Will this increase costs for the local church?

No. The funding for the conference center is coming from funds held by the EPA Board of Trustees, not from Shared Ministries.

What trustee funds are being spent?

The conference center renovation project is being funded by the sale of the Solebury United Methodist Church which closed in 2025, and from trustee funds, including the $750,000 from surplus funds approved in the 2023 legislation.

How did the project get so expensive?

While the annual conference approved renovations to the conference office in 2023, over the subsequent years, the building continued to deteriorate, while inflation produced rising costs. The need for additional repairs, together with the rising cost of inflation, increased the projected repair cost to approximately $2 million.

In addition to repairing the current office building, after prayerful discernment the Renovation Task Force and Board of Trustees discerned a call to expand the office space to create more room to host meetings, leadership training, retreats, educational events, and ministry gatherings. While this is an investment, the new gathering space will reduce the need to rent outside venues, creating long-term cost savings while providing a centralized home for conference-wide events. This long term investment in conference infrastructure brings the total cost to approximately $4 million.

Were other options explored?

Yes, the Board of Trustees together with the Renovation Task Force and Conference leadership evaluated different options including purchasing another facility, selling the current property and leasing office space, partnering with a local church or camp, or investing in the existing campus.

After extensive research, financial analysis, and prayerful discernment, the Board determined that renovating the current facility would provide the greatest long-term value for the Conference.

Have an additional question? Please email Henry Moore, EPA Property Manager, at hmoore@epagnj.org.