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
For more than a century, Belmont has been a place where the Good News is proclaimed—that God is love. A place where every person is known as beloved, where questions are welcomed, where young people are embraced, where justice guides our actions, where worship inspires, and where authentic community is built.
Now, we stand at the threshold of a new century. We have the opportunity to care for the spaces entrusted to us and to prepare them for the next generation.
Hear from Belmont’s leadership as they share the heart behind the Centennial Campaign, why this moment matters, what we are being called to, and how this work will shape the future of our church.
This campaign is about more than buildings.
It is about creating space for people to worship, connect, grow, and serve.
Week after week, these spaces hold the most meaningful moments of our lives, celebrations, questions, worship, grief, and joy. They are where faith is formed and community is built.
Caring for these spaces is how we ensure that Belmont continues to be a place where all are welcomed, known, and loved.
Today, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment.
Our spiritual foundation remains strong, but we have neglected our physical plant. Our roofs, windows, restrooms, stained glass, and building systems are in need of repair and renovation. Deferred maintenance is increasing, and ongoing debt is diverting funds that could otherwise support ministry.
At the same time, this is an opportunity.
An opportunity to honor those who came before us, their faith, their sacrifice, and their vision.
An opportunity to strengthen how our spaces welcome and serve.
An opportunity to lay a firm foundation for the next century so we can continue growing in love of God and neighbor.
The Centennial Campaign focuses on caring for the spaces that have shaped Belmont’s life of worship and ministry for nearly a century while preparing them to serve the next generation.
We are preserving our historic buildings, including the Sanctuary and Thomasson Hall. This work includes structural improvements, roof replacement, masonry repair, and the preservation of stained glass so that these spaces remain strong and beautiful for generations to come.
We are strengthening how our spaces welcome and serve through updated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, improved lighting and audio, accessible restrooms, and enhancements that support worship, gathering, and connection.
The campaign will also eliminate Belmont’s remaining debt from the construction of the Community Center. By retiring this debt, Belmont will free approximately $228,000 each year to direct toward staff, ministry, and programs rather than mortgage payments.
The impact of this work will be felt in both visible and meaningful ways.
Our spaces will better reflect the beauty and significance of worship.
Our campus will feel more accessible and welcoming to those walking through our doors. And more of our resources will be directed toward ministry rather than maintaining debt.
This is about strengthening the experience of Belmont today while creating space for what comes next.
This campaign represents a comprehensive and thoughtful investment in Belmont’s future.
The total campaign goal is approximately $5 million, which includes building improvements, debt payoff, and project-related costs.
These funds will allow us to address urgent needs while also making long-term improvements that support ministry for years to come.
This plan reflects both responsibility and vision—caring for what is essential today while preparing for what lies ahead.
This work has been thoughtfully planned and will unfold in phases.
From 2023 to 2025, Belmont engaged in strategic initiative work, assessments, and planning.
In 2026, the campaign will be announced, commitments will be made, and the first gifts will be received.
From 2026 through 2028, critical repairs, structural work, and system upgrades will be completed.
From 2028 through 2030, restoration, enhancements, and final improvements will take place.
By 2030, our goal is to have all projects completed and all debt fully paid.
This campaign is a shared effort, one that invites each of us to participate in meaningful ways.
We are asking everyone to consider three simple steps:
Pray — Take time to ask, “God, what do You want to do through me?”
Engage — Stay engaged and informed about the vision and the work ahead
Respond — Consider how God is calling you to give above and beyond your regular offerings in support of this campaign.
God does not call us to an equal share, but to equal sacrifice.
Commitments to the Centennial Campaign are made over multiple years, allowing each person or family to give in a way that is both meaningful and manageable.
You can make your commitment online, in person, or by mail.
This is an opportunity to be part of something larger than ourselves, to invest in a place that has shaped us and will continue to shape others for generations to come.