Burial Fund

The following rules were adopted by the Burial Fund committee and the board of Extension on August 5, 1971 and most recently updated on October 17, 2023.

This is a nonprofit fund. No officer is to receive any salary or fee for his services. This is not an insurance policy and no policy will be issued.

There shall be a General Secretary-Treasurer for this fund appointed by Board #1 and the Board of Extension.

There shall also be a Secretary – Treasurer appointed by each local church who will collect and mail all contributions to the General Secretary-Treasurer.

The General Secretary-Treasurer will furnish each local church with a notice of contributions due based on the deaths of members of the burial fund by the 15th of February of each year. Each local church and the Board of Extension will receive a financial statement at our annual Camp Meeting.

The burial fund committee will consist of each Secretary-Treasurer who actively collects contributions from each local church along with Advisory Committee. Members of the Advisory Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Extension. Any new rules, rule changes, or suggestions made by the Advisory Committee are subject to approval by the Board of Extension and if further approval is necessary, the Board of Extension shall submit to Board #1.

CEMETERY

All headstones, benches, or any appurtenances in the cemetery of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church will be uniform. These can be purchased ONLY through the General Secretary- Treasurer of the Burial Fund or any other person appointed for this purpose by Board No. 1 and approved by the Board of Extension.

There will be no logos, drawings, or any other designs engraved on headstones; only wording that has been approved by the Burial Fund Committee and the Advisory Committee. If these two committees do not agree, the matter will be referred to the Board of Extension and Board No. 1 for decision.

Double headstones shall be allowed only for married couples as defined in “The Doctrine and Discipline of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church”: “uniting two persons, male and female, in wedlock, according to the laws of God”.

Anyone desiring a plot in the cemetery of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church who is not a member of the Burial Fund will be required to contribute $3,800 to Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church. This contribution shall be collected at the time the gravesite is selected by Gravesite Selection Coordinator. Part of this contribution shall be used to cover the cost of the headstone.

Anyone desiring to place a memorial stone in the memorial section of the cemetery of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church to memorialize an individual that was not a member of the Burial Fund will be required to contribute $2,300 to Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church. This contribution shall be collected by the General Secretary–Treasurer before the memorial stone is ordered. Part of this contribution shall be used to cover the cost of the memorial stone.

DUTIES:

1. Committee will have authority to adjust minimum contribution to maintain a balance of $8,000.00.

2. All applicants are subject to the approval of the Advisory Committee who have sole responsibility to approve, deny, or advise of any additional action needed in regards to new applications.

PURPOSE OF THE BURIAL FUND:

Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church Burial Fund serves to benefit the members of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church. Its purpose to minister to their “burial” needs and to share in the burden of their loss.

ELIGIBILITY:

1. Members of a local congregation of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church, (as defined by the membership criteria of said local congregations), their spouse (as defined in “The Doctrine and Discipline of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church”: “uniting two persons, male and female, in wedlock, according to the laws of God”), and their dependent children/grandchildren under the age of 25 (as well as those over 24 who are physically impaired and therefore dependent), will be considered for Burial Fund Membership upon submittal of a New Member Application Form and payment of the applicable new member and annual contributions. Said dependent children/grandchildren that become independent may remain members as long as they desire, provided they pay the annual contributions even if they are not members of a local congregation of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church.

2. The spouse (as defined in “The Doctrine and Discipline of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church”: “uniting two persons, male and female, in wedlock, according to the laws of God”), and dependent children/grandchildren under the age of 25(as well as those over 24 who are physically impaired and therefore dependent) of EXISTING members of the Burial Fund will be considered for Burial Fund Membership upon submittal of a New Member Application Form and payment of the applicable new member and annual contributions.

3. Only members of the fund are eligible for benefits.

4. All members must agree to be governed by rules of the fund.

5. Members of Burial Fund who become residents of Church Home Rehabilitation and Healthcare, LLC shall automatically remain members of the Burial Fund and will receive benefits without making annual contributions, if needed. The check for these members will be made out jointly to the funeral home and the person responsible for their funeral expenses.

6. The death of an infant will be automatically covered if the parent(s) are members of the Burial Fund.

CONTRIBUTIONS:

1. To join the Burial Fund, contributions are as follows:

   • Ages 16-34, base fee of $25

   • Ages 35-44, $100 fee

   • Ages 45-54, $200 fee

   • Ages 55 and above, $300 fee

2. The minimum annual contribution at this date is $1.00 for children under 16 years of age and $1.50 for adults annually.

3. For each benefit paid during the preceding year, each adult member shall contribute $1.25 plus an additional $0.50 for the Cafeteria Fund for a total of $1.75. (Revised 2017)

4. All payments should be made by May 15th of each year; if contributions are not made to the General Secretary-Treasurer by May 15th of each year, member will be considered delinquent and must be reinstated.

5. All new applications for Burial Fund membership must be submitted by June 1st of each year for review by the Advisory Committee during Camp Meeting.

6. No member or former member of the burial fund will receive any refund from Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church Burial Fund.

7. All Burial Fund Membership contributions shall be used exclusively for burial costs at Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church Cemetery in Fort Valley, Georgia. They shall not be applied to burial costs at any other location.

BENEFITS:

The maximum benefits for adults and children will be $300.00 for burial and $500 for tombstone. The money for the tombstone will not be disbursed until an order for the tombstone is placed.

CURRENT OFFICE HOLDERS as of 10/01/23:

Sis. Rene’ Clelland, General Secretary-Treasurer

Sis. Janet Keldahl, Gravesite Selection Coordinator

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Rev. Ronnie Barnes, Ministry Coordinator

Rev. Riah Collier

Bro. Jared Skelton

Bro. Justin Toole

LOCAL SECRETARY-TREASURERS:

Sis. Marsha Reese, Albany

Sis. Miranda Cross, Atlanta/Between

Sis. Janet Keldahl, Campground

Sis. Peggy Hagan, Charleston

Bro. Eddie Gray, Chesapeake

Sis. Leanne Robuck, Columbia

Sis. Dawn Williamson, Columbia County

Sis. Cindy Mustin, Greensboro

Sis. Charlotte Temple, Jacksonville

Sis. Denise Arceneaux, Jemison

Sis. Christen Stevens, Raleigh

Sis. Janell Veach, Terry

Sis. Heather Clelland, Wilmington