Please Remember Africa University in Your Will. Issue: 01
Vol: 27
January - February 2022
Africa University Development Office | P O Box 340007 | Nashville, TN 37203 Tel. (615) 340-7438 | Fax. (615) 340-7290 | Email: audevoffice@gbhem.org
Local Churches Maintain Strong Support for AUF The Africa University Fund (AUF) ended 2021 with an overall investment of 84.88 percent of the asking, thanks to the ever faithful and generous local congregations of The United Methodist Church. Congregations across all five United Methodist Church jurisdictions in the United States invested $2,034,033 in the work of equipping leaders through Africa University. “In what is arguably one of the most challenging periods ever experienced globally, United Methodist churches demonstrated their commitment to making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world through Africa University,” said James Salley, Africa University’s chief advancement officer. "It’s been a shared effort from the beginning, and we thank the global United Methodist Church for staying the course,”
Give Now.
said Salley. “You never finish building a university." Sixteen annual conferences met their budget commitments to Africa University at 100 percent or higher. Most notably, the Northern Illinois Conference achieved its goal of 100 percent, and the Western North Carolina Conference (110.64 %) and the Wisconsin Conference (100.23%) surpassed their goal of 100 percent support for the AUF. Four of the five U.S. jurisdictions of The United Methodist Church maintained their overall investment in the AUF at 86 percent or higher. The Episcopal Fund achieved the highest percentage in overall gving, at 92.41 percent, making the AUF second among the seven general church funds in 2021.
East Ohio Conference Completes $1.5M AU Campaign Laity and clergy, working paign with a $1 match for every $3 together, exceeded the goal of collected from any source in 2021. raising and collecting $1.5 milThe goal was to have the full $1.5 lion in support of the East Ohio million by the end of the year so Conference Teach • Reach • that ground could be broken for the Bless campaign. The funds will new residence hall in early 2022 – be used to build a new residence a year earlier than planned. hall that will house 90 female The campaign donations students on the campus of Africa spurred on by the challenge gift Bishop Tracy S. Malone University in Zimbabwe. brought the total amount of funds “We have collected the monies collected by the end of December and are now ready to break ground. I thank 2021 to $1,505,109. Plans are being made God for the gift of the vision, and I celebrate to break ground for the new residence hall the bold and courageous generosity of the in March. clergy and churches, especially in these challenging times,” said Bishop Tracy S. Adapted from an article by Rick Wolcott, Malone. director of Communications for the East A very generous challenge gift from Rev. Ohio Conference. Read full article online at Bill and Marty McFadden provided the cam- www.support-africauniversity.org.
SC Raises $20K for the Rev. John Hipp Endowed Scholarship Fund Gifts to the endowed scholarship fund, established at Africa University in memory of the late Rev. John Wesley Hipp, now total more than $20,000. Proceeds from the 8th annual Wespath-Bishop L. Jonathan Holston Golf Invitational, held September 27, 2021, respresent about 75 percent of the funds raised to date. South Carolina Conference leaders, in collaboration with Wespath Institutional Investments and Africa University, planned the 2021 golf outing as an opportunity to pay special tribute to Hipp, a lifelong Methodist and dedicated tournament participant. Hipp died on October 27, 2020, barely one month after taking part in the 2020 tournament. "Thank you to the golfing community, churches and individuals who contributed to the scholarship effort to make it so successful," said Rev. Dr. Mitch Houston, Hipp's college roommate and friend. "The response shows the warm feelings everyone had for John and how much they valued his friendship," said Houston. Hipp's pastoral ministry spanned four decades. It included 28 years as a chaplain in the South Carolina National Guard and pastoral appointments to churches in Aiken, Wagner, Rock Hill, Saluda, Chapin, Conway and Charleston. After 32 years in the pulpit, Hipp became superintendent of the Orangeburg District in 2010. Two years later, responsibility for the Florence District was added. Hipp served as a district superintendent for eight years, until his retirement in 2018.
