Centennial Campaign update
Roof replacement project
by John Pearce, Centennial Building Team Chair
11/1/26
With the help of Centric Architecture, the Building Team recently issued a request for proposals to two commercial roofing companies. Based on recommendations from these companies last fall, we decided to completely replace four of our ten roofs. These include the roof at the “top of the T” (the old gym and classrooms next to the 20th Avenue cul-de-sac), the administration building (from the Acklen entrance all the way back to the Iris Room entrance), and the two smaller slopes over the Community Center.
We received proposals from both companies. After extensive review and discussion with Centric, our Building Team, and Belmont’s Property Committee regarding the roofing materials, pricing, warranties, and conversations with each company, the Building Team selected Tim Leeper Roofing for the project.
Traditionally, Belmont and many other organizations have used a 60-mil-thick EPDM black roofing material, which is essentially a very large piece of thick rubber that is glued down and sealed. After investigating other options, we selected an 80-mil Duro-Tuff PVC membrane over a new insulation system, with gypsum cover boards over the administration building and Community Center mechanical slope.
This material comes with a 30-year manufacturer’s warranty, compared to the 20-year warranty typically offered for EPDM roofing. The gypsum cover boards provide additional protection when people, such as HVAC workers or AT&T cell tower technicians, need to walk on the roof. We also selected white roofing material, which is designed to reflect heat and help reduce cooling costs.
Our original budget estimate for these four roofs, used during the Centennial Campaign, was $340,248. The agreed-upon price is $425,403, or approximately $85,155 over our original estimate.
The additional cost can be attributed to three factors:
HVAC equipment removal and reinstallation: $15,714 for an HVAC company to use a lift to remove the equipment from the Community Center roof and reinstall it once the new roof is completed.
Upgraded roofing material: An additional $15,000–$20,000 for the PVC material, which comes with a 30-year manufacturer’s warranty rather than the standard 20-year warranty for EPDM. While this does not necessarily mean the roof will last 30 years, we expect it to last significantly longer than the traditional rubber material.
Increased petroleum costs: The remaining $50,000–$55,000 in additional costs is attributable to the rising price of petroleum, a primary component of these roofing materials.
We have known that inflation would not “be our friend,” but we remain hopeful that the other renovation work, which is much less dependent on petroleum prices, will come in closer to our original estimates.
Our overall project budget still includes approximately $433,000 for future roof replacements on the Sanctuary, Thomason Hall, the large slope of the Community Center, and the large slope over the three-story education building built in 1954. While these roofs are not new, they do not currently need replacement.
This week, Carrie Sherrill, our Executive Director of Church Management, along with Neil and Chad from SFM, our building services provider, will meet with representatives from Tim Leeper Roofing for a pre-construction discussion. They will review safety precautions, parking, material storage, the impact on Weekday School children, work hours, anticipated start and completion dates, and other logistical considerations.
We hope work will begin within the next couple of weeks and that any inconvenience to our Weekday School, staff, and church members will be minimal. It will certainly be a relief to no longer have to deal with the effects of water infiltration from above!
We remain grateful for the generous support of so many Belmonters and are excited to see work on the Centennial Campaign getting underway. We hope to share photos of the progress with the congregation, since most of us don’t normally have the opportunity to walk around on our roofs!
John Pearce
Centennial Campaign update
9/27/26
I’m excited to share an update on the progress of our Centennial Campaign – and first, I simply want to say thank you!
Thanks to your incredible generosity, we have received approximately $6 million in pledges and more than $7 million in overall campaign funding. Your support is helping us prepare Belmont UMC for the next century of ministry.
As many of you know, we have been partnering with Centric Architecture to help design the future of our church and determine how we can make the most of the resources entrusted to us. As the design work has progressed, we have reached the point of selecting a general contractor to help validate cost estimates, evaluate options, and guide decisions about where our investment can have the greatest impact.
I’m happy to share that we have selected American Constructors as our general contractor. Many of you may remember that American Constructors was also involved in the construction of our Community Center, so we’re pleased to welcome them back as a partner in this important work.
For me, supporting the Centennial Campaign is also an investment in the future of my own family. I want to watch Helen and Davis grow up at Belmont, making friends and memories in this church just as so many generations have before them. To make that possible for our children, grandchildren, and those we haven’t even met yet, we need to strengthen and preserve the physical foundation that supports Belmont’s ministry.
And John Pearce would be very disappointed if I didn’t mention that we are still accepting gifts to the Centennial Campaign! Every gift helps us accomplish more as we prepare Belmont for its next 100 years.
Thank you again for your generosity, your commitment, and your love for Belmont UMC. I’m grateful for all that we are making possible together.
Jameson Page
Centennial Campaign update
8/30/26
Dear Belmont,
I am honored to lead our Centennial Campaign Building Team. Our job is to manage the money that Belmonters have so generously pledged to renovate our sanctuary and Thomasson Hall for Belmont’s next 100 years.
In my opinion, responsibly spending your money is more difficult than raising it. The good news is we have a great team. Jameson Page, Phil Duke, Laura Spangler, and Carrie Sherrill serve on the Building Team, with Louis Jordan and Paul Purdue participating as ex-officio members.
We began meeting every other Tuesday in July, and a lot is happening. I want to give you a brief update.
With the approval of the Coordinating Committee, we engaged Centric Architecture as our partner in this work. David Plummer, Maddie Seip, and our own Maggie Bryant participate in every meeting. Centric is currently working on what architects call schematic design, which, to my non-architect brain, means they are documenting in detail the work to be done so a general contractor can price and complete it.
Speaking of general contractors, we received four proposals and are meeting with each of those potential partners. We hope to make a recommendation to the Coordinating Committee soon and have a general contractor on board this fall.
We are not waiting on a general contractor to get started. Our first priority is addressing water infiltration from above. Belmont has ten roofs on our campus, and we are planning to fully replace five of them. Along with the Imaging Building roof, which was replaced three years ago, we will have a new roof on almost 50% of our roof square footage. This is not particularly exciting or visible work, but it is critical. So, we plan to send Phil Duke up the ladders to take pictures to share!
With Centric’s help, we have sent an RFP to the two commercial roofing companies that assessed our roofs last fall. We hope their bids will be close to the estimates we used to build our budget and that this work can be completed this fall.
We have also reviewed preliminary drawings for an accessible restroom in the Iris Room foyer area, and Centric is working to obtain Metro Codes approval.
One of the biggest projects ahead is the Sanctuary. We have made a firm decision that it will not close until after Easter. We do not yet know exactly how long it will be closed, but our current thinking is that Sunday morning services will move to the Community Center during that time. The work includes a 100% replacement of the electrical wires and components and a full repainting of the room. Look up the next time you are in worship, and you will notice this will require more than stepladders.
We also have a subcommittee looking at audio, video, and lighting, with James Bagwell, Clay Smith, Matt Webb, and Chris Payne adding their expertise. Our goal is not to make this the “Schermerhorn,” but we believe the Sanctuary’s acoustics and listening experience can be substantially improved, along with our ability to operate and dim the lights.
Our timeline is still preliminary and will depend on our general contractor, permits, bids, and further work by Centric, but we hope most of this work will be completed by the end of 2027.
There is also a lot happening behind the scenes. Carrie, with some help from me, has done a great deal of work to help us manage the construction and our cash flow. We have a new account at Wilson Bank, an expanded general ledger, and a detailed cash flow model. Our plan is to do as much work as we can and end up with zero debt.
We are balancing two tensions that are not our friends: time and interest. Time means inflation and increasing costs, so we want to move quickly. Interest rates are high, so we do not want to move so quickly that we have to borrow unnecessarily.
That is where you can help. If you need four years to fulfill your pledge commitment, please take it, and we will be incredibly grateful. If, however, you are paying your pledge from appreciated investments, required minimum distributions, a donor-advised fund, or other assets and can pay sooner rather than later, that would help us manage our desire to avoid both inflation and interest.
This is an exciting time at Belmont UMC. Belmonters spoke with incredible generosity, but this is not so we can have fancy new buildings. It is so Belmont can have a place to continue to be in ministry to our neighborhood and world from this spot at 21st and Acklen for the next 100 years.
Thank you for all your help. We will stay in touch.
John Pearce
Centennial Campaign update
7/19/26
A few months ago, the Centennial Capital Campaign Task Force presented a plan – a dream – to improve this wonderful facility so that we can continue to worship and minister at the corner of 21st and Acklen for the next 100 years. We asked you to help us raise $5 million. You pledged $6 million.
A few weeks ago, we invited you to make an initial contribution toward your pledge during our First Fruits giving period. Since then, you have contributed just under $1.2 million. So far, 130 of the 200 households that made a pledge have given. Because of your generosity, we can now move from hopes, dreams, and plans to the work itself.
There are a number of task forces working to make that happen. It is a Methodist church, after all – we do love our committees! We have contracted with Centric Architecture to serve as our partner and guide us through the design and execution of the sanctuary and Thomasson Hall renovations. Soon, we will begin sending requests for proposals to potential general contractors.
Some specific projects may begin this fall, but we expect detailed planning with Centric and the selected contractor to occupy much of the remainder of the year. Full renovations are expected to begin in 2027. Your continued giving will allow us to complete these projects with minimal temporary financing and the interest costs that come with it.
Again, thank you for your generous support and faithful response. God is at work here among us at Belmont UMC.
Jerry Park