To formalize the request for emergency assistance, please do as follows:
- Please follow this link and navigate to the UCBMA Emergency Assistance Grant application form, if you have served or are serving in Massachusetts please navigate to the BMA Emergency Assistance Grant Application: Emergency Assistance Grant Application
- To fill out an online application.
- Please fill out the online application describing the specifics of your emergency including the amount requested and how the situation will be resolved in future if the assistance is granted. If applicable, please upload any invoice or estimate supporting your request for assistance.
- In the case of emergency assistance for medical expenses, you will need to upload a copy of the invoice that you received from your service provider. In some cases, the disbursement of funds might be made directly to them using the information described in the invoice.
- Once you have completed the online form. The application will be routed to your conference minister to add his/her endorsement.
Be sure to discuss your request with your conference minister before completing the form. Your conference minister will not have access to information in your application but will be asked to verify the specifics of your request, including the purpose and amount requested.
- Once your conference minister submits the endorsement through our online platform, your request will be routed to Ministerial Assistance for processing.
- For the sake of privacy, we ask those seeking an emergency grant to address a medical condition not share the specifics of their condition or procedural needs with us.
If we receive a request related to a need for unspecified medical treatment that has been endorsed by conference leadership, it will be considered through our normal processes and criteria.
Once we receive the endorsement from your conference ministers, we will contact you with the results of your application and/or request any additional information. Once all information has been collected and your application has been processed, you will be notified of what to expect next.
Do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further assistance.
Eligibility
- Currently authorized for ministry with good standing in the United Church of Christ
- Lay Employees of a UCC congregation, Association, Conference, or National Setting (also known as a Qualified Church Controlled Organization – QCCO), with a minimum of 10 years of service
- Surviving spouses/partners of the above
- Members in Discernment for at least a year
Please be aware of:
- Emergency Grants are for unforeseen circumstances that create financial demands, not for avoidable situations resulting from conscious choices. Specifically, they cannot be used to offset personal loans, taxes, or (non-medical-related) credit card debt.
- Emergency Grant funds are limited. If approved, the amount of the grant may help with some portion, but not the entirety, of the expense. Funds may also be withheld if monies would not make a discernable difference in the applicant’s situation.
- Emergency Grants do not subsidize churches or agencies or relieve them of meeting normal compensation responsibilities.
- Emergency Grant requests are generally considered once in a 12-month period. Grants for health benefits premiums are usually limited to two quarters.
Funding
The source of funding for Emergency Grants is the Christmas Fund Offering.
