Finance & Stewardship
Capital Campaign

The Gethsemane Finance Committee meets once a month to discuss the financial status of the cathedral and approve the financial statements.  Members of the Finance Committee are:  John Adams, Treasurer, Joni Bertel, Will Robinson, Anne Stevens, and Leisha Woltjer. 

Monday, September 21, 2009

 

Dear Friends in Our Lord Jesus:

 Our Fall programs and ministries are currently underway at Gethsemane Cathedral, and we are settling in for an exciting and productive school year!  Already the junior high students in our Fall Confirmation class are preparing for the service of Confirmation in November, and our Christian education classes are into their second week.  Our Wednesday night program is in full swing, plans are being made for new Bible studies and prayer groups each week, and new outreach and neighborhood ministries are starting to take shape.  We are thrilled about our full schedule of programs, classes, activities, and outreach ministries this school year!

One important piece of financial business does need to be completed this Fall:  The final fund-raising effort for our 2008-2009 Capital Campaign program.  As you know, in the last 18 months we began and brought to completion nearly $280,000 of major improvements to our physical plant.  We replaced our roof during the mid-part of 2008, following a catastrophic hail storm in October of 2007, and our insurance covered most (but not all) of the $100,000 cost.  We also installed new steel siding around the exterior of our building in the Fall and Winter of 2008, when it was discovered that large portions of our wood siding had deteriorated due to mold, ice, and water damage.  The cost for this project was $180,000.  The Cathedral Chapter elected to pay for a large portion of this project through our bank line-of-credit, and at present we still owe about $109,000 on this account.

We anticipate receiving $30,000 from the Gethsemane Foundation by the end of this year, as the final part of the Foundation’s $70,000 pledge to the Capital Campaign.  This means we need to raise about $80,000 to close the books on the 2008-2009 Capital Campaign.  We hope to accomplish this as soon as possible, preferably during the Fall months, as there are several other capital projects that need to be addressed in 2010. 

If you have already contributed to this campaign, THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU!  If you have not yet contributed, please consider making a contribution during the Fall months.  With the financial markets moving in a positive direction, finally, we hope to move forward with the completion of the steel-siding project as soon as possible. If you have questions about the Capital Campaign, please call the Cathedral office, or talk to any of the members of the Cathedral Chapter.

May the Lord bless you and keep you this day, and always.

 -- The Very Rev. Dr. Steve Sellers +