news article

The importance of Advance Specials

June 26, 2023 / By The Rev. Jeff Childs

Each year at the United Methodists of Upper New York Annual Conference we vote on a list of the Conference Advance Specials. What are they? There are three different types of Advance Specials in the Book of Discipline for the General Church, Annual Conferences, and Districts. Currently we do not have any District Advance Specials but hope to encourage and develop some this coming year; we have 21 Conference Advance Specials and hope to promote them here throughout the year, and there are 41 pages of General Church Advance Specials located on the GBGM website here: All Advance Projects - Global Ministries (umcmission.org)

The terminology comes from an earlier time when the then Methodist Church was advancing the mission for Christ. It seems that there were so many missions that a process was established for certain missions to be approved on the various levels of the church for church-wide support. Missions were required to get on the special lists to be able to ask local churches and individuals for financial support. I explain it to the ministries that it is like a fishing license. It does not guarantee you will catch fish, but you are not to fish without it. This year we will invite ministries to apply to be added to the conference list.

 It is important for churches to understand that giving to missions or supporting missionaries are considered “second mile giving.” That is, first we take care of our primary giving to support the local church with our offerings to support the Annual Conference through our shared ministries giving. Secondly, it is important to know that though there is a list of 22 Conference Advance specials no individual or church is asked to give to all of them. But I would ask you today to go to the Conference website and under the “Missions” tab read over all of the ministries listed as the Advance Specials: Conference Advance Specials | The Upper NY Conference (unyumc.org). Pray for each one and see if you feel God guiding you to encourage your church or small group to find ways to support one or two of them this year.

Thank you for your support that allows us an opportunity to connect and work together to advance the mission of Christ.