6/2/16
At the Ohio Conference Annual Meeting, I will be presenting the 2017 budget, which shows us a snap shot of the organization’s mission. Below is a snap shot of the three largest mission areas of the Ohio Conference in 2017. Together these three mission areas utilize over 75 percent of our financial resources for ministry.
Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) Support. This coming year the Ohio Conference UCC will handle slightly over $1.5 million. Of that amount, almost 40 percent (or about $585,000) will be passed on to the national church for general OCWM support and through the four special offerings throughout the year. We clearly see one of our roles as partnering with the wider church to do ministries that we in the Ohio Conference would be unable to do alone.
Outdoor Ministry. Outdoor Ministries comprises around 26 percent of our budget. Of the roughly $390,000 dollars spent on Outdoor Ministries, the bulk of that amount is covered by camper registrations. In an effort to keep the camping program affordable, we will subsidize the program with around $75,000 of OCWM dollars. Last year this support amounted to slightly over $150 per camper to attend a full week of summer camp. Without this financial support, many of our youth would not be able to have that special faith opportunity that only attending a camp can provide.
Grants and Institutional Support. The Ohio Conference also provides grants and direct support to individuals and institutions doing a variety of ministries. This coming year we plan to provide almost $200,000 for church development, disaster relief, ecumenical work, seminarian support, college ministries, and health and aging ministries.
Samuel Buehrer
Pastor, Sylvania UCC
Ohio Conference UCC Treasurer