Message from the Executive Director Sid Johnston
Thank you for visiting our website. I’m honored to be a part of this great Church and enjoy serving you as Executive Director of the Foundation.
The purpose of the Foundation is – and always will be – to assist in preserving the church’s magnificent facilities and supporting the vital programs and ministries of the church body.
If you have any questions about our Foundation, or would like to make a donation, please feel free to contact me personally. My phone and email are under the Contact Us button above.
May God bless you.
Sid Johnston, Blog Posting March 19, 2018:
Coming Together in Fellowship - Learn About the Foundation in Your Sunday School Class
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Matthew 18:20
“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
Romans 15:7
Many of you know that the Church has a Foundation and have even heard a few facts about how the Foundation works to benefit the Church. Would you like to know more though…?
The Foundation upholds a high standard of complete transparency. We strive to share any and all information about the innerworkings of the Foundation so that Church members and donors can feel informed about such an important part of the Church – the financial support.
We provide an abundance of information to the Church throughout the year. We are eager to share as much information about the Foundation as we can. One of the ways that we get to know our fellow Church members is through Sunday School presentations. We find that in a smaller forum such as a Sunday School class, it is easier to directly answer the questions that you have about the Foundation.
The Foundation has many working parts and a lot of different ways to contribute to it. The Foundation also provides financial support to the Church in a variety of different ways. Sometimes it can get confusing… Let us simplify it for you and answer all your questions.
Here are a few facts that you can expect to learn about the Foundation during a Sunday School, small group, or bible study gathering:
- Last year the Foundation distributed $2,164,183.78 to the Church throughout the year. Only a portion of this money, the annual ministry funds, is designated money. The designated amount for the annual ministry fund in 2017 was $99,981.78, which leaves $2,064,202.00 in undesignated funding the Church in 2017
- In the last 8 years, the Foundation has provided over $8,000,000.00 to the Church with an annual average of about $2 million. We are honored that the Foundation has been able to open so many possibilities for the Church through this significant amount of money given in the recent years. Speaking of history, since the inception of the Foundation in 1964, the Foundation has generously been able to distribute $52,799,836.77 to the Church.
- Currently, the Foundation has over $66,000,000.00 in assets with gains of about $6,000,000.00 last year alone. This amount will be used to determine the amount that will be distributed to the Church in 2018 through our IRS 990 form that is completed during the summer. So far this year, we have given $400,000.00 to the Church in January along with Annual Ministry Distribution in February which was $118,843.52. There will be another distribution to the Church in April in the amount of $400,000.00. Once we receive the overall distributable amount in the summer, we will subtract the $800,000.00 already paid out and split the remaining amount into 2 payments that will be distributed to the Church in October and December.
- Did you know that our Foundation is one of the Top Methodist Church Foundations in the U.S.? Here is a breakdown of the top 10 Methodist Church Foundations in the country:

This is just a fraction of the information about the Foundation that is covered in a presentation to small groups or Sunday School classes. Through transparency and sharing of information, we hope to keep the Church informed on what is happening with the Foundation and how the money is being used to benefit the Church in perpetuity.
If you would like to schedule a Sunday School presentation or have a Foundation Q&A with your small group, please contact the Foundation offices at 817.339.5072 or email Sid Johnston at sid.johnston@fmcfoundation.org. We are always eager to share information and keep the Church informed on how to contribute to the Foundation and what happens with the money when you do decide to generously donate to the Foundation.
Blog Archives:
12/27/17 How Truly Great Thou Are! - A Prosperous Year for the Foundation Turned into Blessings for the Church
11/16/17 Foundation Thankful Series #1 - Thankful for Helen W. Watt's Vision for the Foundation in the Future
09/15/17 Treasures of the Earth Gifted to the Foundation - A Look into the Foundation's Oil and Gas Assets
08/01/17 Have you Heard the Great News? - Halfway Check-In on the Foundation
06/15/17 Thanking the Lord for Sunshine,Children & Summertime
05/09/17 Spring Cleaning... Not Just Cleaning your Home, but Fine-tuning your Estate Planning as Well
03/31/17 Shining Light on an Overcast Path: Singing the Praises of the Methodist Justice Ministry
01/27/17 Reflect on the Past; Look Forward to the Future
11/22/16 We Are Here For You: We Call It Thanksgiving Back
10/27/16 Living the Legend of Helen W. Watt: Developing a Legacy through Mentorship
09/2/2016 Where there's a Will, There's a Way!
07/30/2016 Foundation Endowment Just Keeps on Working for the Church
06/30/2016 Legacy Giving As a Family Affair
05/27/2016 The Godliness of Clarity and Transparency
04/13/2016 Which comes first? Committment or Confidence?
03/14/2016 Foundation Dedicated to AchievingFinancial Best Practices
02/19/2016 Foundation Announces Methodist Justice Ministry Endowment
01/26/2016 All great deeds begin as little seeds
12/31/2015 Conversations & Cheer: Celebrating Our Relationships
12/17/2015 Wise Gifts
11/17/2015 Legacy of Gratitude and Giving
10/30/2015 Generations of Tradition and Support
09/28/2015 Men of Faith and Works Created Your Foundation
08/17/2015 A Tradition of Support
07/6/2015 Growing God's People in the World
06/24/2015 Foundation Funds Scholoarships, Honors Staff
05/13/2015 Wise Financial Policies
04/27/2015 Why the Foundation Exists
04/20/2015 Care, Loyalty and Obedience
02/12/2015 Clothing Ourselves in the Honor of History
12/28/2014 Building to Finish, This Year and in Years to Come
11/3/2014 Pillars of Civil Society
10/25/2014 What a Celebration!
09/24/2014 Pillars of the Community
09/11/2014 The Fifth Pillar: Music & Fine Arts
08/14/2014 The Fourth Pillar: Mission & Outreach
07/31/2014 The Third Pillar: Education
06/24/2014 The Second Pillar: Renewal Through Worship
05/20/2014 The First Pillar: Vision The Foundation at 50
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