Grant application forms, when received by the Association Mission Commission, should be reviewed and analysed before the meeting with the applying church as a basis for questions and comments during the interview. The primary purpose of this review is five-fold:

1. To ensure the application fits the criteria and policies set forth by the Board.
2. To understand the request in light of the financial situation of the church.
3. To ensure that the application form is completed and that there is full disclosure of the church finances.
4. To ensure that all requested documentation has been included.
5. To ensure that all figures are accurate and correct, truly reflecting both the financial situation of the church and the need represented in the request.

Completed forms should arrive in the Saint John office with all of the above having been dealt with by the Association.

When reviewing the application forms, the first matter to be checked is whether or not the situation is one that fits the criteria and policies of the Atlantic Baptist Mission Board as they relate to pastoral ministry grants.

If all is in order with the application, the following considerations should be made and questions asked:

Page 1 - Application for Mission Support Grant

• is all the information given?

Page 2 - Proposed Salary-Related Expenses

• have the directions on this page been followed correctly?
• are the figures recorded actually the ones asked for in the form, are they correct, and correctly calculated?
• is the pastor being treated fairly or properly in this package? is the salary figure below the Convention suggested minimum?
• in light of the budget and the present financial situation of the church, could the church be contributing more to the salary of the pastor?
• is the amount being requested from the Board within the general guideline noted at the bottom of the page?
• is this request a realistic request for this church in this situation?
• if the church is reapplying, does the request reflect a desire or effort to decrease the previous year’s grant?

Pages 3 and 4 - Required Information

• are all questions answered and is there full disclosure?
• are all the requested documents included?
• are there monies invested or placed in accounts, what is the purpose for it being set aside, could it be used to help with current expenses?
• is there a genuine plan for ministry and an intention to make a difference for the kingdom, what is the present ministry of the church?
• has the required church meeting taken place?

(Re: Statements of Revenue and Expenditures/Receipts and Disbursements)

• are they current - preferably to the end of September in the current year?
• is all in order, are there any discrepancies, inaccuracies or omissions?
• are funds being put aside for any reason?
• how is the church spending its revenues?

(Re: Statement of Assets and Liabilities)

• is there anything unusual in the statement, anything you would want to question?

(Re: Proposed Budget and Anticipated Revenue for the Coming Year)

• is it realistic? are there discrepancies, questions?
• could the church be contributing more toward the pastor’s salary?
• how do they plan to spend the revenues and is it realistic in light of their situation?
• does the budget relate to the ministry plan?
• is there a plan to increase the budget and decrease the need for assistance?
• how much are they giving to United in Mission?
• are other missions and agencies receiving allotments from the church?

Page 5 - Recommendation of the Association Mission Commission

• have we recommended a dollar amount?
• have we given our rationale and/or concerns?
• are signatures and information attached?