By Michael Wacht

LAKELAND — At Simpson Memorial United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, children are learning about computers while they learn about being accountable, according to Gertrude Jarrett, a member of Miami Lakes United Methodist Church and chairwoman of the Florida Conference Council on Ministries’ Ethnic Local Church Concerns (ELCC) Committee.

"The kids have to attend church and school in order to be involved in the computer lab," she said. "They don’t go places and do things just because they’re kids. Kids have to be accountable. This is training for later on."

Simpson Memorial is among 12 Florida Conference churches and ministries, representing more than 265 children and youth and 89 adults, that have received funds from the ELCC so far this year. Those grants, totaling $12,474, were given to help ethnic local churches strengthen their ministries, according to Larry Rankin, the ELCC’s representative on the Conference Council on Ministries’ staff.

"Part of General Conference’s intent is to support, strengthen and develop congregational ministries to be inclusive of persons of all ethnic backgrounds and cultures," he said. "Our primary strategy is to utilize the ELCC budget to provide funding that local ethnic churches may use to strengthen their ministries."

Jarrett said most of the money this year went toward scholarships to send youth to various camps and provided laity with opportunities for leadership development. She said most of the churches that requested the funds are small-membership churches.

"Small-membership churches do have needs, and they’re the ones who ask," she said.

Nearly half of the youth who benefited from the camp scholarships attended OASIS Camp during spring break this year. OASIS is a program of Miami Urban Ministries and an annual event targeting African-American, Haitian and Hispanic youth from the inner city.

Another 49 youth from churches in Gainesville, Tallahassee and Jacksonville received scholarships to attend Harambee, a program developed by Black Methodists for Church Renewal and held at Paine College in Augusta, Ga. Harambee is a leadership development program that teaches kids about United Methodism and helps them explore opportunities within the church, according to Jarrett.

Tampa United Methodist Centers received money to help 32 children and youth attend the Florida Conference’s summer camps in Leesburg.

The grants are also helping adults develop their leadership skills. An ELCC grant to Freedom United Methodist Church in Gainesville allowed 18 people to attend July’s School of Christian Mission. Jarrett said she is now accepting applications for scholarships to attend September’s 2000 Discipleship Weekend, a weekend training program sponsored by the Florida Conference Council on Ministries that provides workshops in many areas of ministry and church leadership.

Rankin says ELCC chose to use its budget for grants instead of coordinating programs because many churches are finding development opportunities on their own. "We’re finding, in most situations, that churches desiring to engage in training and ministry are very creative in locating opportunities and sometimes need just a little help with resources," he said.

Part of the grant money comes from the ELCC’s annual budget, which, as part of the Conference Council on Ministries, is paid by local churches through their apportionments. Other funds come from a Florida Conference Advance Special and interest earned by a fund invested in the Florida United Methodist Foundation.

ELCC awards half the cost for a person to attend a camp or training event and asks the church or individual to pay the other half.

"Management of funds enhances self-determination and empowerment," Rankin said. "Giving half is a good way to ask local churches or parents to do their part."