Option 1:

Sell the smaller piece of property that was where Frankie Pace’s old home was, the property is listed on the tax roll at $18,750 and CUMC pays annual tax of $538.74.

          PROS:

• would remove the tax burden that the church has to pay every January
• could provide enough money to do the needed repairs on the exterior of the building
• has the least impact aside from doing nothing
• removes the contention that currently exist with the neighbor next to the property
•  

          CONS:

• Reduces the potential for the church to expand and have sufficient parking
• current market is not right for selling property at the moment
• Better ways may exist to raise money
• Legal action may remove tax

Option 2:

            Sell both pieces of property that are across the street

          PROS:

• should provide enough funds to make most major repairs to the building
• remove the tax and upkeep (mowing) burden from the church
• first step toward new start at new location

          CONS:

• Removes the ability for the church to expand
• Further reduces the visibility of the church to the community
• Not a good market to sell property

Option 3:

            Sell all of the property and find another

          PROS:

• May provide the visibility the church needs for the community
• Removes the legacy issues from the church
• Could be the kick start the church needs to grow
• Can right-size the new building and fund growth with growth
• Changes our conference status

CONS:

• Would need to find a buyer that would pay enough to make it worth while
• Will have to find storage or sell extra furnishings
• May lose members due to desire not to move
• Will have to find sufficient facilities with enough visibility
•  

Option 4:

            Keep the current property

          PROS:

• Will require people to step up and become accountable for their membership
• Promotes development of long term goals

          CONS:

• Lots of repairs are required to bring building back into good shape
• Will need to fund capital campaigns to build parking lot and other needed additions
• Will likely need to go into debt to upgrade facilities
• Church may fall further into debt

Looking at the makeup of the people receiving emails regarding the development of a new long range plan for CUMC, I was struck by the realization that no one other than me knows the property history and how we arrived at the current situation. I think it’s important that we know our history-our roots. Maybe it will help to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

If successful, this will be our 4^th “Visioning” since I have been a member. Plans were developed with Pastors Tom Buckley, Bobby Wilkie, Bill Greenhaw, and now maybe Jim Wilkins.  I will briefly outline the property situation associated with each of our pastor’s tenure. This seems to me the easiest way to organize events in a chronological order.

Rev. Tom Buckley – Ordained Elder

• He and his family lived in the old parsonage.
• Site plans and drawings were commissioned and made by the Architectural School at Texas A&M in College Station – 1^st Vision
• A Building Fund was started. Every member was visited in their home to pledge their share of the cost of our new buildings. Members signed pledge cards, promising payment over a 5 year period. Building Funds started to accumulate.

Rev. Joe Stabile – Ordained Elder

• Purchased new parsonage on Adams St. Joe and his family lived there
• Rented the old parsonage
• Continued collection for Building Fund
• 5 Acre church site was donated to the church by the Webb family
• Church split taking over half of the members and 2/3 of the offering to a new location.

Rev. Bobby Wilkie – Ordained Elder

• He and his wife lived in the Adams St parsonage
• Day long survey with small and large group discussions regarding short and long range plans, about 80 people attended – 2^nd Vision
• Received $10,000 grant from the conference to keep the doors open
• Sold the old parsonage
• Continued Building Fund Collection

Rev. Bill Greenhaw – Part Time Retired Pastor

• Rented the Adams St parsonage. Bill and his wife lived in their own home
• Bought back the old parsonage. The 5 acre plot was traded for the parsonage. The Youth used the old parsonage for Sunday School and Youth meetings/activities.
• Continued collections for Building Fund
• The site plan created during Tom Buckley’s ministry, was revised and divided into 4 phases – 3^rd Vision (Did you know that we are in the middle of the 3^rd phase at the present time?)
• Built the Fellowship Hall (now used as our sanctuary). In addition to being used as a fellowship hall, Sunday mornings, 2 adult Sunday School classes met there. Phase 1 of the plan is complete.

Rev. Jack Wallace – Ordained Elder

• Jack and his wife occupied the Adams St parsonage
• Took out a loan with The Texas Methodist Foundation to purchase Frankie Pace’s old Main Street property
• Tore down the old parsonage
• Started using the Fellowship Hall as a sanctuary
• Added walls and divided the old church into Sunday School Rooms
• Replaced roof on old church

Rev. Charlie Pierce – Ordained Elder

• Charlie and his wife occupied the Adams St parsonage
• Started the construction of the Education Building

Rev. Dick Brannan – Full Time Local Pastor

• Dick and his wife occupied their own home
• The Adams St parsonage was rented
• Finished the Education Building with a loan from The Texas Methodist Foundation – Phase 2 of the plan is complete
• Sold old parsonage and paid off both loans. Balance of funds placed in Building Fund. (this is where the money came from for: ½ of our new range, the sign, our heating and AC replacements, our copier, and the money to keep the doors open)
• Replaced roof on Fellowship Hall and Education Building
• New Carpet for Fellowship Hall
• Tore down Pace house and old church (start of phase 3). The other half of phase 3 is to build a new sanctuary. Phase 4 is concrete work, landscaping and sign (already done).

Rev. Jim Wilkins – Part Time Local Pastor

• New Vision? 4^th Vision

Compiling this list brought back a flood of memories… and a realization. The most active our church has been was when Bill Greenhaw was pastor. That time was characterized by the least amount of pastoral guidance and direction and conversely the most active congregation we’ve ever had. We had something for ever age group. Activities were ongoing and growing. The laity ran the church. It felt like the laity was trying to makeup for having a part time minister. You might say the laity overcompensated. Rev. Greenhaw came to church on Sunday mornings to preach.

It seems like when we had full time ministers, the laity laid back, allowing the pastor to absorb all the responsibility he could handle.

Now we have a part time pastor again and I do not see the type of energy that we had with Brother Bill. Is something wrong? Are we expecting to little from ourselves? Is it to easy to do something else on our busy schedule than to ‘do church’? I know I’m as much to blame as anyone else.

As the song says…”but I could be wrong now.”