Benevolent Grants
Golden Cross
The Golden Cross Benevolent Fund supports the laity of any age in our Annual Conference who are experiencing financial difficulty due to excessive medical expenses such as hospital/physician services, dental, pharmacy, mental health, vision needs, home health services, and medical travel expenses.
Pastors of the NC Conference are encouraged to recommend adults who are members of, or children (18 years old or younger) who are members of, or children who have at least one parent who is a member of, a local United Methodist Church in the NC Conference. Golden Cross grants are available for up to $2,500 per year.
Applications are open year-round and subject to the availability of funds.
Donations are encouraged to enable this special grant fund to serve the needs of many lay members and should be directed to the Treasurer’s Office through the Conference Advance Special Number S00153.
“One Who Is Loved”
A special grant called “One Who Is Loved” makes possible love gifts to benefit children under the age of 18 who have special needs. Examples of special needs include specialized medical equipment or supplies/medicine, transportation to hospitals or treatment, or other special needs.
Pastors of the NC Conference are encouraged to recommend adults who are members of, or children (18 years old or younger) who are members of, or children who have at least one parent who is a member of, a local United Methodist Church in the NC Conference. One Who Is Loved grants are available for up to $1,000 per year per child.
Donations are encouraged to enable this special grant fund to serve the needs of many children and should be directed to the United Methodist Foundation.
Clergy Medical Grant
The Clergy Medical Grant Fund is a benevolence fund set aside by the Conference Insurance Committee to provide grants to eligible clergy facing financial hardship due to medical expenses. Grants are available for members of the NC Conference in good standing and under appointment to a local church, extension ministry, or leave status in the NC Conference. Retired clergy members of the conference may also apply. The grant fund will be administered by the Benevolent Grant Committee of the Insurance Committee, and information will be deidentified prior to submission to the committee.
To protect the confidentiality of clergy medical needs, the individual clergy information will only be shared as needed to complete the administration of the medical grant. District Superintendents and the Episcopal Office stand ready to provide pastoral support for all clergy and their families, but will not receive information on medical grants. Sharing medical or grant information with district superintendents will be at the discretion of the clergy member.
The Shepherd’s Fund
A retired pastor and their spouse can qualify for one fully vetted and receipted grant per year of up to $10,000 each or $20,000 total. As of January 1, 2026, they may reapply each year up to three applications with a lifetime maximum of $25,000. Anyone who has already received a total of $25,000 in Shepherd’s Fund grants is no longer eligible to reapply. For questions, visit The Shepherd’s Fund or contact support@theshepherdsfund.org.