Members of Grace United Methodist Church in Marquette, Mich., donate the year’s first Sunday offering to Alger-Marquette Community Action Board for home heating assistance. A UMNS photo courtesy of Charlie West.

A UMNS Report
By Ann Whiting*
March 12, 2009

When United Methodist pastors in Michigan were surveyed about how the economy was affecting their church’s ministry and mission, one common answer stood out.

Nearly all the pastors reported increased sensitivity to the plight of those most adversely affected by the economy and a parallel increase in helping local families.

The Rev. Glenn Wagner of Holt United Methodist Church in the Lansing area summed up the Michigan church experience: “At a recent church service, I asked people in the congregation to raise a hand if they had been negatively impacted by the economic downturn: job, income, housing values, investments. Every hand in the congregation was raised.”

In 2008, the Holt congregation was able to raise enough money to re-roof the church building, add insulation at the church and parsonage, and revamp interior lighting as a savings measure against rising energy expenses.

“We have been blessed this year to so far remain current with expenses, full payment of ministry shares, and continued involvement in missions,” Wagner reported. “Local mission needs are up, reflected in sharply higher usage of the Holt Community Food Bank and persons looking for assistance coming through the doors of this church.”

The Rev. Joy Barrett, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Chelsea in southeastern Michigan, knows exactly how the economy is hurting her parishioners. “Without any effort, faces of the people in 10-12 households come to mind,” she said. “These are households with a dramatically lower income this year than last, due to job losses or cuts.”

Barrett echoed Wagner’s support for both local and global mission. She said half of First Church’s Christmas offering and December mission giving was earmarked for the local Faith in Action agency and half for Haiti.

Economy continues to tank

In the third month of 2009, Michigan’s economy continues to tank. Although other states, like California and Rhode Island, rival Michigan for the highest unemployment rate in the United States, Michigan continues to battle the ripple effect of a failing automobile industry. State leaders promote other industries, such as tourism and green energy, but the economic outlook is grim. Churches and other non-profits are feeling the pinch.

The Rev. Chuck Smith, pastor of the Ravenna United Methodist Church outside Grand Rapids, expressed concern about the precarious auto industry in Michigan. “If they (the Big Three) don’t make it, I believe it will have a terrible affect on all of Michigan because so many jobs will be lost -- not only at the Big Three but there will also be a huge ripple effect.”

The Rev. Wade Panse of First United Methodist Church in St. Joseph reported that Whirlpool, the community’s largest employer, announced staff reductions that began in the fall. “St. Joseph is located in the center of a crescent from Muskegon to Niles to Elkhart (Ind.), each of which were recently named by USA Today as the top 10 cities of America (where it is) most difficult to find employment,” he said. “If Whirlpool follows through on its intended release of employees, we will be adversely affected.”

Panse said employment in his congregation has been impacted by the downturn in the economy. The church’s budget for ministry has been “frugal” for a while, he added, with no increases for staff or other budget items. He also said more fund-raisers were carried out to meet “what used to be budgeted expenses” like Vacation Bible School.

“In 2007, the faltering economy caused us to fall short of our Ministry Shares (West Michigan Conference’s term for apportionments) commitment through pledges not completed,” the pastor explained. “In 2008, we have made a more concerted effort to adjust our budget to allow keeping the commitment to Ministry Shares. Right now, things are looking pretty good.”

Like others colleagues, Panse said his congregation maintains its commitment to both local and global mission – they continue to be “intentionally balanced,” although “local demand for emergency relief and response is daily.”

Some give more

The Rev. Barry Petrucci, senior pastor of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Portage, near Kalamazoo, noted that church members who are able to do so are giving more, “knowing that some folks are in desperately tight situations.” With Southwest Michigan in better economic shape than other parts of the state, the church has maintained its current staffing and ministries.

While the incomes of his members are impacted by the automobile and pharmaceutical industries, many who have lost jobs have found others. Chapel Hill continues to provide for community needs, housing the Portage area food pantry. Requests for other kinds of assistance have grown. “The church struggles between being a place of spiritual development and encouragement and being a direct service agency,” he said. “The answers are seldom clear.”

Of his church’s mission giving, Petrucci observed that “even when we struggle with budget, special offerings and events to benefit mission locally, statewide, nationally and globally go quite well.”

The Rev. Matt Hook, pastor of Dexter United Methodist Church near Ann Arbor, finds a positive aspect of the economic crisis. “It almost seems like it has been a time for people to assess what (Who) is first in their lives and (they) are remaining committed to supporting the mission and ministries of our church....” he said.

“I think we put so much faith in our money and 401Ks and such that, when they fail, as Peter asked: ‘Where else can we go? Who else can we turn to?’ but the church and our trust in the living God....” Hook added.

Nearly every pastor surveyed said the local congregation is committed to local and global mission even if apportionments and ministry shares are not paid at 100 percent. Both Michigan conferences have long-term, generous mission connections with the Methodist Church in Haiti. In addition, the Detroit Conference has a sister conference connection with the Liberia Conference.

Impacting the connection

For the first time in memory, eight senior pastors in the Detroit Conference are projecting their churches may not be able to pay their 2009 apportionments in full. They serve some of the largest churches in the conference.

They recently sent a letter about their concerns to the president of the conference’s Council on Finance and Administration. Prefacing their comments with a statement of commitment to the ministry of the conference and the connection, they wrote: “Currently, we are privileged to lead congregations which have demonstrated the same commitment through the years by full apportionment payment. We realize there are many churches which rarely pay their apportionments in full, but since our congregations have normally done so, and since our combined support represents such a significant portion of the conference budget, we feel it is important to share our projections for 2009.”

The pastors cited cutbacks in program and staffing already made and forecast a cut in dollars budgeted for apportionments in 2009. “At this point we conservatively anticipate the combined shortfall could total $250,000.”

They stressed need to “balance our support for the ministry of the annual conference and the General Church and caring for our responsibility to build strong local congregations which in turn will be able to pay their apportionments.” The letter noted the “dramatic compromise on the local level” and looked for the same on the conference level.

The churches represented are mostly in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area, along with First United Methodist Church in Midland.

Connecting the church and world

The Order of Deacons of the Detroit Conference released a letter on the economy in early February, seeking to provide some perspective for people of faith on the economic crisis. “(We) urge United Methodists to resist the temptations of panic, fear, and the mentality of ‘hunkering down’ into an insular survival mode. Instead, we call United Methodist local churches to prayerfully and boldly engage in creative ministry that proclaims and embodies the good news of Jesus Christ in lives and communities demoralized and stripped of hope,” the letter said.

“We believe that the church is called to prophetic proclamation that is simultaneously critical and hopeful. The word ‘crisis’ itself, comes from the Greek word for judgment. We must admit that the economic crisis is a moral and spiritual crisis fueled by greed and the practices of hyper-consumption and exploitation of people and the natural world.”

The deacons call for a different vision. “Christian hope is grounded in the saving power of the Triune God, who in the last days will recreate heaven and earth setting all of creation into right relationship. This hope of a world transformed animates the church’s mission. It challenges the community of disciples to imagine a world of peace, abundance, and justice and to embody – in the here and now – such a world.”

The letter provides some “concrete ways our churches can be in ministry and mission,” citing examples from the teachings of John Wesley, Methodism’s founder, regarding wealth, justice and generosity. The full text of the letter, along with worship and reflection resources, are available at www.mcadvocate.org.

*Whiting is editor of the Michigan Christian Advocate.

News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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Resources

Trinity UMC, Elkhart

Indiana Conference

Michigan Christian Advocate

Illinois Great Rivers Conference

Interpreter Online

U.S. Department of Labor