2017 Annual Report
BRIGHT FUTURE
ANNUAL REPORT
2017
FUTURE GENERATIONS FUND
YEAR IN REVIEW
DEVELOPMENT FUND
PLANNED GIVING
GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS
INVESTMENTS
STEWARDSHIP SERVICES
FINANCIAL STATEMENT & TOTAL ASSETS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & OFFICERS
Thank you very much for your support of the Florida United Methodist Foundation. Your participation enables us to fulfill our mission to help individuals, churches and agencies be faithful stewards of God’s gifts.
One new opportunity in that valuable partnership is the foundation’s FUTURE GENERATIONS
FUND, launched in 2016 to provide grants to ministries that nurture young people. So often, our children, youth and young adults are forgotten in an era of declining financial resources, but through this fund, faithful believers like you can invest in the next generation of disciples.
More than $56,000 has been raised to date, and in December 2017, we awarded the first grants, totaling $23,820. Each recipient has created an exciting program that helps young people grow spiritually and as leaders in the church.
But in order to continue funding worthwhile ministries, we need your help. The fund is not large enough to be replenished through growth or dividends, but instead through individual donations. My deepest prayer is that you will feel
compelled to give — either as a first-time giver or past donor. Your generosity will give the next generations the support they need to become the strong Christian believers our world needs.
Peace,
REV. MARK BECKER President
2017 GRANT RECIPIENTS:
$10,000
Hispanic Community Creative Arts at On Eagles Wings United Methodist Church, Kissimmee
$6,320
Young Adult Leadership Incubator at Grace United Methodist Church, Cape Coral
$5,000
Youth leader training at Youth Ministry Institute, Orlando
$2,500
Wesley Roasts coffee house/study space at Stetson University Wesley Foundation, DeLand
GIVE NOW: USE CARD PROVIDED OR GIVE AT www.fumf.org/give-now Learn more: www.fumf.org/ministry-grants-change-lives
Cover photo: St. Mark’s UMC, Ocala (FUMF/Mark Odell) Contents: FUMF/Tita Parham
On Eagles Wings UMC family picnic (OEWUMC)
Young people leading worship at grant recipient Grace UMC, Cape Coral (GUMC)
Student studying at Wesley Roasts (SW/Alyssa Morley)
Youth leaders attend a Youth Ministry Institute conference (YMI)
YEAR IN REVIEW
You’ll learn about the foundation’s performance and growth on the following pages, but here are a few highlights:
179
Loans to United Methodist churches and agencies
$130.2 million
Value of loans
$8.2 million
Total given to churches and agencies through payments from planned gifts, grants and investment earnings, plus estimated savings on interest with foundation loans
$357 million
Total assets
3 out of 4
United Methodist churches in Florida having some kind of relationship with the foundation
In reflecting on the foundation’s ministry, I am reminded of the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
The world is changing, but the foundation is embracing those changes as opportunities for the future. What remains the same is a commitment to helping individuals and churches put their faithful stewardship into action. We accomplished much toward that end in 2017.
Assets under management continued at an alltime high. The foundation was able to close on a high number of loans, enabling churches and agencies to expand and meet increased ministry needs. And through payments from planned gifts and investment earnings, plus our lower interest rates on loans, churches and agencies received and saved more than $8 million for their use in funding ministry. Staff also provided many free end-of-life planning workshops for laity and financial planning sessions for clergy, increasing financial literacy and health.
We also awarded our first grants from the Future Generations Fund, established to support ministries that nurture the next generations of faithful Christians. We can hardly wait to hear the reports of how these grants will impact young people across Florida.
Of particular note in 2017 was the severity of the hurricane season, with storms that caused major damage in Texas and Florida and devastation in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. No amount of financial resources could come close to enabling full restoration of the islands, but the foundation was able to provide some financial assistance to them and our state’s affected areas.
And after the run-up in the equity markets, there are many questions about how the markets will react going forward, but what is certain is the ability of the foundation’s well-diversified investment portfolio to handle any adverse actions.
It is clear the world is changing, but the opportunities for ministry are endless. We are thrilled you are joining us on this great journey.
ROBERT WHITE Board Chairperson
R-10 and Counting (FUMF/Tita Parham)
Financial planning at clergy candidates retreat (FUMF/Tita Parham)
Foundation reception at annual conference (FUMF/Tita Parham)
Matthew 25 Project (emerging ministry grant recipient), Faith UMC, Orlando (FUMC/Angel Coleman)
Best Places to Work award (CSPC)
Booth at annual conference (FUMF/Tita Parham)
Visionary Stewardship workshop (FUMF/Tita Parham)
Foundation grant helps with hurricane relief (FLUMC)
First Sunday in new FSU/TCC Wesley Foundation home (FUMF/John Rains)
LEVERAGING RESOURCES TO CREATE HOPE
Patricia Holloway couldn’t believe “homelessness” was happening to her family. She and her husband, Albert, had jobs, they were on a waiting list for housing assistance, and their four children were doing well. Then Albert hurt his back and the rent went up. Suddenly, her income wasn’t enough, and they were evicted from their home. After living in their car for months, the family finally found some relief at Hope South Florida. Each year, the partnership of eight Fort Lauderdale churches helps more than 150 households recover from homelessness. But it’s not enough, says Hope’s CEO, Dr. Ted Greer. Families need better programs that help them find housing more quickly. To make that happen, Hope needed its own new home — bringing employees from three locations into one. The foundation’s Development Fund helped them get it. With a $500,000 loan from the fund, the ministry purchased the former St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church. Renovations began in 2017. Once they’re done, the space will become “the hub where triage will occur,” Greer says, and the place families find the motivation they need. Providing resources to
make that kind of vision a reality is just one way the Development Fund partners in the community to transform lives.
— By Derek Maul
820
Number of Development Fund accounts held by churches, other entities
$1.2 million
Interest churches earned
29, $18.4 million
Number of loans approved, their value
$5.8 million, $5.9 million
Value of largest loan, growth in value of active loans
$1.9 million
Estimated interest savings for churches and agencies with foundation loans (compared to a 5 percent market average for commercial loans)
Read the full story: www.fumf.org/ministry-leverages-loan-to-create-hope
Volunteers serve at a Hope South Florida community meal (FUMF/Daniel Lateulade)
Fellowship at a Hope South Florida community meal (FUMF/Daniel Lateulade)
“My hope is based on our rich history of support across the board. Having this property helps us to leverage that support. God is moving barriers away.”
— Dr. Ted Greer, CEO, Hope South Florida
BUILDING MINISTRIES, SPREADING THE GOSPEL
The Rev. Sarah Campbell’s introduction to the Development Fund in 2009 was like a gift from heaven. While working as youth minister at Coronado Community United Methodist Church in New Smyrna Beach, she received a check for $1,000. It was a bonus for her good work, but it came with one caveat. She had to deposit it in the foundation’s Development Fund. It would help her save, and she’d earn more for her money, thanks to the fund’s above-market interest rate. Campbell appreciated the nudge. Growing up in Cedar Key as the daughter of a commercial fisherman, she says money was tight and basics like saving and investing were not discussed. Campbell did open an account and deposited part of every paycheck. Now, those investments are helping her pursue a doctorate while working part time with the Florida Conference’s North Central District as a congregational vitality specialist. They’re also helping churches and agencies through the fund’s lowinterest loans — something Campbell knows firsthand. Her home church in Cedar Key received a loan to expand. The fund also financed construction of Harvest United
Learn more: www.fumf.org/development-fund
Methodist Church in Lakewood Ranch, where she served as associate pastor. And after lightning severely damaged First United Methodist Church in Inverness during her appointment there, a loan helped the church rebuild. “I plan to keep investing in the fund,” Campbell said. “It helps build ministries and spread the Gospel.”
— By Suzanne McGovern
998
Number of individuals invested in the Development Fund
$81.4 million, $64.4 million
Amount invested by churches, individuals
$973,983
Interest individuals earned 1.5%, 3.5%
Fourth quarter investor interest rate, loan interest rate
Newly renovated sanctuary, Sanlando UMC, Longwood (FUMF/Tita Parham)
“All
of the churches I have been part of have benefited from the Development Fund. I plan to keep investing in the fund. It helps build ministries and spread the Gospel.”
— Rev. Sarah Campbell, Development Fund investor
Rev. Sarah Campbell before preaching at St. Mark’s UMC, Ocala (FUMF/Mark Odell)
KINGDOM INVESTMENT
William and Carolyn “Cookie” Thompson sold the last of their five Ohio grocery stores 12 years ago and moved to Florida. They immersed themselves in the sunshine and golf, but also the ministry of Christ by the Sea United Methodist Church in Vero Beach. Bill ushers. Cookie is a trustee. Both serve on the church council. “Over the years I think we’ve held every office,” Bill said. “No, I’m not joking.” Lately, they’ve been thinking about the kind of legacy they’d like to leave behind — beyond their three children and eight grandchildren, two of whom are ministers. Of particular concern is how to support their church after they’re gone. “We wanted to do something different … put our gift in motion while we are still alive,” Bill said. A friend told them about the foundation and how it could help. Setting up two charitable gift annuities was the answer. They give the couple regular income during their lifetimes, while the church gets the balance after they die. It’s just one of the creative gift options the foundation manages, with stocks, endowments and donor advised funds among them. And it’s a service offered at little to no cost to donors. During the past seven years, churches have
received nearly $40 million from managed gifts and investments, supporting the mission of the church and the work of making disciples.
— By Derek Maul
$44 million
Value of planned gifts managed by the foundation (trusts, donor advised funds, charitable gift annuities)
$1.2 million
Value of stock gifts distributed to churches and agencies
$1 million
Value of gifts from charitable trusts and gift annuities distributed to churches and agencies
Read the full story: www.fumf.org/best-kept-secret
Cookie Thompson (center) plays bells, Christ by the Sea UMC, Vero Beach (FUMF/Alain Boniec)
Bill Thompson collects the offering, Christ by the Sea UMC, Vero Beach (FUMF/Alain Boniec)
“(Staff) was very knowledgeable and helpful in choosing the right annuity for us. It’s a different kind of investment. We could let money stagnate in a savings account, or we can invest in the kingdom.”
— Carolyn “Cookie” Thompson, planned gift donor
Bill and Cookie Thompson with Rev. Cliff Melvin, Christ by the Sea UMC, Vero Beach (FUMF/Alain Boniec)
PEACE AND RELIEF
Tiffany McCall has a little more peace these days. After completing her first year of seminary, she wasn’t sure she could continue, but a surprise scholarship from the foundation changed her mind. It was an answer to prayer. “I had decided I would not go into a lot of debt,” she said. “And I’d been praying.” McCall was one of four students who received $8,000 each in 2017 from the Passing the Torch Fund, a five-year initiative the foundation and Florida Conference launched in 2015 to provide educational debt relief and leadership resources for clergy and seminary students. Of the foundation’s annual $200,000 commitment, $40,000 goes toward scholarships for students of color and culture. With seminary debt and clergy starting salaries averaging $44,319 and $49,742, respectively, the assistance can be significant. It was for the Rev. Corey Jones, executive pastor at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando. “Coming out of seminary with debt and starting a family, and you’re just learning what it means to be a pastor — that’s heavy,” he said. Jones and five other young clergy received debt relief grants of $3,500 to $23,000 from the foundation.
The gift didn’t erase his balance, but Jones says it’s now more manageable. “It is a great thing the foundation is doing,” said Brenton Lopez, a seminary scholarship recipient. “I hope they’ll continue helping young clergy coming into ministry.”
— By Derek Maul
$112,500
Total awarded to 19 newly ordained and active clergy to defray educational costs
$40,000
Total awarded in scholarships to five seminary students
$35,950
Total awarded to six active clergy to defray renewal leave costs
(All funds provided through the foundation’s $1 million contribution to the five-year Passing the Torch Fund.)
Read the full story: www.fumf.org/grants-provide-debt-relief
2017 elder ordinands received education assistance grants (FLUMC/Lance Rothwell) Rev. Jeff
“The grant has had a huge impact. It’s saying, ‘We are with you.’ It speaks volumes to the graciousness and foresight of the foundation.
…
I’ll be at peace about this debt.”
— Rev. Corey Jones, executive pastor, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Orlando
Rev. Corey Jones preaches at St. Luke’s UMC, Orlando (SLUMC/John Logan)
GIVING BACK
New Covenant United Methodist Church in The Villages offers a trifecta of services to its community. It builds houses, runs a thrift store and manages a food pantry. But through those ministries, it identified a need it wasn’t meeting: beds for children and teens. A $10,000 emerging ministry grant from the foundation was the catalyst for a solution — the Beds & Blankets ministry. Now, more than 50 children sleep in their own beds instead of on an air mattress or the floor. The grant providing the start-up funds was one of four totaling $45,000, awarded in late 2017 through the foundation’s firstever ministry grant cycle. Four grants totaling $23,820 were also given through the Future Generations Fund, launched in 2016 to support ministries that foster the spiritual development of young people age 30 and younger. One recipient is the creative arts ministry at On Eagles Wings United Methodist Church in Kissimmee. It will use arts workshops to help youth from Puerto Rico transition to a new culture and life.
Another is the leadership incubator Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Coral has developed to deploy young people into
vocational ministry. The foundation has given grants to churches since 1998, but 2017’s inaugural cycle takes the program to a new level of support for ministries that change lives.
— By Tita Parham
$85,000
Total in emerging ministry and emergency grants to churches and agencies
$40,000
Tuition paid on behalf of 17 Sinclair Scholarship recipients
$23,820
Total Future Generations Fund grants awarded
$45,000, $15,000
Grant for Florida Conference Hurricane Irma relief, UMCOR Hurricane Maria relief in Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands
Learn more about the 2017 grant recipients: www.fumf.org/ministry-grants-change-lives
Grant recipient Youth Ministry Institute commissions a youth leader (YMI)
Stetson University students at grant recipient Wesley Roasts (SW/Alyssa Morley)
“Receiving a grant from the foundation was an incredible blessing. … We cherish the opportunity to be the hands, feet and voice of Jesus in our community.”
— Pam Brown, outreach ministry chairperson, New Covenant United Methodist Church, The Villages
New Covenant UMC volunteers (Pam Brown, right) deliver a bed set (NCUMC/Sharon Acton)
MAKING GOD’S LOVE REAL
Members at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa are ambitious about making and equipping disciples. But they know innovative ministry doesn’t happen without creative financing. Endowments are key, and the church has 19, funding a host of ministries and scholarships. “Our mission is to make God’s love real,” said Brad Hale, the church’s endowment committee chairperson. “Utilizing these monies to carry out our mission is at the core of what we’re trying to do.” And creating new ministry with the funds, rather than propping up the operating budget, is the goal, says the Rev. Kim Uchimura, the church’s executive pastor. Earnings from the foundation’s investment funds are helping them achieve it. The church first began investing its endowments in the funds in 1999. The high level of customer service was the initial draw. Now, the foundation’s competitive fees, good performance and overall mission are equally important. “We try to be accommodating, we try to keep our fees low,” says Margaret Cox, the foundation’s treasurer. “It’s about personal attention. It’s about building relationships.” That’s value beyond
dollars and cents — something Uchimura appreciates. “Sometimes, in doing finance, we can lose sight of the impact on real people, our community and beyond,” she said. “These investments will have an impact.”
— By Derek Maul
$158.2 million
Balance of assets in the foundation’s investment funds
$2.8 million
Total churches, agencies and the Florida Conference earned from investments in the funds 279
Number of accounts
Read the full story: www.fumf.org/investments-fund-creative-ministries/
Volunteers with hurricane relief supplies, Hyde Park UMC, Tampa (HPUMC)
“The foundation is so forthcoming with assistance to develop these (endowment) funds. They’ve given us so much help. … Plus, the foundation understands the particulars of what we want to do. It’s ethical and responsible.”
— Rev. Kim Uchimura, executive pastor, Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa
GIVING AND GROWING
Christ Hispanic United Methodist Church in Orlando is committed to ministry — at home and abroad. The church’s 125 active members have sent missionary groups to Cuba, Haiti, Africa and the Dominican Republic. They have five small groups open to the community meeting weekly for prayer and support in people’s homes in Kissimmee, Orlando, Deltona and Sanford. And they’re helping families from Puerto Rico settle into their new home. They want to do even more, but know that means giving more, and they’re determined to do it. Nearly 55 percent of the congregation pledged to give in 2017, up from about 10 percent the year before. The goal is 75 percent. The Rev. Sandra Santiago, one of the foundation’s regional stewardship consultants, has been helping them along the way, preaching at the church about giving as an act of faith and offering support. It’s just one of the stewardship services the foundation provides. Santiago’s emphasis on tithing was key for the congregation’s many older members living on fixed incomes, says Rosa Vigo, the church’s stewardship secretary. Realizing they were being asked to give 10 percent of what they have, not more
than they can give, made the difference, she says. But even more important was understanding their giving can ensure the church will continue to “prevail” and grow.
— By Tita Parham
494
Number of staff calls and meetings with church members and district leaders offering assistance with planned giving and stewardship initiatives
24
Number of Faithful Expressions workshops provided to churches — explores the practical, legal and spiritual steps taken as part of a lifetime of Christian stewardship and offers guidance on end-of-life issues
Learn more: www.fumf.org/caring-for-all-gods-gifts
Ushers greet members, Christ Hispanic UMC, Orlando (FUMF/Alain Boniec)
“For us, it’s important to know that we have a partner, somebody that can help us to fulfill our task as a congregation.”
— Rev. Miguel Velez, senior pastor Christ Hispanic United Methodist Church, Orlando
Rev. Miguel Velez leads joys and concerns, Christ Hispanic UMC, Orlando (FUMF/Alain Boniec)
HELPING ‘ALL THE WAY THROUGH’
When the Rev. Louis Telcy was granted asylum in the United States after leaving Haiti in 1995, he was just shy of 18. He was also homeless and alone, living out of a station wagon his brother had left him before returning home. He worked in an orange grove and a diner to support himself, but never missed a day of school. And after graduating, he went to college and seminary with the help of financial aid and student loans. “I went through a lot of trials in America,” Telcy said, “but I found a lot of people in my path to help all the way through.” Like the pastor at First United Methodist Church in Haines City who gave him a place to stay, or the coworker from the grove who let Telcy use his address to register at school. The Rev. John Peterson is another. With about $86,000 in student debt, Telcy needed a plan to get his finances on track. Peterson, a certified financial planner and the foundation’s vice president of stewardship and education, gave him one. Today, Telcy’s finances are in good shape. The foundation’s free confidential consultations for clergy help them achieve financial health so they can focus on their ministry instead of financial
worries. “He helped me a lot,” Telcy said. “Whatever I am doing financial-wise, John will know. … He is someone I can trust.”
— By Tita Parham
17
Number of free financial planning seminars and consultations for candidates for ministry and active clergy
45
Number of participants at R-10 and Counting, an annual seminar for clergy retiring within 10 years
18
Number of participants at the one-day retirement workshop, held each spring for clergy retiring that year
Members greet each other, Mt. Zion UMC, Clearwater (FUMF/Mark Odell)
Worship at Mt. Zion UMC, Clearwater (FUMF/Mark Odell)
“Even though I went through tough times, I didn’t let (that) control my destiny. I did exactly what I’m supposed to do. ... I will never forget John (Peterson), what he did for me.”
— Rev. Louis Telcy, pastor, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Clearwater
Rev. Louis Telcy greets members, Mt. Zion UMC, Clearwater (FUMF/Mark Odell)
ASSETS
LIABILITIES, NET ASSETS LIABILITIES
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES, CHANGE IN NET ASSETS REVENUE
FUNDS BALANCES
Ending Balance Dec. 31, 2017
$2,318,259 Cautious
$78,450,975 Balanced Growth
$15,738,160 Aggressive Growth
$5,283,304 Charitable Gift Annuity
$101,790,698
TOTAL
BOARD MEMBERS (2017-2018)
Board members serve three-year terms for a maximum of nine years.
REV. LAWRENCE BARRINER
Simpson Memorial UMC, Jacksonville
STEPHEN R. BELL
Student Development Technology Coordinator
Florida Southern College
Heritage UMC, Clearwater
REV. GUSTAVO BETANCOURT*
Property and Project Manager
Florida Conference South East District
Peace UMC, Miami
DAVID BUTCHER
Associate/Senior Project Manager
Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure Inc.
First UMC, Plant City
MARKITA COOPER
Professor
Florida A&M University College of Law
Peace UMC, Orlando
ANN EPPINGER DAVIDSON
President
Eppinger and Associates LLC
St. Luke’s UMC, Orlando
WILLIAM FRYE JR.
President
Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Inc.
Youth Ranch Chapel, Boys Ranch (Live Oak)
P.J. GARDNER
Co-founder/Managing Member
AGW Capital Advisors
Hyde Park UMC, Tampa
DAN HAGER
VICE CHAIRPERSON
President
West Florida Market Harbor Community Bank
Trinity UMC, Bradenton
LARRY HANNAH
President, Demeter Energy LLC
Chairman, OMNI AI LLC
Boca Grande Lighthouse UMC
REV. HAROLD HENDREN*
New Covenant UMC, The Villages
SHERRY HOUSTON*
Executive Director
Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida
Trinity UMC, Gainesville
EVANS HUBBARD
Retired Executive Vice President, Hubbard Construction Company
President, Mel Friends Inc.
St. Luke’s UMC, Orlando
BEVERLY JUDGE
SECRETARY
Retired Executive Vice President/Chief
Operating Officer
Faith & Values Media
Coronado Community UMC, New Smyrna Beach
PHYLLIS KLOCK
Retired President/Chief Operating Officer
Comp Benefits Corporation
Asbury UMC, Maitland
REV. STEVE PRICE*
Co-pastor
Trinity UMC, Gainesville
BOB SHOWALTER
Retired Chairman
Showalter Flying Service Inc.
Asbury UMC, Maitland
ROBERT WHITE
CHAIRPERSON
President
White and Luczak, PA
Asbury UMC, Maitland
JANE ZODY
Accounting Information Systems Manager
Florida State Board of Administration
Bethel UMC, Tallahassee
* Resigned mid-year
NONVOTING, EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS
FLORIDA CONFERENCE
BISHOP KENNETH H. CARTER JR.
REV. DR. SHARON AUSTIN
Director
Connectional Ministries
TONY PRESTIPINO
Treasurer
STAFF OFFICERS
GINNY GARSKE
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
MARGARET COX
TREASURER
REV. MARK BECKER
PRESIDENT
ANDY CRASKE
PAM HICKS
REV. JOHN PETERSON
J. THOMAS WILKINSON VICE PRESIDENTS
Christ by the Sea UMC, Vero Beach (FUMF/Alain Boniec)
Florida United Methodist Foundation Inc.
P.O. Box 3549
Lakeland, FL 33802-3549
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED