Board of Directors Approves 2025 Budget

Contact: asmith@uwfaith.org

United Women in Faith’s new board of directors met Saturday, Oct. 5, on Zoom for a day of worship and business.

Dr. Ashley Boggan, general secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History for the United Methodist Church, delivered the morning’s message, focusing on Psalm 145:4-6 and how one generation makes way for the next.

Boggan talked about the history of women’s organizations within the church and their work applying the teachings of Jesus in society, helping to remove social barriers, and serving in vital roles during the Civil Rights movement.

“It seems wherever Methodist women go, love follows,” Boggan said. “This is at the heart of what it means to be Wesleyan, to be Methodist, to embrace the vile-tality. We are a people of love. We put the human always and forever in front of any policy and seek to uplift other persons, because we are called by God to ensure that everyone can be the best expression of themselves in this world.”

Worship also included land acknowledgements, hymns, prayers, liturgical readings, and a time of remembrance to honor those former board members who have transitioned to glory.

The meeting’s theme continued to focus on the work of United Women in Faith’s predecessors, their legacy, and the importance of continued mission work and the giving that makes it possible.

United Women in Faith President Jana Jones asked the board to celebrate United Women in Faith’s history but to continue building its legacy by focusing on the present. She encouraged members to find out what women in their churches are looking for in their faith journeys and invite them to participate in Soul Care retreats and other United Women in Faith opportunities.

“I know that some are discouraged following an aging membership and disaffiliations,” Jones said. “But we can only move forward. We need to build on what we have today, not 10 years ago.”

Remarks from Sally Vonner

General Secretary and CEO Sally Vonner echoed the sentiment in her remarks.

“I want to invite us to cast our eyes forward to what the best to come might look like,” Vonner said after thanking the board for their prayerful support with the recent passing of her son. “What can you envision, dream, and believe might be possible for future generations of United Women in Faith?”

Vonner talked about the importance of IT, digital courses, and virtual reality in the future of the organization, speculating that virtual tours of National Mission Institutions and other places where United Women in Faith is at work could soon be reality.

“We are still going to be trailblazers,” Vonner said. “United Women in Faith will be recognized as the leading women’s organization because of our mission and impact around the world with women, children, and youth.”

She also told the board the organization will be consulting with United Methodist Communications for cohesive communications and marketing plans and working with members to educate and equip them to support the ratification of the regionalization vote as well as the Paragraph 4, Article 4 vote at Annual Conferences in 2025.

“And our development team will continue to increase our 1869 Society members and mobilize more support for our social justice campaigns,” Vonner said. “We have a vision and a plan to achieve some critical steps that will move us forward. The best is yet to come.”

Development Office

Kenya Roberts, Christi Campos, and Shannon Priddy of the Development Office reported that the value of The Legacy Development Fund as of Aug. 31 was $40,806,698, including planned and major gifts.

“It’s unbelievable how much we were able to raise by working together,” Campos said, encouraging members to continue giving to The Legacy Endowment Fund as a member of the 1869 society, as a Friend of Legacy, as a Legacy Builder, or by participating through all three categories.

In a strategic work update from Transformation Officer Khia Shaw-Wilson, board members received information on All-Access Membership, Soul Care, membership and marketing campaigns, opportunities for advocacy and action, and other programs designed to attract and engage new women outside of the organization’s current base.

“We will continue to cultivate content, and we’ll explore progressive topics that are meaningful and thought-provoking,” Shaw-Wilson said.

Shaw-Wilson also encouraged the board to spread the word about how important it is for local presidents to complete their unit surveys, noted that visits to the United Women in Faith website and digital member portal are increasing, and emphasized the continued work of United Women in Faith campaigns on climate and racial justice.

Treasurer’s Report

Board members also heard a treasurer’s report from United Women in Faith Treasurer/CFO Tamara Clark that showed total conference giving was down by $434,000, or 15.7 percent, as of August 2024, compared to August 2023.

The largest increases in Mission Giving came from Central Texas, Rio Texas, Desert Southwest, Great Plains, and Mountain Sky conferences, Clark reported, adding that 34.56 percent of pledges have been paid for the current year.

After hearing reports from the treasurer, The Legacy Endowment Fund, Crosslin auditors, Wespath, and committees on finance, governance, and planning and assessment, the board:

• Approved the 2025 total budget with operating revenue of $19,764,555, total operating expenses of $24,167,554; and total non-operating sources of $5,993,822.
• Ratified a property grant that would give Scarritt Bennett Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, $10,000 to support storm-related water leak repairs to Laskey and Bennett Halls, including the cost of a lift.
• Increased the retired deaconess/missionary pension service rate by 3 percent, effective January 1, 2025.
• Approved a revised conflict of interest policy and annual disclosure statement.
• Approved revised confidentiality policy.
• Approved a revised contact information sharing policy.
• Approved renewals to the Scarritt Bennett Center board of directors.
• Approved the deaconess and home missioner consecration date and location for 2025, which will be May 3, 2025, in New York, New York.
• Approved the continuation of Sally Vonner’s role as CEO and general secretary for the next four years.