News

12/13/2023

During its December 6, 2023 meeting, the Georgia United Methodist Foundation Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Search Committee’s recommendation to elect Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Coppedge-Henley as the Foundation’s next President and CEO, effective January 9, 2024. Coppedge-Henley succeeds Rev. Keith E. Lawder, who returned to his prior role as President and CEO on an interim basis following the departure of Mathew A. Pinson. She is also the first female to serve in this role in the ...

6/13/2023

The Georgia United Methodist Foundation is pleased to introduce its new user-friendly website and branding, enabling the Foundation to better serve you. The Foundation’s new brand represents its commitment to advancing the mission of the church and church-related nonprofits through advanced faith-based financial solutions. "We look forward to remaining a trusted partner for you and the church and church-related nonprofits," shared the staff and board of trustees of the Georgia United Methodist ...

6/12/2023

At Annual Conference 2023, North Georgia United Methodists celebrated the impact of two years of Barnes Fund investments. Hear from some of the recipients in this video.  In 2023, the Barnes Evaluation and Administrative Team (or BEAT for short) is on track to invest $1,272,370 in mission and ministry across our Annual Conference. Already this year BEAT has funded 17 grants. These grants include a broad spectrum of ministry, including funds for community centers, digital and technical ...

3/20/2023

Pictured: Some “Joyristas,” friends of Java Joy and ESP (Extra Special People), in the SERVE ROME kitchen at Rome First UMC. They use the kitchen 7 days a week for Java Joy — a mobile coffee cart that goes all over Rome and Northwest Georgia! By Rebecca Wallace In 2020, the North Georgia Conference established the Barnes Evaluation and Administrative Team (BEAT) to oversee a new process to grant funds to churches for innovative mission and ministry. As of March, BEAT has granted nearly $3 ...

2/20/2023

Education is a core value of The United Methodist Church and has been since the 18th Century in England. John Wesley believed education was the key to a fuller, richer life. He believed that everyone should have access to education regardless of gender or class. In 1748, Wesley enlarged Kingswood School, a school he had opened for the children of coal miners. Wesley wanted young people to have a high-quality education so they could go to Cambridge or Oxford. As the Methodist Movement moved and ...

7/7/2022

Dear Ms. Childs, I write with gratitude to you and trustees for your steadfast support of The Emory Eye Center's Pediatric Ophthalmology Program. Your investment will have a lasting impact on our patients and their families, allowing ophthalmologists and Eye Center specialists to provide compassionate, collaborative care for the diagnosis and treatment of children's vision programs.  Thank you again for your generosity. Sincerely, Gregory L Fenves President, Emory University   Julie Childs, ...

12/2/2021

The Barnes Evaluation and Administration Team has wrapped up its work for 2021 having invested $783,914.00 in innovative mission and ministry in the North Georgia Conference! The BEAT Team, entrusted by our Annual Conference to receive grant applications and make the best mission investments possible for the whole of the conference, funded 14 grants across 6 districts. The grants vary from funding for mold remediation to funding for a community park, digital ministry to a medical clinic. "For ...

1/21/2021

In a year when many churches only met in-person for a few months and all congregations adapted how they worship, how they connect, and how they meet the needs in their communities, our shared ministry remained a priority. At the close of 2020, North Georgia United Methodist churches had paid 90 percent of our apportionment budget.   Early in the pandemic, our Annual Conference adopted the motto to "lean into the connection." Our Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits offered a 3-month ...

12/11/2019

The North Georgia Conference is nearing the end of its 10-year Bridges Mission initiative. The work of the Bridges effort is a model for international mission with a focus on strengthening two-way partnerships and relationships through long-term commitment.  Generous gifts from North Georgia United Methodists have enabled year-end giving to four Bridges partners for transformative ministries.  The following funding plan was enthusiastically approved by the Conference Board of Advocacy and ...

11/1/2019

Whether you're called to support developing young Christian leaders through Camp and Retreat Ministries, make twice the impact by giving to foster care ministry with Wellroot (thanks to a $20,000 matching grant!), transform the lives of vulnerable children through Murphy-Harpst, lead people out of poverty alongside Action Ministries or empower ministries with the homeless and very poor through the Housing and Homeless Council, North Georgia United Methodists can support the ministries that mean ...

8/6/2019

One of the unique and defining factors of The United Methodist Church is that we are a connection. United Methodists are in ministry together locally and around the world, knowing we can do more together than we could ever do individually. We fund this shared ministry through apportioned giving. Apportionments are fuel for ministry. Though we're only entering August, 125 North Georgia United Methodist Churches have already paid 100 percent of their apportioned giving for 2019! They are listed ...

3/28/2019

The Louise D. Park Eye Fund of the North Georgia Conference was established for “the treatment of patients who are in definite need of financial assistance in order to secure the indicated treatment of disorders of the eye or eyes which would result in blindness if such treatment were not otherwise available.”  After many years, the Conference Board of Trustees recognizes that neither churches, clergy, or the North Georgia Conference are utilizing the fund in a significant and meaningful way. ...

3/21/2019

On March 18, 2019 Wespath announced that the Appeals Court has ruled clergy housing allowances do not violate the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has again knocked down a legal challenge by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) as it ruled for the second time on March 15 that tax-free housing allowances for pastors do not violate the U.S. Constitution. In a 3 to 0 decision, the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals found that ...

1/31/2019

Emory University’s Candler School of Theology has announced the establishment of The Rev. Dr. P. Alice Rogers Scholarship Endowment, which will provide financial support for students pursuing a career in pastoral ministry. This scholarship endowment was made possible through the generosity of Mr. Donald H. Defoe and Mrs. Barbara E. Defoe of Atlanta. The Rev. Dr. P. Alice Rogers serves as the Gainesville District Superintendent of The United Methodist Church and Associate Professor in the ...

8/24/2018

The General Council on Finance and Administration recently announced that United Methodist Insurance (UMI) has entered into an agreement with AmTrust Financial Services (AmTrust), a provider that will deliver insurance expertise and an improved customer service experience for ministries protected through UMI. AmTrust has received an A.M. Best “A-” (Excellent) rating. ​ Click to read FAQ’s for The United Methodist Church Insurance Program   Letter From Moses Kumar, General Council on Finance ...

8/2/2018

The Candidacy Office at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) has partnered with Wespath and EY (formerly Ernst & Young) to offer financial planning services to certified candidates for licensed and ordained ministry. The services will be offered at no cost to candidates upon certification by their district committees on ordained ministry. EY has provided financial planning services to retirement plan participants in Wespath-administered plans since 2005. The financial ...

3/1/2018

Please see the update below from our GCFA Legal Services Department The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) made numerous changes to the taxation of both individuals and organizations. Several of the changes relate to deductions available to individuals. One such change that has possibly received less attention involves moving expenses.   As outlined extensively in the IRS’s Publication 521, the “deduction of certain moving expenses to a new home because [the taxpayer] started or changed job ...

12/7/2017

Photo:  Jerry Wilkinson of Atlanta and his family unveil a sign proclaiming the new name of LaGrange College’s Wilkinson Family Servant Scholars Program. From left are Hayley Brammer, Bev Wilkinson, Chad Brammer, Jerry Wilkinson, Heather Deguire and Hilary Bayer. Atlanta business leader Jerry Wilkinson and his family have donated $1 million to LaGrange College to support its “From Promise to Prominence Campaign,” specifically the institution’s Servant Scholars Program. Wilkinson, a member of ...

12/7/2017

Bishop Sue received a letter of thanks from Moses Kumar, General Secretary of the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church, to the people of the North Georgia Conference for your apportionment giving that funds the ministries of our global denomination. Thanks to this giving, lives are changed through the ministries of our Church.  December 5, 2017 Greetings Bishop, We bring you greetings from the General Council on Finance and Administration during this ...

11/27/2017

Connect your passion with God's mission! That's the idea behind the UMC #GivingTuesday initiative organized by Global Ministries. On November 28, 2017, United Methodists will once again come together to support the work of Advance missionaries and projects on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Consider supporting a project in an area you care about, such as food and agriculture, church development, disaster response and relief, education, health, economic empowerment, social justice, WASH/Water ...