We are so excited that God is calling you to start a new GMC in your area! There are several steps in the process to follow, the first of which is getting in touch with our Church Planting and Multiplication Team. Please contact team lead, Rev. Matt Meisenhelter, at farfromperfectjustforgiven@gmail.com to begin a conversation.
The Global Methodist Church has Ambassadors that are able to answer any questions you may have about the Global Methodist Church. If you need an ambassador to come to speak to your church about the GMC contact us today to get an ambassador scheduled to visit.
Individuals certified as a lay speaker in the UM Church, can automatically be accepted into the GMC, provided they have met the below requirements in the UM Church of b and c:
If you are transferring from another denomination then you will want to contact the ____________________ team for specifics on your transfer. When emailing please provide the team with any kind of education that you have recieved for your certificaton.
To join the Global Methodist Church, the following motion must be adopted by a simple majority at a congregational meeting:
“I move that _____________ Church become a member congregation of the Global Methodist Church, that it affirms and endorses the doctrinal standards (Part One), Social Witness (Part Two), and church governance of the Global Methodist Church as set forth in its Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline, and agrees to be accountable to such standards, witness, and governance. Our leadership and trustees are authorized to take all actions necessary to implement this motion.”
A person authorized by the church must then complete and submit a digital church application. As part of completing the digital church application, you must upload the minutes of the meeting at which the motion above was adopted. Church applications can only be submitted using the digital church application. If you have questions about the church application process, please email applications@globalmethodist.org.
To apply to be a clergy member of the Global Methodist Church, the clergyperson must complete and submit a digital clergy application. As part of completing the digital clergy application, you will upload certain documents such as a copy of ordination certificates or licenses evidencing your current ministerial credentials, diplomas from educational institutions, and transcripts of courses completed. During completion of the digital clergy application, you will initiate a background check as part of completing the digital clergy application. Church applications can only be submitted using the digital clergy application. If you have questions about the clergy application process, please email applications@globalmethodist.org.
Email us directly at communications email requesting to be added and we will collect all of the information that we will need.
According to the Global Methodist Church’s Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline local churches own all their property and assets. Since it is widely assumed that the local churches, and annual conferences and central conferences that are strongly inclined to join the Global Methodist Church do not want to be part of a denomination with a “trust clause” (i.e., where local church property is held in trust for a general church), it is almost certain the Global Methodist Church will never adopt one. Therefore, local churches in the Global Methodist Church will own all their property and assets in perpetuity.
The Global Methodist Church is recognized as a tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 501(c)(3). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determination letter is attached. All contributions, made on and after March 18, 2022, to the Global Methodist Church are deductible as charitable contributions to the extent applicable by governing federal and state laws.
The IRS suspended receiving and processing group exemption applications in 2020. Thus, the Global Methodist Church cannot apply for a group exemption covering local churches which are part of the Global Methodist Church.
However, the law firm of Gammon & Grange, PC, which represents the Global Methodist Church, has issued its opinion letter stating that local churches are exempt from taxation pursuant to a mandatory exception in IRC § 508(c)(1)(A). Local churches are not required to file an application (IRS Form 1023) with the IRS to qualify as tax exempt under IRC §501(c)(3). Contributions to such local churches in the United States are eligible for tax deduction pursuant to IRC §170(b)(1)(A).
While affiliated churches are automatically considered 501(c)(3), certain vendors and local governments may require additional documentation from a third party to prove their 501(c)(3) status. Churches that complete the Tax-Exempt Confirmation Form will receive an official letter via email within one week that can be used to prove their 501(c)(3) status.
When the IRS reopens the process for applying for a group exemption under IRC §501(c)(3), the Global Methodist Church will file for such a group exemption to cover local churches who are members of the Global Methodist Church. To preserve the opportunity to be included in a group exemption granted to the Global Methodist Church in the future, local churches who are members of the Global Methodist Church should not file a separate application for recognition of IRC §501(c)(3) status, but instead should rely on the automatic exemption pursuant to IRC §508(c)(1)(A).
An article to help your church getting a letter from the GMC on your specific churches status based on affiliation can be found on JT Accounting's website
Please visit the GMC Benefits page to access information about our benefits program and to locate members of the Benefits Team. For specific questions you can reach out to the GMC benefits team or contact a VA GMC ambassador today for additional assitance.
GMC Benefits Team Contact
The GMC has apportionments but we call them Connectional Giving/Funding. Connectional funding is addressed in ¶ 349 of the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline. All local churches are asked to contribute 1% of their operating income to the funding of the general church. Among a number of things, these funds are used to cover the costs required for organizing the church, to recruit and train its leaders, to incubate and support its growth in challenging locations all around the world, and to invest in planting new churches and revitalizing existing ones. In one way or another, the funds are to support the entire connection in fulfilling the Global Methodist Church’s mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.
Where provisional annual conferences are not yet operating, local churches are also asked to pay an additional one percent of their operating income to underwrite the formation of annual conferences in their regions. Where a provisional annual conference has been established, the connectional funding rate is established by the initial conference leadership and then ratified at a convening annual conference meeting. At subsequent annual conference gatherings, lay and clergy delegates representing local churches will set the connectional funding share amount between one to five percent of a congregation’s operating income. These resources are for annual conference operations.
Virginia has set this funding about at 1% of local church operating income to the funding of the Virignia District. This funding will among other things, fund to cover the requied organzing of the church, our convening gatherings bi-annually, trainings, and more. The Virginia leadership team has made our budget slim in order to keep our connectional giving as low as possible while providing the most we can to our local churches.
The process of dissafiliation within the GMC church can be found in the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline on page 101 and is as follows:
903. PROCESS OF DISSAFILLIATION. After at least a 90-day period of discernment and prayer, a congregation of the Global Methodist Church may disaffiliate from the denomination by a majority vote of its church conference.
Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church is intended to serve as a resource for all who wish to join in a “methodical,” practical, and warm- hearted pursuit of loving God and serving others as Jesus’ disciples in the world. Beginning with confessions rooted in Scripture and shaped by the great teaching of the Church universal, the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline provides the essential structure for the Global Methodist Church from its official launch on May 1, 2022 until its convening General Conference twelve to eighteen months later. It is offered with the prayer that it will help guide us in a new season of the church’s life as we make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.
The local church treasurer or designee shall calculate the amount to be remitted by January 30 of each calendar year based on the prior year’s local church operating income.
See the Operating Income Examples for a more detailed example of what is and is not Operating Income.
There is an excellent article and calculator for determining Connectional Funding located at JCT Accountings Website.
The failure of a local church to remit connectional funding in full as calculated annually may result in the Transitional Leadership Council or designee action.
Churches seeking deferment of Connectional Funding may petition for a waiver. Churches seeking a waiver for the 1% general church Connectional Funding may petition the TLC directly.
Churches seeking a waiver for all or part of the GMC of Virginia Connectional Funding may petition the Virginia Provisional District. The Virginia Provisional District will review the waiver requests and consider a connectional giving deferment until the Convening Conference of the GMC. After the Convening Conference of the GMC in September, 2024, additional petitions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Transitional Leadership Council or its designee may designate a local church as a missional church and exempt such a church from paying general church or annual conference connectional funding for up to five years from the date of designation. Missional churches shall be church plants, church re-starts, or churches located in or serving economically disadvantaged communities.
The pastor(s) and leadership of the local church shall interpret connectional funding to the members of the local church so that connectional funding is embraced by such membership and regularly share information with the members of the local church to educate and interpret such connectional funding.
The local church treasurer or designee shall calculate the amount to be remitted by January 30 of each calendar year based on the prior year’s local church operating income.
See the attached document for a more detailed example of what is and is not Operating Income.
There is an excellent article and calculator for determining Connectional Funding located at on JCT Accountings website.
Pay by Check: Make checks Payable to “Global Methodist Church” and send to:
11905 Bowman Drive, Suite 501A
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
Pay Online: https://globalmethodist.org/connectional-funding/
Pay by Check: Make checks Payable to “Global Methodist Church of Virginia” and send to:
PO Box 33
Fishersville, VA 22939
Pay Online: The Viriginia Provisional Annual Conference plans to have an online method available in the next 3-6 months
Churches seeking deferment of Connectional Funding may petition for a waiver. Churches seeking a waiver for the 1% general church Connectional Funding may petition the TLC directly.
Churches seeking a waiver for all or part of the 3% GMC of Virginia Connectional Funding may petition the Virginia Provisional Annual Conference. The Virginia Provisional Annual Conference will review the waiver requests and consider a connectional giving deferment until the Convening Conference of the GMC. After the Convening Conference of the GMC in September, 2024, additional petitions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Transitional Leadership Council or its designee may designate a local church as a missional church and exempt such a church from paying general church or annual conference connectional funding for up to five years from the date of designation. Missional churches shall be church plants, church re-starts, or churches located in or serving economically disadvantaged communities.
The pastor(s) and leadership of the local church shall interpret connectional funding to the members of the local church so that connectional funding is embraced by such membership and regularly share information with the members of the local church to educate and interpret such connectional funding.
The failure of a local church to remit connectional funding in full as calculated annually may result in the Transitional Leadership Council or designee action.
You can contact Mike Huff (Virginia (Provisional) Annual Conference)Chair of Finance and Administration at mhuff@gmcvirginia.org or your Presiding Elder