We are delighted to report that despite COVID-19 and the need for continuing appropriate precautions, we have made significant headway in meeting our goals for Forward in Faith!
The campaign goal was $3.0 million and to date we have received pledges totaling $2.4 million. Every dollar received is divided 80%-10%-10% among Property, Outreach, and the Endowment. The campaign began in May of 2018 and most pledge commitments will be completed mid-2021. We made a $115,000 transfer to the Endowment in May 2020 and have made Outreach disbursements in the amount of $154,500. Be assured we will honor the even distribution of every dollar.
The Property Commission has moved forward with many planned projects, two of which we will highlight here. First, we moved forward with paving the driveways and parking lots. We cleared drains, milled and paved the entire site, rebuilt catch basins and ramps, and repainted all paving lines. The work took two weeks in March-April 2020, and we are very pleased with the result. The total cost to complete this work two years after originally planned was $280,852.
Second, you may have noticed the enormous crane parked in the front of the church from mid-August through mid-September. A repainting project has long been planned for our iconic spire as it has not been done in at least 12 years. However, the deterioration and water damage to the interior of the spire required extensive repairs. Drains were cleared of blockages and pipes were replaced and sealed with high-tech rubber materials to drain water away from the structure for the future. Also, major preventive measures were implemented, including installation of bosun hooks to allow painters in the future to rappel on the exterior of the spire rather than needing to hire a crane. We also installed two catwalks in the interior to allow ongoing quarterly maintenance and clear-out of drains rather than having no mechanism to reach the top of the spire. And finally, the entire structure was painted and sealed in a quality manner to last for some time. Some interior plumbing work is remaining, and total cost of the project should total $204,000.
The Property Commission has completed many other projects and we are building out the Forward in Faith website with updates and pictures of everything. Future updates will also be included here in the Spire and in the weekly emails. We will provide links and further updates as we move forward.
Controls on all spending remain in place. Please contact Jay Galbreath or Mandy Thomas if you would like to review further details on the planned property projects, and Richard Mills if you have any questions on the financials. The Forward in Faith binder is also available and is updated each month with copies of bids, invoices, and notes.
We continue to welcome pledges and donations to the campaign. As we continue through uncertain times, we know God is with us still and we will keep moving Forward in Faith together.