United Methodist Committee on Relief

THE UNITED METHODIST Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization used by the United Methodist Church to achieve three primary missions: to provide disaster relief for natural events such as earthquake, storms, and floods; to provide refugee assistance caused by civil violence or war; and to promote and assist development that reduces homelessness, hunger, and poverty in the world.

To meet the needs of disaster victims UMCOR has a cadre of disaster relief specialists. These individuals are organized into a trained corps ready to support responses to disasters in the United States. UMCOR has the capability to rally disaster response specialists in many countries to meet disaster relief needs. This capability is a result of the global presence of the Methodist Church. UMCOR is constantly training disaster specialists from around the United States and the world. This training is a result of its partnership with the Methodist Church to be found around the world, and its cooperation with other international nongovernmental agencies. UMCOR maintains relief supplies in warehouses in various locations. These can be dispensed to locations around the globe in a relatively short period of time.

UMCOR began on April 26, 1940, when Bishop Herbert Welch called for the formation of an agency to meet wartime suffering and to serve as a “voice of conscience.” The Methodist Committee for Overseas Relief (MCOR) was formed in response to his call. MCOR struggled with numerous mission issues in its [Page 1104]early years. However, by the late 1960s it was operating in an established manner and growing to meet the needs of impoverished people. UMCOR has expanded from its humble beginnings as a temporary relief agency into a global mission that is a permanent part of the United Methodist Church, with programs in nearly 100 countries in the world.

The organization's policies for operations are developed and supervised by a board of 18 directors who represent Methodist churches in countries around the world. It has a permanent staff to conduct operations and to handle the various monies it receives. Its main source of donations is the One Great Hour of Sharing. This offering allows it to minister to the poor in hundreds of projects in the United States and around the world. UMCOR is a legally taxexempt nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States.

Donations UMCOR receives from American citizens are eligible to be counted as charitable contributions. One hundred percent of all donations made to UMCOR go to the emergency project the giver designates. All revenues are audited in keeping with the accounting and auditing policies of the United Methodist Church. A special offering made to the One Great Hour of Sharing pays for the administrative costs of operating UMCOR.

UMCOR works with other agencies, including the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, the Heifer Project International, and Habitat for Humanity. It promotes the development of financial independence in poor countries, especially among women, with its Credit with Education program. This program rewards women who successfully pass literacy training with financial credits that can be used to start a small business. It also addresses trade and international debt issues.

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