The Year in Review

Living Into the New Normal

The year 2021 started with many of us working virtually from home, socially distancing from one another and wearing face masks, after COVID-19 altered our way of living and working. The pandemic, combined with natural disasters, new leadership and a possible denomination shift, has created a “new normal” for all of us.

Rob Fairly Announces Retirement Early in the year, President Rob Fairly, who served the Foundation as a development officer from 1998 to 2005, Executive Vice President in 2005 and as President since 2006, announced his retirement, effective June 30. The Foundation hosted a retirement party in June, where friends, colleagues and family celebrated Rob’s 23 years of dedication and commitment to the work and ministry of the Foundation. Tax Webinars for Clergy and Church Business Administrators The Foundation was pleased to host two tax webinars featuring Rev. Nate Berneking in February, to help the nearly 100 clergy and church staff who attended prepare income tax returns, review features in the IRS tax code specific to clergy, and explore church financial issues. Berneking is Director of Finance and Administrative Ministries for the Missouri Annual Conference.

New Board Members

Chris Spencer Named President The Foundation’s Executive Committee named Chris Spencer President and CEO, to succeed Rob Fairly, effective July 1, 2021. Chris seemed a natural choice, having served as a development officer for four years. Foundation Board Chair Omer Davis said, “We are very fortunate to have someone with Chris’ experience and heart for the church to assume the presidency.”

Val Lavigne Rev. Drew Sutton

2021 Annual Meeting Held Virtually The annual meeting, which was held by video teleconference on April 27, celebrated the Foundation’s 45th year and its growth to over $200 million in assets under management. Two new board members were elected: Val Lavigne, a lifelong member of Camphor Memorial UMC in Baton Rouge; and Rev. Drew Sutton, senior pastor of First UMC of Hammond. The following

board officers also were elected: Omer Davis, Chair of the Board; Rev. Michi Head, Vice Chair of the Board; Dr. Debra Davis, Grants Committee Chair; Chris Spencer, incoming Foundation President, effective July 1, 2021; Sandra Kuykendall, Secretary; and Tracie Wharton, Controller.

Dollar for Scholars Recipients

Foundation Matches Funds in Dollars for Scholars Program The Foundation has supported the academic careers of 18 Louisiana college students since 2017 by participating in the United Methodist

Happy graduates at Cohort 1’s Practical Church Leadership graduation in Oklahoma. Pictured left to right: Rev. Ronnie Southall, Rev. Lane Winn and Rev. Lamar Oliver. Higher Education Foundation Dollars for Scholars matching scholarship program. This year, three students benefited from our match: Matthew Carey, Asbury UMC, Lafayette; Emily Clarke, First UMC, Slidell; and Devan Martin, Live Oak UMC, Denham Springs. Each of these students attend Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport.

Practical Church Leadership at DWU The Foundation has a long-standing commitment to clergy leadership over the years, and 2021 was no different. We sponsored seven clergy in the Dakota Wesleyan University’s Practical Church Leadership Program who graduated in 2021, and sponsored five more who enrolled in the class of 2022. The 2021 graduates include: Rev. Mark Goins, Rev. Lamar Oliver, Rev. Allison Sikes, Rev. Ronnie Southall, Rev. Leslie Stephens, Rev. Drew Sutton and Rev. Lane Winn. Clergy selected for the 2021-22 sponsorship include: Rev. Jo Ann Cooper, Rev. Stephen Fife, Rev. Michelle Harris, Rev. Ben McGehee and Rev. K.C. Roberson. The year-long course is designed to increase pastors’ capacity and confidence to be effective church leaders and administrators.

New Communications Intern Hired Dr. Lou Day, Alumni Professor Emeritus of the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, established an endowment this year to support youth leadership development. The first project from the fruits of the Louis Day Leadership Fund was the hiring of Rebecca Herin, a communications intern who began working with

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the Foundation in August. Rebecca is a third-year student at LSU, majoring in mass communication with a focus in public relations and a minor in business administration. She is assisting Foundation staff in the communications area with social media, email communication, digital media analysis and more.

Hurricane Relief As if the pandemic were not enough chaos for the year, Hurricane Ida made a smashing appearance in southeastern Louisiana in late August. And though the Foundation was still supporting efforts to help the Lake Charles area after Hurricane Laura in 2020, relief efforts also went to those affected by Ida. The Foundation, along with First UMC of Baton Rouge, organized a clean-up day at First UMC of Hammond, where several trees crashed onto church buildings. 2021 Fall Webinar Series When gathering in person was no longer an option for educational seminars and meetings, Foundation staff quickly turned to the technology of webinars. The 2021 fall line-up of educational offerings for donors, clergy and church leaders included: “Annual Campaigns in the Time of COVID-19,” led by planned giving expert and founder of Planned Giving Navigator, Karl Mattison. “Planned Giving Navigator,” also presented by Karl Mattison, gave an introduction to a Foundation-offered program for churches that provides resources to establish or enhance a planned giving program within the church.

Chris Spencer and Rev. Drew Sutton in the midst of hurricane clean-up work at First UMC of Hammond.

Todd Rossnagel presented two webinars on “Communication Strategies for Churches” to a combined group of 87 participants.

Phyllis McLaurin, left and Chris Spencer, right, discuss the importance of documenting your personal, financial, legal and medical information in one of the Foundation’s fall webinars.

“Creating a Narrative Budget,” presented by Rev. Ken Sloane of UMC Discipleship Ministries, discussed how to construct a narrative budget for churches and why it’s needed. “Grant Writing 101,” led by non-profit professional Britney Winn Lee, delved into the world of grant writing, specifically the identification of grant opportunities, the cultivation of data systems, the writing of narratives, the ethics of fund dedication and the process of reporting. “Communications Strategies for Churches” was a two-part webinar led by Louisiana Annual Conference Director of Communications Todd Rossnagel, who reviewed what has and has not worked for churches in these pandemic times, as well as how churches can prepare for what church communication might look like in the next decade. “Taking Care of Business: A Roadmap For Those Who Will Some Day Take Care of You” took on a more conversational format when Phyllis McLaurin, author of a book of the same title, and Chris Spencer sat down to discuss the importance of documenting and sharing information concerning our personal lives for the loved ones who will care for us when we are no longer able to do so ourselves. Each webinar was recorded and is archived on www.umf.org.

Non-profit professional Britney Winn Lee gave webinar participants an understanding of how to find, write, steward and follow up with grants, specifically in their ministry contexts.

Endowment Match Program Year Est. Broadmoor UMC, Shreveport 2020

Camphor UMC, Baton Rouge 2020

Covenant UMC, Lafayette 2019

First UMC, DeRidder 2019

First UMC, Lake Charles

First UMC, Mansfield 2020

2019

First UMC, Slidell 2019

Grand Cane UMC 2020

New Life Community, Luling 2020

North Cross UMC, Madisonville 2021

St. Francisville UMC 2020

St. Luke-Simpson UMC, Lake Charles 2020

St. Paul’s UMC, Monroe 2020

Wesley Foundation, Northwestern U. 2020

Wesley Foundation, LSU 2021

Total number of endowment matches 15

Endowment Match Program The Foundation continued its $5,000 endowment match program into 2021, offering churches the opportunity to double their money by establishing an endowment at the Foundation. Since inception in 2019, the Endowment Match Program has matched $90,000 to 15 churches and ministries. (See chart above.) Endowments help churches by providing a constant and continually growing stream of income for the operating budget, enhancing stability, relieving pressure on the annual fund, building a pipeline for future gifts and encouraging outright gifts.

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Grants Retreat In November, the Foundation’s Grants Committee held a grants retreat at the Wesley Conference Center in Woodworth. At the retreat, led by new Grants Committee Chair Dr. Debra Davis, committee members clarified the theoretical and biblical basis for offering grants and emphasized the desire to walk alongside grant recipients as they develop innovative ways to extend the reach of their ministries. The committee identified four focus areas for grant funding. These include requests that 1) equip ministry and laity for ministry, 2) use innovative ministries, 3) foster connections within the church, community and Conference, and 4) respond to natural disasters. They also revamped the grant application process by adopting a web-based protocol, moving to a quarterly review process, implementing a blind review process and adding more accountability reporting from the recipients after funding.

Grants Committee members clarified the theoretical and biblical basis for offering grants at a retreat held in the fall at the Wesley Conference Center.

La. Children’s Home Golf Tournament The Foundation was pleased to be a sponsor of the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home 41st Annual Golf Classic in October, at Beau

Although they didn’t win the Wesley Cup, the Foundation’s golf team for the Children’s Home Golf Classic had a great time playing to raise money for the Home. Pictured, left to right: Foundation President Chris Spencer, Board Chair Omer Davis, Children’s Home Operations Director Daryl Altic, and Foundation Board Member Bobby Fahey.

Chene Country Club in Mandeville. President Chris Spencer formed a four-member team to play in the scramble event. All proceeds from the tournament benefited the new Methodist Children’s Home of Southeast Louisiana.

Strengthening Black Church for the 21st Century The name may sound humorous, but the Shift Happens: Doing Ministry From the “Right Side” Conference last December in Houston was a serious time of inspiration and practical teachings. The Foundation sponsored several attendees from the Louisiana Annual Conference at this event hosted by Strengthening Black Church for the 21st Century. Participants learned to create a practical and engaging experience for an intergenerational audience, to demonstrate solidarity among Blacks in the UMC and to hear what key leaders are saying about what the likely split of the UMC means for the Black community.

Roofs Up Louisiana! Campaign The Foundation launched Roofs Up Louisiana! at year-end, a fundraising campaign to rebuild roofs and bring hope to southwest Louisiana residents affected by recent natural disasters. With the help of some of its generous donors, the campaign raised $37,500 by the end of 2021.

Foundation staff partnered with a coalition of organizations working with the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, led by new Director of Missional Engagement and Outreach, Bill Howell. These organizations will continue toward the southeast part of the state into 2022, which was hit by Hurricane Ida this year.

Replacing the roof on a storm-ravaged home is the first step for most of the rebuilding process. Shown here is the before (left) and after (right) shots of a home in Lake Charles, repaired with funds from the Roofs Up Louisiana! campaign.

The Foundation sponsored clergy from the Louisiana Conference to attend Shift Happens: Doing Ministry from the “Right Side,” a conference in Houston focusing on solidarity among Blacks in the UMC. Financial Peace University Since 2018, the Foundation’s personal finance incentive program, in partnership with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, has helped participants pay off $1.1 million in debt! The multi-week course, led by church volunteers around the state, teaches participants how to pay off debt, make a budget, save money and give generously. A Foundation grant offered a $333 per household award to those who graduated from this life-changing course. Since the incentive program began, the Foundation has paid $124,114 in incentive money to 373 households from 25 churches/groups graduating from the class.

Financial Peace University Classes Supported in 2021

Church or Group Households Debt Paid Off During Course Amount Saved During Course

Blackwater UMC, Central City 5 $5,100

$6,900 Broadmoor UMC, Baton Rouge 8 $48,000 $14,000 Grace Community UMC, Shreveport 11 $18,833 $11,161 Jefferson UMC, Baton Rouge 7 $36,600 $20,900 McGuire UMC, West Monroe 7 $28,868 $20,909 Nola Wesley Campus Ministry, N.O. 9 $13,664 $12,850 Wesley Foundation, LSU 11 $10,360 $34,550 Totals 58 $161,425 $121,270