15 November 2018
Dear All Who Love UFMCC (both members and friends of the denomination):
Fifty years ago, a group of 12 people met in Troy Perry’s home to worship God, believing each of us is fully loved and accepted. Little did those 12 individuals know they were creating what was to become UFMCC, a global movement to bring God’s word to a community who had been told too many times they were not worthy of God’s love and acceptance.
In October, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of that first gathering. What an incredible reason to rejoice and give thanks for UFMCC and the impact our denomination has had on individuals around the globe. A quick listen to today’s news and we recognize without doubt our work is more important now than ever!
As we celebrate our
50th anniversary,
it is critical--albeit difficult--to let you know the denomination is experiencing a financial crisis. Some of you may already know about this struggle, while others may be hearing this for the first time.
There are many factors that have led us to this place and we must be in dialogue about those critical issues. However, for us to be in dialogue, we must still be here. This is not about personalities; rather, it is about the survival of our denomination. Therefore, this letter is meant to focus on how each of us
can help turn this situation around so UFMCC can survive and move forward.
Exactly how deep is this financial crisis? Our cash reserves at Morgan Stanley are almost fully depleted. In the absence of development dollars during 2017-2018, we have been forced to use these reserves to fund our day-to-day operations. As of 30 September 2018, our investment balance was $34,416.40 compared to a year ago when the balance was $219,301.33. Yes, we know this is a significant decline.
Frankly, some of our churches, having lost confidence in the denomination for a myriad of reasons, have stopped paying assessments. Some are past due. Whatever the reasons, total actual “cash” assessments are significantly under budget. This has direct impact on our ability to function.
Only $110,393.61 in development dollars have been collected year to date, September 2018, versus a budget of $461,250.00. This, combined with assessments lower than budget, means our sources of income have been inadequate to meet our operations budget. Significant reductions in staff and salary cuts have helped contain our expenses but are not enough. To meet payroll and other critical expenses for the remainder of 2018, we need everyone’s help.
For all of you who love UFMCC and believe that our work is far from done, we are asking you to consider a gift to UFMCC above and beyond what you may already be giving to your local church and the denomination. An infusion of cash over the next two months in the amount of $150,000 is critical for us to continue to operate through year end.
Is our mission still vital to the world and to you personally? If so, will you help support this effort? Remember, no gift is too small. Please contact either Marina Laws (484-885-8842) or Tammy Erwin (325-754-0851) to make your donation. Or, click this link to give your gift online:
http://bit.ly/2xbyHro
In Gods’ Grace and Love,
The UFMCC Finance Committee
Dr. David Williams, Tammy Erwin, Marsha Warren, Cathy Campbell-Heroux, Douglas Berger
