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Barrett Award celebrates generosity

Posted on by DeMoss
David Bell announcing Barrett Award recipients
The Rev. David Bell, president and executive director of the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan, announced the 2021 recipients of the Wayne C. Barrett Steward Leader Award in virtual presentations. ~ video image/United Methodist Foundation of Michigan

The 2021 Wayne C. Barrett Steward Leader Award has been given to Casco UMC, Coldwater UMC, Eastpointe Immanuel UMC, and Saline UMC. Congratulations!

Living out the phrase “paying it forward” provides a deep legacy of benefits for generations to come. Recipients of the Wayne C. Barrett Steward Leader Award fully illustrate how to multiply finances for the benefit of many.

The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan (UMF) issues the annual award to recognize exemplary stewardship ministry and a culture of generosity. First given in 2016, it is named for the Rev. Wayne C. Barrett who provided UMF leadership for 35 years, assisting more than 1,000 congregations with planned giving, capital funding, and stewardship development.

David Bell, UMF president and executive director, spoke about his mentor. “Our Board of Directors is excited to honor the nationally recognized stewardship ministry of Wayne Barrett. He served the Foundation with distinction for several decades. His church finance teaching and his generous lifestyle were formative in cultivating the vocational calling of a generation of United Methodist foundation executives, including my own!”

United Methodist congregations that received the $2,500 recognition in 2021 are: Casco UMC, Coldwater UMC, Eastpoint Immanuel UMC, and Saline UMC. These congregations embraced the joy of generosity and created stewardship opportunities during a national pandemic. 

David Bell celebrates their faithfulness in these video presentations of the awards. 

Application for the 2022 Wayne C. Barrett Awards will open next year with a deadline of March 15. Eligibility requirements include: 
  • Having funds invested in the UMF Collectve Investment Funds of Michigan LLC or the MI Area Loan Fund
  • Having contributed 100% of its conference ministry shares for the previous year and be current in contributions for the present fiscal year
  • Demonstrating a collaborative relationship between the pastor and laity in providing leadership in the area of financial stewardship
  • Articulating a clearly defined mission and vision for the church
  • Adhering to the financial procedures and protocol as defined in the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, including but not limited to socially responsible investing, annual financial review, cash management, and IRS-compliant donor contribution statements
  • Providing an advance indication of their intent for the awarded funds’ usage
Marian Coles, UMF’s senior director of operations, notes, “These churches demonstrate that the financial resources of the church belong to God and a greater community than just the membership.” Coles adds, “They are finding abundance amidst limited resources. Those are the types of applications that our grant committee is looking to recognize and reward.”

Last Updated on June 28, 2021

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The Michigan Conference