| District capital funds campaigns proposed BY ERIK ALSGAARD UMCONNECTION STAFF The Baltimore-Washington Conference Capital Funds Feasibility Study Task Force is recommending a series of district-by-district campaigns to raise money for camping, new church development and other projects. The recommendation was made Jan. 15 at a meeting of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration. CFA delayed taking any action until its March 19 meeting.  The Rev. Mark Smiley, pastor of Mays Chapel UMC in Timonium and chair of the task force, reported to CFA that the best approach to raising capital funds for the conference would be to conduct a series of individual district campaigns, allowing the districts to designate specific projects in the areas of retreat and camping ministries and new church initiatives. In his proposal, Smiley said that the district-by-district campaign could be incorporated into the work and plans of the new Stewardship Center and Foundation. The Stewardship Center and Foundation was approved at annual conference last year to combine the  ministries of stewardship education, finance and endowments for local churches. A transition team, under the leadership of the Rev. Frank Trotter, pastor of Metropolitan Memorial UMC in Washington, D.C., is gbwc_superusering the stewardship foundation process. The task force hired Douglas Himes as a consultant in its research. The result of his work recommends conducting a district-by-district campaign. The more localized the campaign is, the better off well be, said Smiley. If local churches have the opportunity to pick a new pool at West River (camp) and getting new carpet in their church, theyll do both. Doug Himes is putting his reputation on the line for this, said conference treasurer, the Rev. Jim Knowles-Tuell. This will be a rolling campaign. Wed start with two districts and six months later, wed begin two more. As the campaigns progress through each district, a fund raising expert from the conference and a stewardship development coordinator would visit and assist local churches, Smiley said. Adding a fund raising staff position to the center was not anticipated to occur for a few more years, according to Trotter. A loan from CFA of $150,000 would be needed to provide funding for this position, to be paid back from proceeds from the capital campaign. Himes would be retained by the conference to train the new fund raising person for approximately 18 months. A conferencewide campaign, according to Himes work, would produce approximately $3 million, Smiley reported. A district-by-district campaign could bring in upwards of $10 million. The Frederick District seems to be the most ready to go, Smiley said. | 
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