Path 1 receives 100K grant award

NASHVILLE, Tenn., November 20, 2008/GBOD/ --The General Board of Discipleship’s Path 1 initiative has received a $100,000 grant from the Foundation for Evangelism. The award will be used to train lay missionaries to start new faith communities in growth corridors in the United States, with emphasis on ethnic and under-served populations.

The Foundation’s grant award program was open to any United Methodist entity that addressed its goal of “developing leaders with a passion for evangelism who will have a multiplying impact on The United Methodist Church.”

“We are delighted that Path 1’s proposal was favorably received by the program evaluators,” said the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for GBOD. “We are very grateful to the Foundation for Evangelism for this major grant. It will be a tremendous help in furthering our efforts to create new places for new people.”

GBOD’s Path 1 initiative is one of four entities receiving grant awards from among the 70 proposals received by the foundation. The Young Pastors Network developed by the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, The Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary, and the West Ohio Conference Residency Program each received $50,000 grants.

New Church Starts/Path 1 owns the goal of recruiting 1,000 pastors to start 650 new United Methodist congregations in the United States by 2013.

Executive director of New Church Starts and coordinator of the Path 1 team, the Rev. Thomas G. Butcher says, “This generous grant will help us build a firm foundation, as we identify and develop lay leaders to start new churches in some of the fastest growing communities across the nation; especially in those areas where United Methodist churches are few in number or nonexistent.”

GBOD’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.gbod.org for more information or call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7017.