Class began efforts to establish an endowment fund to ensure its legacy of faithfulness to the divine love of Jesus Christ. They formed a committee to investigate the rules, mechanism, and governing structure for such a fund. Members of the Seekers Sunday School Class graciously shared their materials and expertise. When the proposal was presented in September, the Class voted unanimously to proceed.
Proceed they did! On December 16, 2018, the Class gathered for a signing ceremony to establish the Communion Class Mission Fund! Each year, the Class will decide how to allocate the Fund’s distribution. The goal is to provide funds to organizations best equipped with the resources and expertise to serve those individuals most in need.
Jann and Nick McLane love Buncombe Street and they especially cherish this Sunday School Class. They were eager to establish a permanent fund that acknowledges and institutionalizes the class’s impact. “Through the giving of time, talent, and resources the Communion Class has had an impact on many lives over the last 40 years,” said Jann. “BSUMC and the Communion Class have meant so much to us and we were looking for an opportunity to give back both to BSUMC and the community in a way that would continue these efforts for many years to come. The establishment of the Communion Class Endowment Fund allows us to share our gifts with others, now and for future generations.”
Grants will be made in consideration of, but not restricted to, the following:
- Organizations that encompass the mission of the United Methodist Church: To make disciples of Jesus Christ
- Organizations where the donation will impact the most lives
- Organizations in ministry and mission to children
- Faith based organizations that support homelessness and hunger
- Organizations that have a special relationship to the Communion Class, BSUMC, or the United Methodist Church
- Organizations in mission and ministry to (1st) the Greenville community, (2nd) the state of South Carolina, (3rd) states or regions of the United States, and (4th) foreign lands
“The Communion Class has always had a deep conviction for Missions, and by creating this Endowment, we found a way to continue to support Missions at BSUMC long after we are gone,” said Tom Buchanan. “The members of our class have worked hard and been extremely blessed, and I think we all felt like we have a responsibility to give back to the community where it is needed most. When given the opportunity to form this endowment, our class jumped at the chance to create this legacy.”
by Julia Sibley-Jones
