Dear Church Members,
We are blessed to be part of a fellowship that prays for and supports each other and those outside our doors. The church has always come together to meet special needs. We now have an immediate need here at Saint James UMC.
Last week the 37-year-old HVAC unit that heats and cools the office areas stopped working. Another unit servicing close to the Narthex and Sanctuary is over 50 years old, and certainly is in line to need replacing at any time.
Thankfully, the HVAC unit in the Children’s Area — you received a separate email about that last week — is not as old and will not need to be replaced.
The immediate need is the 37-year-old unit that quit working, making the offices extremely unpleasant. The new system will be in the $40,000 – $50,000 range. The unit is large and sits on top of the building. Due to its size and weight, a crane is required. Crane rental is part of the cost.
With 90+ degree days projected for the future, waiting is not an option. Ordering the unit, scheduling the crane, and installing this HVAC take time. The purchase of the new HVAC has been approved by the Trustees and the Administrative Board.
Unfortunately, we do not have this extra cash in our checking account. We do have two reserve funds, the Capital Reserve Fund and the Estate of Graham Davis Fund, totaling about $68,000. We are authorized to use these funds for needs such as this.
The problem is that if we have to pay for this unit totally out of these funds, we will have very little left for the next emergency — like another HVAC. So we are asking for your help to avoid depleting our reserve funds.
We have a Capital Reserve Improvement fund, to which you can donate for this purpose. For the next 30 days, we are asking for contributions to this account for the purpose of helping to pay for new HVAC systems. This is certainly a voluntary contribution, and would not be in lieu of your regular giving toward the budget.
To participate in this effort, please click HERE. Then click “Fund” to access “Capital Reserve-Improvements” in the drop-down menu. That is where you can make an online contribution. If you would like to write a check, please make it payable to St. James UMC and write “HVAC” on the memo line. Your check can be mailed to the church at 2000 E. Sixth Street, Greenville, NC, 27858, or dropped off at the church office.
Please consider giving $25, 50, 100, 500, or more if you can. Every dollar given in the next 30 days will be a dollar we do not have to take from our two reserve funds. Let’s join together in making a contribution to this essential need for our church.
With much appreciation for your prayers and support,
Barry C. Chesson
Finance Committee Chair