Campaign for Clergy Wellbeing

The Campaign For Clergy Wellbeing: C2FM SUCCESS!

GOAL MET!

“Thank you,” says Mark Struckhoff, “I just want to hug everybody who helped us meet the challenge and make such a difference for Missouri clergy!” Struckhoff is the Director of the Foundation’s Clergy & Church Financial Ministry (C2FM), and he is referring to the recent successful completion of the Campaign for Clergy Wellbeing.

“I am so inspired that words fail me,” says Struckhoff. “The Lilly Endowment is amazingly generous, but they set us a steep hill to climb – raise $250,000 in matching gifts in about 16 months.” The deadline for gifts and pledges was September 30, 2023, and the preliminary tally stands at $251,700.

Struckhoff knew that C2FM had received extraordinary support when it first began back in 2016. “David and Thelma Steward and Bishop Bob Farr were instrumental in securing early funding for the original Lilly challenge,” Struckhoff notes. But since that time C2FM’s focus has been primarily on the mission – providing services and distributing funds in support of clergy and their families.

Raised for C2FM through the generosity of donors and matched gifts of the Lilly Endowment.

“This campaign benefitted from a much broader base of support, starting with the outstanding Foundation board of trustees and including clergy and laity across the state,” says Struckhoff. “Rev. Laura Murphy, the Foundation’s Director of Development, applied her extraordinary talents in organizing ‘friend-raisers’ around the state that allowed us to share the C2FM story with a much wider circle – and the response was tremendous – people get the importance of this work,” explains Struckhoff.

Struckhoff says that at the gatherings he often heard laity respond with understanding, compassion and sometimes a note of surprise to learn that pastors might struggle with their finances, often in isolation, for a wide variety of reasons, and many times due to financial hardships beyond their control. A common refrain was “I had no idea” after hearing statistics about the amount of average student loan debt from seminary or hearing personal stories of the harsh realities of relocation or the special challenges for clergy during the pandemic.

Many gifts are accompanied by notes citing not only a love for pastors, but also their purposeful intent to invest in pastors as agents of cultural and social change in their communities for the sake of the Gospel. As one donor noted, “Our pastors remind me of our medical professionals who have committed their lives to the wellbeing of others, often at the price of their own wellbeing.”

The campaign received over 135 gifts and pledges ranging from $25 to $22,000, including several gifts from retired and active Missouri clergy, and many memorial and tribute gifts in honor or memory of beloved pastors.

Struckhoff expresses special thanks to his informal team of colleagues and advisors. “This group was a great sounding board and generator of ideas and connections,” says Struckhoff. The team included Rev. Kim Jenne, Rev. Brad Reed, Rev. Mike Wondel, Rev. Laura Murphy, and David Atkins.

The Mission Has No Finish Line

C2FM’s mission is to continuously improve clergy and congregational excellence around financial literacy, leadership, discipleship, and ministry. In addition to financial coaching, clergy workshops, and scholarships, the C2FM Clergy Wellbeing Grant program is a living expression of this mission.

In much the same way, our Missouri pastors are a living expression of the mission of the United Methodist Church, to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The effusive generosity and encouragement of C2FM donors and volunteers is a blessing that is sustaining the ministry of C2FM into the future.

If you would like to make a gift or access C2FM services, contact Mark Struckhoff at mstruckhoff@mumf.org or call 800-332-8238.