Campaign Continues - JANUARY 2023 - Below are details on the 2022 NEXT 100 YEARS campaign. The Campaign culminated on Commitment Sunday (May 8, 2022) when FUMC Members made five year financial commitments. We expect this strategy will bring us near to being debt-free by our centennial celebration in late 2026. Campaign commitments are over and above regular tithes/offerings. Please read more details below. Also provided here is a brief snapshot of Campaign financials as of January 2023.
Next 100 Years - The Paragould First United Methodist church Sanctuary cornerstone at Fourth & Main Streets is dated 1925. The first worship services were held at our current location in November 1926. Of course, FUMC’s history extends well before 1925 including multiple other locations. Our church goes back many generations with deep Methodist roots in Northeast Arkansas. Paragould FUMC will celebrate worshiping at this location for 100 years in late 2026. This is no small thing! I anticipate a wonderful and exciting celebration! Paragould FUMC has made a strategic decision to remain in downtown Paragould including doubling our square footage and renovating our older spaces. Clearly our church is committed to being a faithful witness to Christ and the Methodist tradition from downtown Paragould and across our region for years to come! As we give thanks for our rich history we also imagine the worship, discipleship, and joy that will be shared at Paragould First United Methodist Church for Next 100 Years!
Our church shared in Capital Campaign titled “Next 100 Years” during the Spring of 2022. This campaign had/has three primary emphasis: (1) Debt Reduction; (2) Office Suite Renovation; (3) Sanctuary Maintenance. This campaign will culminate in 2026 as we celebrate our centennial. Below are the details of this effort.
Debt - Paragould First United Methodist Church took a calculated and challenging leap of faith over the last 10+ as it began planning and then executing a major facility expansion. This included acquiring necessary property, completing a significant addition, and renovating older facilities. The new Worship Center, Gymnasium, Kitchen and meeting rooms are critical for FUMC and its ministries. The facilities are used weekly if not daily for various causes. The renovated Children’s and Youth areas are just as important as our church prioritizes ministry with members of all ages. Those facilities will be of great use this summer including hosting ministries like Vacation Bible School, Ready-Set-READ, and Ozark Mission Project.
This project cost nearly $7million. In late 2019, the construction loan closed at ~$3.7million. This means the church raised approximately half of the funds up front and during construction - which is great! Since the loan closed, the church has been making monthly interest payments, annual principal payments, and additional principal payments when possible. As of Jan. '23, the debt owed is ~$2.7million. This is a healthy ratio of cost to debt for a church our size. The loan annual payment is ~$270k for a 5-over-20 year note. If we make minimal interest and principal payments each year, we would pay back over $5million. As with any loan, FUMC recognizes the challenge debt creates for our church, especially paying interest over many years.
Sanctuary Maintenance - Our beautiful, historic Sanctuary has maintenance needs including water leaks and damage. These repairs are not optional and have already begun. Since ‘21 we replaced the flat roofs and completed interior plaster repair. Next, FUMC has received a quote from Soos Stained Glass (Little Rock) for replacing the exterior protective glass outside of our stained glass windows. Currently our stained glass is covered by dated plexiglass which has begun to calcify and is no longer transparent. Soos will custom build metal frames and pane glass to cover and protect our stained glass for years to come at a quote of $75k. Lastly, we need to take steps to improve our audio/video quality in the sanctuary. In the long-term, we would prefer one “Streaming Production Studio” which could handle streaming from multiple spaces. We suspect this will begin by replacing our Sanctuary cameras and streaming hardware systems (≤$50k).
Office Suite Renovation - The original plans for expansion of FUMC facilities included renovating the former nursery area into an office suite. These are the former first-floor Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Nursery rooms. When the Welcome Center was added to FUMC, a doorway was created to connect to this future office suite. FUMC has met multiple times with Ramsons Construction to prepare plans to remodel this area into offices, work room, and conference room. Including is an image of the current drawings. This project is fairly simple in that it does not require major construction. The plans include installing and rearranging interior walls, new carpet, ceiling, lighting, etc. FUMC needs to renovate these spaces as an office suite to make staff more efficient and promote better teamwork. An office suite will provide more unity and safety by having everyone working near one another on the first floor. Ramsons believes they can do this work for ~$200k.
Our church shared in Capital Campaign titled “Next 100 Years” during the Spring of 2022. This campaign had/has three primary emphasis: (1) Debt Reduction; (2) Office Suite Renovation; (3) Sanctuary Maintenance. This campaign will culminate in 2026 as we celebrate our centennial. Below are the details of this effort.
Debt - Paragould First United Methodist Church took a calculated and challenging leap of faith over the last 10+ as it began planning and then executing a major facility expansion. This included acquiring necessary property, completing a significant addition, and renovating older facilities. The new Worship Center, Gymnasium, Kitchen and meeting rooms are critical for FUMC and its ministries. The facilities are used weekly if not daily for various causes. The renovated Children’s and Youth areas are just as important as our church prioritizes ministry with members of all ages. Those facilities will be of great use this summer including hosting ministries like Vacation Bible School, Ready-Set-READ, and Ozark Mission Project.
This project cost nearly $7million. In late 2019, the construction loan closed at ~$3.7million. This means the church raised approximately half of the funds up front and during construction - which is great! Since the loan closed, the church has been making monthly interest payments, annual principal payments, and additional principal payments when possible. As of Jan. '23, the debt owed is ~$2.7million. This is a healthy ratio of cost to debt for a church our size. The loan annual payment is ~$270k for a 5-over-20 year note. If we make minimal interest and principal payments each year, we would pay back over $5million. As with any loan, FUMC recognizes the challenge debt creates for our church, especially paying interest over many years.
Sanctuary Maintenance - Our beautiful, historic Sanctuary has maintenance needs including water leaks and damage. These repairs are not optional and have already begun. Since ‘21 we replaced the flat roofs and completed interior plaster repair. Next, FUMC has received a quote from Soos Stained Glass (Little Rock) for replacing the exterior protective glass outside of our stained glass windows. Currently our stained glass is covered by dated plexiglass which has begun to calcify and is no longer transparent. Soos will custom build metal frames and pane glass to cover and protect our stained glass for years to come at a quote of $75k. Lastly, we need to take steps to improve our audio/video quality in the sanctuary. In the long-term, we would prefer one “Streaming Production Studio” which could handle streaming from multiple spaces. We suspect this will begin by replacing our Sanctuary cameras and streaming hardware systems (≤$50k).
Office Suite Renovation - The original plans for expansion of FUMC facilities included renovating the former nursery area into an office suite. These are the former first-floor Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Nursery rooms. When the Welcome Center was added to FUMC, a doorway was created to connect to this future office suite. FUMC has met multiple times with Ramsons Construction to prepare plans to remodel this area into offices, work room, and conference room. Including is an image of the current drawings. This project is fairly simple in that it does not require major construction. The plans include installing and rearranging interior walls, new carpet, ceiling, lighting, etc. FUMC needs to renovate these spaces as an office suite to make staff more efficient and promote better teamwork. An office suite will provide more unity and safety by having everyone working near one another on the first floor. Ramsons believes they can do this work for ~$200k.
From Susie Cook, FUMC Lay Leader (2020-22):
I look forward to the year 2026 and the day of celebration when FUMC Paragould celebrates the retirement of our building debt. Today is the time when we look back with amazement and thanksgiving at the forward looking commitments and dedication made by our people in the past one hundred years. There has been sacrifice, but great joy found in giving.
Now it is our turn ! With prayer from our people and desire to commit, we go forward taking on this responsibility. Looking back gives us faith and strength to move forward to meet this challenging opportunity.
I feel this is an important opportunity which I support. I encourage you to prayerfully consider your part. This is a blessed opportunity for us to work together.
From Tracy Brengard, Former Chair of Trustees & Co-Chair Next 100 Years Campaign:
As a young girl, I remember sitting in our sanctuary. To me, it seemed like the most beautiful room in our little town. I would stare at the stained glass windows, most times the sun shining through them casting light. Have you ever studied the intricate woodwork? If those walls could talk! I was married in that room. Even though we didn’t live in Paragould at the time, I made the effort to have my children baptized in that room so my family could be present. I said goodbye to my dad there, along with many other dear friends and church family. There are so many memories of services, celebrations and beautiful music.
As we approach the 100th anniversary of worshiping on the site of 4th and Main, the history is not lost on me. From the beginning our church family has been faithful to maintain and preserve our sanctuary and facilities, along with building new additions through the years--most recently our wonderful new worship center and fellowship hall. After much discussion and planning, Reverend Dane and the church leadership have announced a plan looking forward to the next 100 years at FUMC. In general, we are asking for support to pay down our debt, maintain and improve the sanctuary, and renovate the former nursery area into an office suite/workroom. Coming soon we will have opportunities for you to learn specifically how you can help accomplish these goals. Chris and I are excited to be a part of this capital campaign and I encourage you all to get involved and support these efforts. Feel free to contact me or any other member of the leadership team with questions.
There is always a time to look back with prayer and thanksgiving. We must also look forward! There are many more services, celebrations and beautiful music to be made in our church. Our actions now will affect the generations to come.
I look forward to the year 2026 and the day of celebration when FUMC Paragould celebrates the retirement of our building debt. Today is the time when we look back with amazement and thanksgiving at the forward looking commitments and dedication made by our people in the past one hundred years. There has been sacrifice, but great joy found in giving.
Now it is our turn ! With prayer from our people and desire to commit, we go forward taking on this responsibility. Looking back gives us faith and strength to move forward to meet this challenging opportunity.
I feel this is an important opportunity which I support. I encourage you to prayerfully consider your part. This is a blessed opportunity for us to work together.
From Tracy Brengard, Former Chair of Trustees & Co-Chair Next 100 Years Campaign:
As a young girl, I remember sitting in our sanctuary. To me, it seemed like the most beautiful room in our little town. I would stare at the stained glass windows, most times the sun shining through them casting light. Have you ever studied the intricate woodwork? If those walls could talk! I was married in that room. Even though we didn’t live in Paragould at the time, I made the effort to have my children baptized in that room so my family could be present. I said goodbye to my dad there, along with many other dear friends and church family. There are so many memories of services, celebrations and beautiful music.
As we approach the 100th anniversary of worshiping on the site of 4th and Main, the history is not lost on me. From the beginning our church family has been faithful to maintain and preserve our sanctuary and facilities, along with building new additions through the years--most recently our wonderful new worship center and fellowship hall. After much discussion and planning, Reverend Dane and the church leadership have announced a plan looking forward to the next 100 years at FUMC. In general, we are asking for support to pay down our debt, maintain and improve the sanctuary, and renovate the former nursery area into an office suite/workroom. Coming soon we will have opportunities for you to learn specifically how you can help accomplish these goals. Chris and I are excited to be a part of this capital campaign and I encourage you all to get involved and support these efforts. Feel free to contact me or any other member of the leadership team with questions.
There is always a time to look back with prayer and thanksgiving. We must also look forward! There are many more services, celebrations and beautiful music to be made in our church. Our actions now will affect the generations to come.
