HVAC Replacement Update

As reported last week by Finance Committee Chair Barry Chesson in this Newsletter, St. James UMC has an immediate need to replace the 37-year-old HVAC unit that recently quit working. The purchase of the new HVAC has been approved by The Board of Trustees and the Administrative Board approved the purchase of a new HVAC.

The new system will cost $49,000-$50,000 range. Part of the reason for the high cost is the location of the unit, which is within the Preschool playground. That location (not on a roof, as previously reported) requires the use of a crane, which is a costly rental. The entire bill will be paid for from two reserve funds, the Capital Reserve Fund and the Estate of Graham Davis Fund.

Barry described the problem of using those reserve funds: “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.” With that in mind, the church began a 30-day campaign to receive contributions to the Capital Reserve fund.

We will use this space (see chart, below) to report on the weekly progress of this short campaign.

As Barry wrote last week, “Contributions to this account, which we need in the next 30 days, are certainly voluntary and not to be in lieu of your regular giving toward the budget. 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.”

To donate to offset the use of reserve funds in the purchase of the new HVAC system, 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.

Donations have already begun coming in for this effort to replace reserve funds that will be used to install a new HVAC system.

The chart show the amount (in tens of thousands) of donations in green and the “goal” of the total approximate cost of the system ($50,000) in red.

From Thursday of last week through Monday of this week, in this first “week” of the campaign, deposited donations added up to $6,875.00.