United Thank Offering - UTO
| Representative |
Margaret Halliwell
267-5229 |
|
Margaret Halliwell
|
The first United Thank Offering was in 1889. It began as part
of Missionary efforts of the Women's Auxiliary to the Board of Mission, authorized by
General Convention in 1871. Julia Emery, secretary to the Women's Auxiliary, and Ida
Soule, who counted the missionary offering of the 1886 Triennial meeting of Women,
inspired women to pray and give coins with the idea of building a new church in Anvik,
Alaska as well as sending Miss Lisa Lowell as a missionary to Japan. In that year,
the offering reached $2,188.64.
These women dreamed of supporting mission work. It
is now our time to dream of how we can make a difference with the message of thanksgiving
and self-giving, and always with grateful hearts.
What is the United Thank Offering?
The United Thank Offering is
still a ministry of the Episcopal Church that provides a way for men, women and children
to give daily thanks to God with a sense of gratitude. The discipline begins at home
by placing coins in the "Blue Box." Every coin is used to support
grants for mission and ministry.
Every year, the total
offering is between two and a half and three million dollars all of which is used for
projects at home and abroad. In 2001, UTO awarded close to $3.2 million
in grants. The challenge is that grant requests total between five
to seven million dollars! Many deserving and important ministries cannot be
recognized. What Episcopalians are doing for others is exciting and must be
encouraged to continue Pray daily for more "Thankful Coins" and "Thankful
Hearts."
How many grants are given each
year?
More than one hundred grants are awarded each year.
hope and pray that each year the UTO Committee will be able to respond more fully to grant
requests.
Have grants
been received within the Diocese of El Camino Real?
Yes. Here are some grants from recent years:
1998 Salinas, CA: La Iglesia de San Pablo:Salinas Valley
Hispanic Ministry: To buy a pickup truck so that a diocesan Spanish speaking vicar
can evangelize the unchurched, take necessities to needy families, carry musical and camp
equipment, and transport people: $25,000.
1996 San Jose & Santa Clara, CA: Holy Child Church:Ethnic
Kidstars Outreach: To provide seed money for outreach to artistically-gifted
children in disadvantaged ethnic families through contests, choir, dance troupes, mentors
and community linkages: $12,000.
1994 El Camino Real, CA: Vamos Adelante Let's Go Forward:Nuestra
Senora de Guadalupe Mission: To purchase a van to transport members of a fast
growing church to folkloric dance and sports events; church related events; medical and
social service appointments; evangelism activities. The church serves a Latino community
which is mainly immigrant and poor: $20,000.
1993 San Jose/Santa Clara, CA: Gospel On Wheels-Holy Child:Holy
Child Church: To purchase a van for a lively immigrant and ethnic minority program
of the first Filipino-American mission in the diocese that reaches out to Filipinos,
Asians and Anglo groups: $20,000.
How is overhead and administration
covered?
Every cent collected from the Blue Boxes & the
envelopes is given away in grants. The carefully controlled expenses of the elected
and volunteer committee are supported by interest from designated trust funds. The
surplus has been used for grants also. The general budget of the Episcopal Church
USA supports the UTO office.
Who can become a part of UTO?
Everyone can become a part of UTO by offering thanks
and prayers as part of your daily life with Christ while dropping coins in the Blue Box.
It is a good reminder to give thanks to God for the gifts that have been given to
us...a child's smile...a beautiful day...for healing of hurts...for garden fruits...for
rain...for our families... How long is your list?
What is the UTO granting cycle?
Just as the Offering cycle starts locally by putting
coins in the Blue Box, the granting cycle begins locally - with proposals from parishes
and mission outreach programs. Forms for grant requests are obtained from your
diocesan office beginning in October. In the United States the forms are completed
and returned to the diocesan office by the requester and signed by the diocesan bishop.
Each diocese may submit two requests each year. Al requests are researched by
the UTO Committee, Awards are made in late summer. Grant monies are available for
use from September until the following September in the year of General Convention - from
June until the following June in other years.
Who is our Diocesan UTO
Coordinator?
Beverly Anderson
P.O. Box 1903
Monterey, CA 93942
831-394-4465, FAX 831-394-7133
http://www.ecr.anglican.org/
Who makes UTO grants?
The UTO Offering Committee makes grant awards in the
two years between General Conventions and Triennial Meetings of Episcopal Church Women.
In the third year, the UTO Committee recommends awards and delegates to the
Triennial Meeting make the final grant decisions.
Each Triennium, the UTO Committee consists of one
person elected from each of the nine provinces of the Episcopal Church, three members
elected by the former committee and one person appointed as liaison from the Executive
Council by the Presiding Bishop.
Wouldn't it be wonderful?
...if we all dropped coins in our Blue Boxes when we
offered up our prayers of Thanksgiving! Think of all the grants that could be given
for mission and ministry. The women who had a dream so long ago and started this
outreach give us a challenge...and one we can answer every day.
Let us join together in the
United Thank Offering Prayer
"Source of all creation, all love, all
true joy, accept we pray, these outward signs of our profound and continuing thankfulness
for all of life. Bless those who will benefit from these gifts through the outreach
of the United Thank Offering; and keep each of us ever thankful for all the blessings of
joy and challenge that come our way; through him who is the greatest gift and blessing of
all, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen"
God bless you . . .
and remember your Blue Box &
thankful coins every day.
A BIT
OF CHURCH HISTORY
1889 - 1900
In the Episcopal Church during that time, the Canon on deaconesses passed, and two
training schools were built for them. The Cornerstone was laid for the Church
Mission House on Fourth Avenue in New York in 1892. The first revision of the 1789
Book of Common Prayer was completed. The Lambeth Conference was held in England in
1898.
1900 - 1930
Every member canvasses are recommended and the Church Pension Fund is created.
The Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society celebrates its 100th Anniversary and
the Women's Auxiliary celebrates their 50th, in 1921. In 1928 the General Convention
revises the Prayer Book and opens study classes to women in 1925. The United
Offering becomes the United Thank Offering and gives $1,371,537 to the Board of Missions.
1930 - 1960
Forward Day by Day is published for the first time in 1935. First women on
National Council were elected at Triennial. The Episcopal Church was one of the
first on the World Council of Churches. The Church supports the United Nations.
In 1943 the UTO offering was over $1 million and by 1949 had increased to
$1,954,544. Total offering for '52-55 had increased to $3,149,198 including $1
million given to The General Church Program to support women missionaries. In 1952,
Bishop Gordon of Alaska was awarded UTO money for an airplane in order to reach remote
parishes. He coined the phrase "Blue Box," and named his plane in
the boxes' honor.
1960 - 1970
1961 Convention declares race prejudice "inconsistent with the Gospel."
The new prayer book is revised and adopted. Women are admitted to seminaries.
A canon allows women to become deputies and layreaders. A vote allowed for
the ordination of women to the priesthood. In 1970, the Triennial voted to establish
a much needed National UTO Committee. Lay Ministers Committee replaced the
"Committee for Women." The work of the UTO continued and became a major
missionary arm of the Church.
1980 - 1990
ECW by-laws changed to establish a national board. Barbara Harris is elected
suffragan bishop in Massachusetts ` the first woman bishop in the communion. The
Global Episcopal Mission Network and the Episcopal Council for Global Mission strive to
strengthen overseas relationships of Episcopal Church - USA. In celebration of the
100th anniversary of UTO, seed money of $1,500 was granted each diocese and the UTO
Memorial & Gift Trust Fund was established to supplement legacy monies used for UTO
Committee expenses so that every penny given to the Blue Box will be given in Grants.
At the 1988 General Convention & Triennial, the UTO grants totaled $3,000,000
for the first time.
Thanks to Willeen Smith, United Thank Offering Coordinator, for
helping with the creation of this page. All information found here, except that
pertaining to the Diocese of El Camino Real, comes from a brochure titled UTO GLIMPSES.
Copies of the brochure are available through the United Thank Offering office in New
York. For more information, contact:
Willeen Smith, United Thank Offering Coordinator
UTO Office, Episcopal Church Center
815 Second Avenue
New York City, NY 10017-4594 USA
Phone: 212-922-5130 or 1-800-334-7626, extension 5130
Fax: 212-983-6377
Wsmith@dfms.org
http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/uto
