The Campaign for Clergy Well-Being: A Heart for Clergy
“Well-being is more than a trendy buzzword. The well-being of our pastors is undeniably on the hearts and minds of Missouri United Methodists amid unprecedented ministry challenges,” states Rev. Mark Struckhoff, Director of the Missouri UM Foundation’s Clergy and Church Financial Ministry (C2FM).Struckhoff describes the response to the Campaign for Clergy Well-being gatherings across Missouri. The campaign seeks to raise $250,000 in matching funds to meet the latest challenge from the Lilly Endowment.
“Pastors and laity are coming together and responding with their prayers, presence, and gifts. I love the energy in the room, especially as some begin to learn – many for the first time – about a ministry for and with our pastors,” explains Struckhoff. Special gatherings for clergy and laity have been sponsored in Springfield, St. Louis, and Cape Girardeau, and an event is planned for late July in Kansas City.
Since its beginning in 2016, C2FM has awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to over 160 Missouri UM pastors for a variety of uses, including scholarships, continuing education, medical assistance, student loan debt and consumer debt reduction, household emergencies, renewal leave, restoration of lost savings/income due to the pandemic, and more. Personal coaching and educational opportunities accompany and complement the grants.
Matching Gift Challenge
The most recent Lilly Endowment grant for C2FM is specifically aimed at clergy and their families in Missouri who the pandemic has hard hit. More than $150,000 has been donated or pledged in support of the Campaign for Clergy Well-being.
“We are in the home stretch,” states Struckhoff, “and we are so grateful for the generosity and vision of so many folks.”
Struckhoff underscores C2FM’s mission focus emphasizing that “all operating costs are fully funded by the Missouri UM Foundation, so 100% of every gift, and the entire Lilly Endowment match will be used for grants to assist pastors and their families.” He also notes that since 2016, Missouri United Methodists have contributed more than $650,000 in support of clergy well-being grants, “and every dollar given has been doubled thanks to the Lilly Endowment.”
To qualify for the Lilly Endowment matching challenge, gifts and pledge commitments must be received by September 30, 2023. Pledges must be paid by December 31, 2024.
For more information about C2FM or to make a gift to The Campaign for Clergy Well-being, contact Mark Struckhoff at mstruckhoff@mumf.org, or visit www.mumf.org/give-now.