ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Mission Network) — Mar. 16, flames danced at the entrance of the Mennonite Offices building in Elkhart when a copy of the building mortgage was burned during a break in the Constituency Leaders Council meetings. This dramatized the information received by Investing in hope donors last fall from Stanley W. Green and Ervin Stutzman, who wrote: "We are very pleased to announce that because of your generosity, the Elkhart office building is now debt-free and mortgage payments have ended – years ahead of schedule."
Generous donors contributed $1.43 million to pay off the loan principal early. This saved $83,000 in interest payments, money which will now go toward ministry.
Green and Stutzman had planned to celebrate the event together, but Green was called away just prior due to symptoms of retinal damage. (Thankfully, eye surgery the next day was successful.) Stutzman celebrated the ability of the church to work together to accomplish something substantial and to make an investment in the future of the denomination. Though not able to deliver his remarks in person, Green provided this summary.
As we mark the retirement of our building debt, it is difficult, even now, to fully appreciate the providence and the timing of God. Through the gifts of generous donors, we find ourselves today with the tremendous blessing of not having to direct much needed funds from a shrinking resource base to cover the cost of rented facilities.
This is a day of celebration, indeed. We are deeply thankful to God for the gift of debt-free facilities, and the guidance that led us through the process of launching a campaign to raise the needed funds. Moreover, we are especially grateful to many loyal donors who shared generously through their many contributions of time, gifts-in-kind, and financial contributions to bless the church and God’s mission in the world through their giving.
The payment of the mortgage represents the final step in a process that began in 2004 when Green initiated a feasibility study of future office needs and the most cost-effective ways to address those needs. By 2006, the option to build and own a new structure was chosen along with a location and preliminary design. Mennonite Mission Network took responsibility for the fundraising campaign while sharing responsibility for design choices with the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board and Mennonite Education Agency. The Joining together, Investing in hope campaign was launched in late 2006, shortly before the economy nose-dived in the great recession of 2008.
This was a daunting circumstance, but God was good and God’s people remained generous. The fundraising team led by Green, volunteer campaign chairs Peter Wiebe and Wilbur Bontrager, campaign director Peter Graber, and a dedicated development staff persisted, and by the winter of 2010, the decision to go ahead and build was made. The money was only 60 percent in hand, but construction costs were low because of the building slump, and interest rates were at an all-time low. By the time the building was completed in December 2011, a $2.1 million loan was needed to supplement the donations received. The original three organizations were joined by The Mennonite and MennoMedia before move-in day, and Anabaptist Disabilities Network shortly after.
Once the building was opened in 2012, two important goals were met: 1) An energy efficient, accessible, flexible and functional environment for Mennonite organizations was made available for at least the next 50 years, and 2) opportunity was created for closer collaboration, and reduced costs for six Mennonite organizations and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary through shared space, services and equipment.
The third goal, of lowering the annual facilities costs of these organizations and freeing at least $100,000 per year to support program ministries, was realized with the last mortgage payment.
By 2014, Green’s conversations with donors showed an interest in paying off the building mortgage in order to realize the interest savings and move up the date when additional funds would be freed each year for ministry. With the help of Stutzman, Green and Mennonite Mission Network staff began making the rounds of people who had been key to the first round of fundraising. The response was so outstanding that the full amount to pay off the mortgage was realized months before the target date of March 2017.
**In addition to the $6 million in facility costs, the 2006-2012 campaign raised $3.2 million to support the ministries of Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite Church USA Executive Board, Racial/Ethnic Ministries, and the Global Mission Fellowship.
