By Rev. Garth Duke-Barton
Has your church dreamed of repairing its sanctuary or remodeling the bathrooms? Have you wondered if you could fix the leaking roof but just did not know where to get the money? In the past two years, South Georgia had churches that received Renfro Grants to help with projects like these.
The first was Pinkney Chapel in Folkston. They needed assistance to finish a bathroom renovation. The Renfro Grant gave them the help they needed to complete the work. The other church was Scott’s Chapel in Blackshear. Their work is ongoing to renovate their sanctuary, making it accessible for all who wish to attend.
The Renfro Grant is a fund offered to rural churches, defined as towns of 10,000 people or less, in the Southeastern Jurisdiction. This is a brick-and-mortar grant, meaning it goes for building projects, and is to be spent on the main church property (not parsonages). Each conference is offered an award of up to $5000 towards a deserving church.
The church that is awarded the grant in South Georgia will have submitted the application, found by clicking on the page here if you are viewing the online version of this:
www.sejumc.org/renfrotrust, or emailing a request to
revgarth0810@gmail.com. To be eligible, all applications must be received by August 21, 2023. Completed applications may be emailed to the above address or mailed to:
Rev. Garth Duke-Barton
205 E. Cherry St
Jesup, GA 31546
Rev. Garth Duke-Barton, co-pastor of Jesup First United Methodist Church, also serves as Conference Secretary for Global Ministries.
