CUMC Finance
Church finances don't need to be mysterious! Your generosity helps Clarendon United Methodist Church do so much for our community and the world. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about church finances.
Why Give?
You will be investing in other people's lives. Our student ministry is thriving, and our students are participating in lively discussions, learning how to establish healthy relationships, and building communities. Our investment in equipment to stream and record our worship services allows us to reach our local community worldwide, and we are getting a great turnout online. Our outreach ministry is housing, clothing, feeding, and enriching other people's lives. All of these things have costs. Your gifts are needed to maintain the church's infrastructure, staff, and volunteers to be a multiplier of good here in our neighborhood and around the world.
Why Give Regularly?
Your pledges and recurring donations allow us to do our mission programming better. Your pledge and giving allow us to plan our missions, hire staff and recruit volunteers, order materials, and commit space and equipment. Your giving of resources is an integral part of showing God your thanks and praise for all that has been given to you and an essential way to being a part of CUMC's mission of Living Love and transforming lives.
Where Does My Giving Go?
Our regular income is primarily dedicated (70%) to our fantastic staff that keeps the church's programs going and growing. While we are very blessed not to have any debt associated with the building (or otherwise), we also dedicate a significant amount of our funding towards operating and maintaining it (16%). Supporting the staff and building enables our many missions to continue and grow.
What About Endowments?
Endowments allow us to make the needed investments in the church building. Thanks to the gifts from past members, we have an endowment that has allowed us to transform the way we worship through major investments in the audio-visual upgrades in the church. This enabled us to share the good work and ministry during the pandemic and reach new members. The endowment also funded the significant waterproofing project that we just completed. With an aging church building, more investments will be needed. We strongly encourage you to build on the generosity of past saints of the church to keep our foundations strong and consider estate giving and other forms of generosity to the church.
Who Is In Charge?
Clarendon United Methodist Church is blessed to have an active membership that is generous in time and resources. The Finance Committee is dedicated to stewarding those resources by monitoring church finances, safeguarding their integrity, and ensuring transparency. The Committee follows agreed-upon policies and procedures for the UMC and CUMC specifically. The Committee is composed of the Committee Chair, the Pastors, the Chair of the Church Council, the Chair of Trustees, the Chair of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, the Chair of Stewardship, the Financial Secretary, the Treasurer, the Lay Leader and the Lay Member of the Annual Conference, and three At-Large Members.
How Do I Find Out More?
James (Jamie) Seward is the Chair of the Finance Committee, and he welcomes all feedback, suggestions, and ideas on how we can move our financing to the next level at CUMC! The form below is how to get in touch and request detailed financial information, including our quarterly financial updates.