West Memphis UMC uses UMFA services

When Rev. Dr. William Buchanan came to First United Methodist Church, West Memphis in July, he noticed there were five or six CDs at the bank that were established for various purposes, but were not yielding substantial returns on church investments. He suggested working with the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas to combine these resources in accounting that would provide better stewardship of the church’s funds.

“I talked with Clarence Trice and he came to visit with our Trustees to explain how the Foundation could help our money provide a greater return,” Dr. Buchanan said. “We are working now to set up accounts that are structured to provide earnings every year, while still being able to identify the ministry purposes from the original gifts. I stressed to our congregation that UMFA handles investments every day, and we can trust them to manage our funds wisely.”

In addition, UMFA Vice President of Development Janet Marshall will be working with a local attorney to hold a Provide & Protect seminar at the church that will help members understand estate planning choices. Dr. Buchanan is looking forward to the event that will help congregation members learn how essential it is to make or update a will, so they can decide how their assets are shared, and how they can make estate planning choices that can have present benefits.

“West Memphis First UMC is a relatively stable congregation, but it is aging,” he said. “Many of the members have been here for three or more generations and want to make an ongoing investment in the future of the church they love beyond their lifetime, and the United Methodist Foundation can help make that possible.”

If your local church would like to hear how the United Methodist Foundation can help your congregation, contact Senior Vice President Clarence Trice at ctrice@ umfa.org or call 501-664-8632.