An Update: Land Sale Money

Dear UMC of Danbury family,

The trustees have divided the money from the recent land sale, approximately $130,000.00, into two high yield accounts — half in a CD and half in a savings account with no penalties for withdrawal. This money may only be used for capital improvements as per the Book of Discipline.

With the new pastoral appointment, it was necessary to use part of this money to address some of the concerns of our parsonage. There were plumbing issues that created drainage problems that required opening walls and replacing old galvanized pipes. We also discovered a mold issue in the basement area that required remediation and the installation of a large vented dehumidifier. These were among the costlier repairs. Together they were about $8,000.

We got bids for painting the first and second floors of the parsonage and took the lowest bid for almost $10,000.

We replaced the broken stove and had a deep cleaning of the whole house which together was about $1,000.

We cleaned out the house and garage ourselves with trustee volunteers that took the better part of two Saturday mornings. We also had volunteers doing yard work to help with curb appeal. All this is to say, we are trying to be good stewards of our property and our finances. 

There have also been issues with our church building. There was a roof leak that needed repair and a broken water tank that needed replacement. We plan on replacing the sanctuary carpet as our next project. The sale of the property has turned out to be a much needed blessing and the trustees are very grateful.

Phyllis Tranzillo, Trustee Chairperson

August 2023