Dear Central Family:

Recently, the Finance Committee was provided with our third quarter Dickson Street campus financial statements which reflected that we have received approximately $2,650,000 in operational income through nine months. This is down about $300,000 from the same period in 2021. Operational expenses through the first nine months of 2022 totaled just over $3,350,000 or 74% of our budget for 2022. It is not unusual for the church to have experienced a year-to-date deficit moving into the fourth quarter of the year, but with our income being down, the deficit has exhausted the cash reserves we carried forward into 2022 and left us in a precarious financial position. We have adjusted our expenditures, but we also need to turn our attention to our income.

We believe there are two primary reasons for the reduction in giving that the church has experienced so far in 2022. First, we can all see front page headlines indicating that economic challenges and inflationary pressures have hampered us much of the year. This has resulted in tightening of financial resources for many households as they struggle to make ends meet. We understand that funds that might otherwise have been donated to the church have been diverted to cover day-to-day living expenses. Secondly, we are all very aware that our church has entered a period of discernment to study, reflect, pray, and determine the future direction of our beloved church. Because of the uncertainty that exists with how this process will ultimately unfold, we know that a considerable number of our church family have reduced or fully withheld normally occurring donations. Collectively, this has had a measurable impact. 

Our aim with this letter is twofold: To make you aware of the financial struggles our church is experiencing, and to appeal to you to consider a financial gift, as God leads, to help us through the season ahead. Our church continues to provide amazing ministry and missions to our community, region, and world, but we can only do so with your help and support. In regard to giving needs, our greatest need remains the operational budget for the church which is the primary instrument used to fund the ministries and missions of the church. The operational budget also provides for pastoral and support staff compensation, utilities, facilities maintenance, and property insurance among other things. However, we also want to make you aware of targeted giving options that might be more palatable, in this season, for some of you. All are funded in part through gifts to our operational budget, but we understand if some of you are more comfortable targeting your giving to specific areas of interest at the church. These include:

• Debt Retirement Fund – giving specifically to retire Central’s existing debt of about $1.6 million.
• Property Replacement Fund – if you wish to give specifically to help fund capital improvements related to Central’s facilities. We have extensive needs in this area.
• Children’s Ministry Memorial Fund – if you desire to support ministries to our children.
• Student Ministries Memorial Fund – if you desire to support ministries to our students. 
• Connectional Ministries Fund (Apportionments) – if you desire to support our apportionment ministry requirements that funds ministries beyond the local church of the Arkansas Conference and World Services of the UMC. 

If you feel led to make a gift, you can give through our website, mobile app, mail a check to the church office, or put your gift in the offering plate on Sunday. We are confident that God will see us through this season and are grateful for all that you already do through your giving – thank you for your faithfulness! We pray that God will allow us to come together in unity through our giving to be the body of Christ.

Serving with you!
Central UMC Finance Committee,

Alex Baldwin
Frances Bauman
Bo Bittle (chair)
Patrick Curry
Sally Davis   
Brock Gearhart

Martha Haguewood

Janice Taylor 

John Teeter   
Catherine Templeton            
Chris Thornton
Jason Wilson   
Robert Witte