A note from Stacey – September 2016

Dear friends,

As you know, we have been working for nearly two years to find solutions to our significant financial challenges.  Our buildings have been one focus of these efforts. I am happy to report that we currently have an offer to purchase the Annex.

We have scheduled a Church Conference for Monday, September 12 at 7:00 pm to vote on this sale, which has been endorsed by the Leadership Team.  Everyone is invited to attend and participate in the discussion; those who hold membership at FUMC may vote.

We ask you to hold our congregation in prayer as we approach this important decision for our congregation’s future.

You will have received a letter or an email detailing the plan, but here are the highlights:

The potential buyer is the Grace and Faith Christian Church, a local Baptist congregation.

The selling price is within the range that our broker had suggested and it will yield enough to improve our financial situation.

We will have a condominium agreement and will negotiate the use of common spaces. Tom Bennett has offered to do this work for us, pro bono.

The agreement is contingent upon the approval of the City of Melrose to divide the property.

In the future, we will have to make some changes in the sanctuary building to make it more usable.

We will need to be creative this year about the church fair on November 5, but we plan to go forward with it.

This is not a complete solution to our financial situation but it is a solid step forward.

Cory Allen, Alison Burke, Linda Field, Joan Green, David Lucas, Chad MacPherson, Kris MacPherson, George Peddle, Dennis Roche, Tom Stewart, Sue Triggs-Rhuda, Leigh Warren