At the end of November some of the donors and board members, past and present, came together to celebrate the work God has done and is doing through the Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation. Through the generosity of United Methodist families and the leadership and direction of the Board of Trustees, the Foundation is changing lives across Kansas.
The first Legacy Luncheon was a vision of Rev. Dr. Dustin Petz, President and CEO of the Foundation, and the Board of Trustees to celebrate and show appreciation for the families and individuals who are leaving a legacy through the Foundation.
“It was an honor to see what faithful people across Kansas can do together over time,” Rev. Dr. Dustin Petz, President and CEO of the Foundation said. “I am grateful for the service and generosity of our donors and supporters.”
Bishop Richard Wilke, retired pastor in the Great Plains Conference and Bishop of the Arkansas Conference, opened the luncheon giving thanks for the work and legacy of the United Methodist Foundations.
Following Bishop Wilke, Rev. Dr. Jim Reed, retired pastor and keynote speaker at the luncheon, spoke of the Foundation’s past and encouraged supporters to continue illuminating the legacy of the Foundation. Over the history of the Foundation various trials were faced in the United Methodist Church, but the one thing that remained steady was the Foundation’s mission to provide financial investments and resources to the churches it serves. Jim shared an example of the difference that was made through the years when the Foundation took a risk to provide churches and organizations with loans to help fulfill dreams when the options were slim.
During the luncheon, the Foundation announced the recipients of the 2019 Pathways for Discipleship Grants and celebrated the generosity of the many donors who made the grants possible. The grants started with a vision to help churches across the state in three key areas of the church: children and youth programs, ministry and outreach, and leadership education. Through generous gifts, the Foundation funded sixteen grant requests in its inaugural year. Thank you to the families who have given a legacy gift to make an enduring difference across Kansas. If you would like to make a difference through giving to the Pathways for Discipleship Grants, please contact the Foundation.
The 2019 grants recipients are:
Children and Youth
Alida Upland Cooperative Parish
Andover UMC
Camp Lakeside
Fort Scott First UMC
Fredonia First UMC
Haysville UMC
Minneapolis UMC
Pleasanton UMC
Ministry and Outreach
Colby UMC
Gypsum UMC
Hutchinson Trinity UMC
KU Wesley
Newton Trinity Heights UMC
Parsons Wesley UMC
Leadership Education
Cara Carthrae
Susan Mercer
In addition to the grants, the Foundation also celebrated the service of Lee Sankey, Board of Trustee members, Bruce Schwyhart, Jerry Banaka, and Lennie Maxwell, who will be rotating off the board at the end of the year, the work of John Griffin of Stewardship Counseling, and the past and present board members.
The Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation is grateful for the many faithful, generous donors, churches, leaders, and staff who have helped shape what the Foundation is today. The Foundation is honored to serve United Methodist families and churches across Kansas and is grateful to continue serving them into the future.
