World Communion Sunday Talking Points - 2009

World Communion Sunday: Nurture students to lead, today and in the future

Date: First Sunday of October

• Oct. 4, 2009
• Oct. 3, 2010
• Oct. 2, 2011
• Oct. 7, 2012

You may select an alternate date for your congregation’s observance.

Purpose

• “World Communion Sunday calls the Church to be the catholic inclusive church.” (Par. 263.3, The Book of Discipline 2008)
• Gifts provide college scholarships for racial- and ethnic-minority students in the United States and for international students.

History

In 1940 the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America established World-wide Communion Sunday—originally a Presbyterian observance—as a global, interdenominational event. Prompted by the impact of World War II, the Methodist Church received an offering on this Sunday for the Fellowship of Suffering and Service. It aided the work of the Methodist Committee on Overseas Relief (now the United Methodist Committee on Relief), the Commission on Chaplains and the Commission on Camp Activities. In 1971, The United Methodist Church changed the name of the observance to World Communion Sunday and redistributed the offering to support the Crusade Scholarship Program (begun in 1944), the Ethnic Minority Scholarship Program and the Division of Chaplains and Related Ministries. In 1980, Chaplains and Related Ministries was moved to World Service funding, but the World Communion Sunday offering continued to assist racial- and ethnic-minority persons pursuing various avenues of ministry. The 2008 General Conference changed the name of Crusade Scholars to World Communion Scholars.

Recipients

• World Communion Scholarships, related to the General Board of Global Ministries—50 percent of the offering. These are for international and U.S. (racial- and ethnic-minority) graduate students. At least half of the annual amount goes to ministries beyond the United States.
• Ethnic Scholarship Program, affiliated with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) —35 percent. This benefits undergraduate students.
• Ethnic In-Service Training Program, GBHEM. Racial– and ethnic–minority persons seeking second careers in church-related vocations receive these scholarships.

Receipts

The 2008 offering totaled $1,028,865, an average only 13 cents per U.S. member.