A Light in the Darkness: Board of Directors Meeting Focuses on Need, Growth

by Audrey Stanton-Smith

Against the backdrop of what United Women in Faith General Secretary and CEO Sally Vonner called “critical United Methodist Church and social-political times,” she asked the organization’s board of directors to set intentions for growth and take bold steps.

“As we look to 2026, I cannot reiterate enough that time is of the essence,” Vonner told the board during an October 4 online meeting. “We have to see some shifts in pledges and giving while exploring other revenue sources.”

The meeting focused on the importance of the work of United Women in Faith in a political climate that has decreased federal funding to National Mission Institutions and created an economic situation that negatively impacts the marginalized.

“Think about what we are facing if there are no shifts,” Vonner said.

A staff report regarding National Mission Institutions informed the board that United Women in Faith continues to devote the largest percentage of its NMI funding toward NMIs with programs for youth and early childhood development, followed by emergency food and food security, then housing.

“Especially since the pandemic, we’ve seen the cost of food and housing rise across the country, as well as an increasing need to address the mental and physical wellbeing of youth and children,” said National Ministries Executive Jessica Tulloch. “So, the work of National Mission Institutions is directly responding to the needs of marginalized women and children, as does the grant funding from United Women in Faith.”

But more than 60 percent of NMIs also receive some level of federal funding, and new rules and funding freezes have spawned a moral dilemma for NMIs who must now choose whether to comply with the changes that, in many cases, go against their organizational mission and values or risk losing funding necessary to continuing vital services to the communities they serve, Tulloch added.

“As the political and economic landscape continues to shift and push, more marginalized women and children in communities enter economic uncertainty and fear for their physical safety,” National Ministries Executive David Price said. “NMIs have responded to this crisis with ingenuity and resilience, but increasing moral and financial support for NMIs is necessary as a myriad of vital programs is at risk of collapse.”

Price and Tulloch asked directors to increase resources for NMIs, enhance current efforts to educate and mobilize members, amplify the ways United Women in Faith is meeting needs, and explore collaboration with UMC agencies on issues impacting communities served by NMIs.

The NMI report echoed the theme of a message delivered earlier in the meeting. Deaconess Megan Hale, executive for United Women in Faith’s Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner, during morning worship said United Women in Faith’s legacy is to meet the needs of the day, just as people did in Isaiah’s time.

“God called the people in Isaiah to be the light in the darkness, feed the hungry, stand with the oppressed, restore what was broken,” Hale said. “To be the repairer of the breach was more than mending walls, it was restoring safety, dignity, and community.”

Doing so today, however, is challenging with decreased giving. In her report, Treasurer and CFO Tamara Clark pointed out that giving in every jurisdiction had decreased in the last year, with the exception of the Northeastern Jurisdiction, where there was a slight increase. Total conference giving decreased by $277,801 or 12 percent compared to the prior year. (Total conference giving in August of 2024 was $2,329,385 for the year, compared to $2,051,584 in August of 2025.) Clark also noted that the organization had taken steps to reduce operating expenses.

Staff and directors remain hopeful as they implement strategies and campaigns for growth while continuing to be light in the darkness.

“We are called to step up and lead together now for the future that God has already ordered our steps — through faith, hope, and love — to achieve,” Vonner said. “With God all things are possible. Our foremothers walked in faith and accomplished what seemed impossible, and the batons are in our hands to do likewise. After all, we are United Women in Faith, a sisterhood acting in faith to tackle the hard work of the world without hesitation. Driven by God’s love and united in sisterhood, we work to improve the lives of women, children, and youth. Every day we show up. We take action. We get it done.”

National President Jana Jones agreed.

“Those early missionaries and our foremothers who tirelessly supported their work in the U.S. and all over the world had no idea how the seeds that they were planting would grow,” Jones told the board. “They saw need and fertile soil. They had the conviction that God had called women to do women’s work. And, even after 156 years, that conviction of our purpose has not changed. We continue to put our faith into action.”

Jones called on directors to make their United Women in Faith stories personal and invite others to support the mission of United Women in Faith, attend Assembly, and join.

“May we use the gifts and influence God has given each of us to continue to plant the garden, turning faith, hope, and love into action on behalf of women, children, and youth around the world,” she said. “Together, we are unstoppable!”

In Other Business

Assembly

Director of Events Management Sarah Brockus and Assembly Steering Team Chair Abby Gutierrez reported that 3,650 registrations are needed for Assembly 2026 to break even. Considering economic concerns due to lower-than-anticipated early registrations and the increased cost of shuttle services used to transport participants to Ubuntu service sites, organizers have canceled the Ubuntu day of service event. Those who preregistered to participate in Ubuntu will be offered the opportunity to transfer their registration to the Assembly Soul Care retreat or a refund.

Deaconesses and Home Missioners

Connectional Officer Deaconess Sung-ok Lee reported on the rise of the deaconess and home missioner movement in Africa.

”We currently have 20 active deaconesses and home missioners in six annual conferences in Africa,” Lee said. “Forty more candidates for consecration are in process. Those 40 candidates come from 13 annual conferences in Africa,” Lee said, adding that 15 African candidates were consecrated during the historic World DIAKONIA event in Tanzania in July. (Read the full article in the November-December issue of response.) Additional candidates are expected to be consecrated during Assembly 2026.

Safe Sanctuary

Operational Officer Deaconess Mollie James Vickery noted that Safe Sanctuary training will be required for board members attending Assembly 2026. The online training course will be specific to prevention, awareness, and response during the event.

Audit

The board also heard a report from Crosslin’s Erica Saeger regarding the status of a 2024 audit, which was delayed due to accounting staff turnover at Brooks-Howell Home, a UWFaith-owned retirement residence for deaconesses in North Carolina. Based on the auditor’s recommendations, United Women in Faith has been working on Brooks-Howell finances with an external accounting firm that specializes in non-profits, and the audit is back on track.

Investments

Directors also heard from specialists at Wespath, with whom United Women in Faith continues pioneering sustainability-related investments to ensure that funds are invested in corporations that align with the organization’s commitment to climate and racial justice. Wespath analysts assured the directors that they remain committed to United Women in Faith’s net zero goals and that funds continue growing as they are invested in things like affordable housing and renewable energy, while divested from companies that work with things such as tobacco and weapons.

Development

Director Marilyn Reid of the Legacy Steering Team reported that The Legacy Endowment Fund had made substantial progress in the last year. In fact, it totaled more than $51 million as of August, Director of Development Suzanne Toma reported, making its $60 million goal within reach.

Deaconess Christi Campos, executive for Development and Donor Relations, reported that Day of Giving 2025 received $553,826 for The Legacy Endowment Fund. She reminded directors that the next Day of Giving will take place on March 23, 2026.

For the fiscal year 2025 as of Aug. 31, $231,212 was raised from gifts below $1,000, Toma said, reminding directors that even small gifts matter. She also noted that 470 donors, Legacy Builders, give a monthly gift; 34 new members joined the Legacy Building Circle in 2025; and that major gifts, including pledges, totaled $234,479. Eight new members joined Friends of Legacy in the last year, and the 1869 Society showed the greatest growth with 156 members (22 of them new) who gave planned gifts totaling over $700,000.

Assembly 2026 will include a special breakfast for 1869 Society members as well as a Legacy Banquet featuring Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine. Tickets to the dinner featuring Eckford may be added on through Assembly registration at uwfaith.org/assembly.

“We are asking members to support our National Mission Institutions and close these funding gaps with a financial gift,” Campos said, emphasizing not only the importance of giving to The Legacy Endowment Fund but also to Mission Giving. Reid encouraged directors to consider donating through a new giving circle, the Isabella Thoburn Giving Circle, which invites members to support Mission Giving with a $25 monthly gift.

Strategic Growth

Transformation Officer Khia Shaw-Wilson informed directors that a growth campaign, “Unstoppable,” will officially launch from the Assembly 2026 stage. The four-year campaign soft-launched in August and includes a first-year goal of 30,000 new women joining in local and digital spaces and a four-year goal of 200,000 new members to grow the organization beyond the 500,000-member mark.

The first year, the Unstoppable campaign will highlight programs and events as pathways into membership. The year 2026 will see the relaunch of the social justice priorities, climate and racial justice, through the Unstoppable campaign. Shaw-Wilson asked directors to sign up for the Catalysts for a New Democracy program and encourage district and other leaders to get involved. For additional information on climate justice and the Catalysts program, e-mail Ilka Vega : ivega@uwfaith.org.

Shaw-Wilson also encouraged directors to promote Soul Care Retreats, Mission u (with the 2026 theme “Experiencing Emmanuel”), and Assembly to draw members into the organization. She also noted the success of the Soul Care card deck, leadership toolkit, and UWFaith Digital. The total number of women engaging on UWFaith Digital is more than 9,000.

Social media posts adapted for Gen Z and Millennials were made available to directors to help target and recruit younger members. Digital marketing efforts have brought in 2,900 members on UWFaith Digital since January, Shaw-Wilson reported.

Action

Directors approved the 2026 management budget with operating revenue of $8,837,722; operating expenses of $13,917,522; and non-operating sources of $5,129,800; and the total master budget with operating revenue of $19,806,550; total operating expense of $24,587,782; and total non-operating sources of $5,918,294.

Directors modified the Catherine Ross Pilling Memorial Fund to distribute income from that fund to support the retirement of United Women in Faith employees. The fund has become impracticable because missionaries are no longer employed in the way they were when it was established.

Directors modified the Mildred A. Magnuson Memorial Trust Fund to support the retirement of employees.

Directors authorized the use of up to $150,000 from the NMI Training Fund to award emergency grants as needed to NMIs affected by federal policy shifts.

Directors approved the 2027 Call to Prayer and Self Denial Theme, “Rooted in Faith, Committed to Racial Justice.”

Directors awarded a $20,000 grant to United Methodist Community House, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The funds will be used to support a new activity and resource center for older adults and children, as well as upgrade the current facility.

Directors ratified a property grant in the amount of $8,000 to Dulac Community Center, Dulac, Louisiana, to demolish and remove part of the gymnasium destroyed by Hurricane Ida.

Directors increased the retired deaconess/missionary pension service rate by 2.5 percent from $678.69 to $695.66 effective January 1, 2026.

Directors allocated a portion of proceeds from the sale of Alma Matthews House, $450,000, toward the general budget.

Directors approved a nominee to the North American Area leadership team of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women. The nominee, Rita L. Smith, a former PAG member and North Central Jurisdiction president, has served as treasurer on that leadership team. Her term would begin in August 2026.

Directors approved grants by mail ballot in July for $15,000 to the Susanna Wesley Community Center in Honolulu, Hawaii; $25,000 to Tacoma Community House in Tacoma, Washington; $25,000 to Good Neighbor Settlement House in Brownsville, Texas; $50,000 to Holding Institute in Laredo, Texas; and $25,000 to the Immigration Law and Justice Network (national), in Annandale, Virginia.

Additional property matters were discussed and approved in closed session.

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Audrey Stanton-Smith is editor of response.