This month Alan Hill discusses a few of the finer details of UCG’s year-end financial expenditures and the church’s financial status heading into the new year:
Year End Balances
Cash Mortgages:
PNC Bank $143,127 PNC Bank $3,118
Merrill Lynch 206,481 Cornerstone Fund 93,503
Total Cash $349,608 Total Debt $96,621
Endowment Balance $374,360
Attached here is a summary of our financial activities for 2025 and our cash and investment balances at the end of the year. In the report the first column of numbers is actual revenue and expenditures from our annual budget. The second column of numbers is actual revenue and expenditures from our designated accounts. The total column is the sum of these columns.
Total expenditures exceeded total revenue only because we spent more out of our designated accounts than we took in primarily because of capital expenditures. While it appears that the designated accounts “lost” $29,821 in 2025, the total year-end balance for all designated accounts is still $265,967. In addition to the included capital reserve balance of $78,562, there is $40,449 from the Ford Foundation that is intended to support a youth work experience project and the youth summer tour. Food4Kids had a year-end balance of $55,787 and all other outreach/social justice programs had a total balance of $33,610. Youth and children program designated accounts had a total of $16,515 while a variety of adult programs had a year-end total balance of $21,088. A variety of other programs for lively arts, worship, training, et al total $19,956.
The mortgage held by PNC Bank has since been paid off with the regular monthly payment made on January 2 and the balance on January 13 after an impromptu collection during the January 11 congregational meeting.
Some expenditures merit additional explanations. A special designated fund was used for Talia Raymond’s sabbatical expenses. Those funds came from grants, member donations, and a contribution from the church’s endowment.
The church budget paid $3,000 to member Jim Harper to create a communication plan document that provides strategies for both internal and external communications. His plan is already being implemented. A designated fund was created for expenses related to church healing. This account received funds from the Florida UCC Conference, from the endowment, and from member donations. The church paid $8,536 to Convergence for a futures lab seminar and for a church vitality assessment report from this designated account. There is $7,714 still available for church healing.
Adult programs include the various retreats, groups, men’s and women’s overnights, Our Whole Life training, et al. Children and youth programs include United Tribes, high school and middle school groups, and the summer work tour. Justice and community programs include the various justice committees, compassion in action, Food4Kids and other food programs, Kairos, the emergency loan fund, disaster relief, et al.
Capital expenditures in 2025 included remodeling the west wing bathrooms and adding an ADA compliant third bathroom there, two 10-ton A/C units for the sanctuary, a new mini-split A/C unit in the kitchen, renovation of the upstairs youth room, and several other smaller projects. Miscellaneous other programs include visual and lively arts and special services.
For more information, email Alan Hill, church treasurer and chair of our Board of Business.