On top of giving a check or cash in the offering plate, try one of these giving options:

Bill Pay from Your Bank

With this option, you go through your bank to have a check drawn from your account and automatically mailed to the church. Most financial institutions offer this service for free. The church will incur no additional fees if you choose this option. It’s just like writing a check.

EFT: Electronic Funds Transfer

Through EFT, you provide a voided check to the finance office, and we set up a transfer from your checking account once a month (on the 5th of each month). Your monthly commitment is deposited directly into the church’s bank account. There are many benefits to this option—it improves cash flow, simplifies bookkeeping, and helps the environment. The church incurs a small fee of 35 cents for this convenient method of giving.

Online Donation

You can donate online via a trusted provider, Vanco Services. The General Council on Finance and Administration of the United Methodist Church works with Vanco Services with all online and electronic options. Vanco Services is a financial services company which serves over 8,500 churches nationwide. With this service, you can give using your checking/savings account or credit/debit cards. You can set up a one-time transaction and/or recurring transactions to satisfy your commitment.

With each transaction completed using a credit or debit card, there is a processing fee (2.75%) which the church will pay. Each transaction made from your checking/savings account online will incur a much smaller fee of 35 cents which the church will also pay. You may also choose to add an amount to your gift to help offset fees the church incurs with online and credit/debit card giving.


Text your contribution

Simply send a text to 865-685-4239 with the amount you would like to contribute. Make sure to include the dollar sign before the amount (example: $500). Within a few minutes, you’ll be sent a text with a link to register. Click on the link and enter your cardholder name and credit or debit card information. Once your registration is complete, you will receive a text verification and a receipt via email. For future giving, simply send a text with the amount you wish to give, and it will process automatically!

With each transaction completed using a credit or debit card for your texted gift, there is a processing fee (2.75%) and a transaction fee of $0.45, which the church will pay.

Legacy Gifts and Planned Giving

If you wish to leave a gift in your Will or Trust please designate the beneficiary as: First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge, Inc., a Tennessee nonprofit corporation, located at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge Tennessee, 37830, Tax Identification Number 27-0114300.

Questions: contact Linda Bowen, Director of Business & Finance: 865-483-4357 or financedirector@fumcor.org.