On the first afternoon of General Conference in Buffalo, N.Y., a full room received encouraging information about a new program to help pastors in financial stress.

Information was provided about the generous multi-million dollar grant from Lilly Endowment, which is being implemented to assist pastors. Rev. Mark Rennaker, the Wesleyan director of Thrive Financial Initiative, unpacked the results of the Lilly research and the way the program works for local pastors and churches. Pastors frequently experience financial stresses on many levels which limits their capacity for fulfilling their calling. Through the initiative, local churches can build thrive teams, make assessments, develop plans to address real solutions, and tap into thousands of dollars of financial help and educational assistance which can help spiritually, intellectually, relationally, and financially. Find out more at Wesleyan.org/TFI, as the program will begin on August 1, 2016.

The seminar was repeated on Sunday, June 5.