Pastors often speak of the Christian idea of koinonia. While it is usually translated as “fellowship,” it means something deeper. In the ancient Greek world, identity was shaped less by individual choice and more by belonging to a community. A person understood who they were through shared ways of living. When it worked, that meant less personal autonomy, but greater mutual support. If one member of a fishing community had a poor catch, others provided what was needed. In its fullest sense, koinonia describes a life of shared identity, values, and care.
It is no surprise, then, that Jesus and the early church organized their life together around this same principle. Since joining the Missouri United Methodist Foundation, I have described our work with three phrases: Generous Relationships. Deep Impact. Strong Returns. Over the next three newsletters, I will reflect on each one. This month, I begin with Generous Relationships.
I was not raised United Methodist; I came to it as an adult. The UMC drew me in, in large part, because of its connectional structure. Our clergy and congregations are bound together in a web of shared ministry and mutual commitment. At our best, when we set aside purely individual interests, we reflect something close to the ancient vision of koinonia in 21st-century America.
At the Foundation, we work to strengthen relationships and the connection of churches and clergy of the United Methodist Church, as well as others with common bonds and convictions. We invest the assets of local churches, but we do much more. Administrative fees from invested funds help support grants, scholarships, and educational opportunities. We also help deepen the relationship between givers and their churches by facilitating creative giving to churches and other ministries across our connection.
Here’s an example: our staff helps donors establish permanent funds that deepen their relationship with their local churches. A donor may include a gift in a will or trust to create an endowment for their church. After the donor’s death, the assets are transferred to the Foundation, invested, and distributed according to the Foundation board’s spending policy. The current rate is 4.25% of the fund’s three-year average balance. That means a fund averaging $500,000 would provide about $21,250 in annual support. Market conditions can affect growth, but over time these funds can provide dependable resources for ministry and the satisfaction of supporting generosity into the future.
Our role is not only administrative. We connect generous people with the churches they love in meaningful ways, strengthening the bonds that hold us all together as Christians. As a pastor, I have seen koinonia lived out in remarkable ways. I once knew a woman who donated a kidney to an unrelated child in her congregation. The wonder was not only the match itself, but the depth of relationship within that church that made such generosity possible. Helping cultivate generous connection is central to our work at the Foundation. If we can support that work in your church, we would be glad to help.