The Rev. Ed New knows these aren’t the best times for the world’s financial markets. But that doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm for starting his job today as president of the Florida United Methodist Foundation.
“The role of the foundation is to provide a consistent and reliable resource our members can count on through these turbulent seas,” New said. “That is our strength, and we will get through this together.”
New is ready for the challenge. He says he is at his best in situations that need to be creatively addressed or where resourcefulness is vital to a solution.
New, 43, takes the reins from the Rev. Mark Becker, who retired in June after leading the foundation for seven years.
The two also have a history together. New was one of Becker’s pastors at First United Methodist Church in Lakeland for three years and considered him a “trusted colleague” in ministry.
Like his predecessor, New considers himself a “people person” who is both accessible and approachable. And like Becker, he brings a range of qualifications to his new role.
“I’ve had both professional and life experience that will work well in this job and benefit the foundation,” he said. That includes 14 years of parish ministry and six years in an academic setting focused on institutional advancement and philanthropic development.
At the foundation, New pledges to be the best “steward and shepherd” of the organization’s mission.
“I look at myself as an institutional evangelist for the foundation, presenting a positive, strategic vision for our constituents,” he said.
Ministry and relationships
Confirmed as a Methodist in seventh grade, New says he felt a “tug at my heart” for ministry while attending Elon University in Greensboro, North Carolina. At first, he was resistant to the call — “until the Lord made it known that he had other plans.”
His next stop was Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where he earned his Master of Divinity in 2005. He was ordained an elder in full connection in the North Carolina Conference in 2009 and served three churches there before becoming associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Lakeland in 2013.
He also juggled work, family and a “lot of late nights” to earn his Master of Business Administration in 2017 from Southeastern University in Lakeland and participate in Leadership Winter Haven.
New switched gears from church ministry and took a position as executive director of enrollment management at All Saints Academy in Winter Haven in 2016. A year later, he was named associate head of school for institutional advancement, where he spearheaded a fundraising campaign raising more than $500,000 annually.
In that position, he also developed a five-year strategic plan to boost the school’s identity and community connections and led a campaign to raise $550,000 to revitalize the school’s fine arts center.
With skills honed as a pastor and at the academy, New felt qualified to apply for the foundation position. He also credited his parents — his dad taught high school social studies, and his mom was a piano teacher — for showing him the power of education.
“I’ve always believed in the importance of investing in education and developing personal relationships,” New said. “With so much uncertainty these days, this is a critical time for the foundation to emphasize these two areas.”
He’s got a supportive partner at his side. Not only did Duke set him on his ministerial path, it’s where he met his wife, Judi. She’s also an ordained pastor and now serves as the Florida Conference archivist.
They have two sons and a daughter, ages 13, 10 and 6. Rounding out the family are two Labrador Retrievers and two cats.
As busy as their lives are these days, New says he and Judi prioritize family time with “day trips, going to movies, just spending time together.”
Both love getting in a workout and occasionally enjoying a date night alone. “We’re happy for some quiet time just to talk,” he said. “We have a loving relationship, and we’re the best of friends. I’m a better person because of her.”
Calming presence
Initially, the candidate pool drew two dozen applicants. That list was narrowed down to seven for the first round of consideration, three for the interview process and two for the final selection.
“We had many good choices, especially as we came down to the end,” said Jane Zody, who rotated off the foundation’s board in June after serving nine years. As one of her last roles, she led the national search committee, which also consulted with SHR Human Resources of Lakeland.
Zody acknowledges the confident and competent Becker “is not an easy act to follow.” But she was impressed with New’s professionalism, maturity and sense of calmness, the last of which made him stand out for Zody’s vote.
“With all the changes going on in the denomination, that calming presence will go a long way,” she said. “In this time of uncertainty, with churches dropping their affiliation with the denomination and the financial market in flux, I believe he has the skills to move us forward.”
Of all the services the foundation offers, one of Zody’s favorites is the Fresh Start debt consolidation loan program. It’s designed to help pastors who get into dire or difficult financial situations with consultations on how to restructure their debt and develop better money management skills.
Last year, the foundation gave $325,852 in loans to 10 clergy. She’s hoping New will continue putting resources and energy into the program, filling a critical need among fiscally challenged clergy.
“We know it’s helped some of our clergy get out of debt and give them a new beginning,” Zody said. “It’s one of the benefits of the foundation that doesn’t get as much attention but has made an incredible difference in some lives.”
Steve Scruggs, president of the Lakeland Economic Development Council, gave New a strong endorsement in a reference letter to the foundation board, calling him a “skilled communicator, strategist and visionary leader.”
“Ed is hard working, and his even-keeled disposition allows him to work well across the spectrum of venues, from board meetings and fund-raising events to individual conversations and large-scale digital communication and marketing pieces,” he wrote. “He is engaging, bright, energetic, professional and a joy to work with and be around. I have no doubt that he is the right person for your position, and the FUMF … will be in excellent hands under his stewardship.”
Strong foundation, opportunities for growth
Despite high inflation and a shaky investment market, New inherits an organization on solid footing with an impressive track record of stewardship and investment. Some of the 2021 highlights reported at the annual meeting in June include:
“With all the changes going on in the denomination, (Ed’s) calming presence will go a long way. In this time of uncertainty, with churches dropping their affiliation with the denomination and the financial market in flux, I believe he has the skills to move us forward.” — Jane Zody, president search committee chairperson
- $360,000 in new grant money.
- $6.9 million given to churches and agencies through payments from planned gifts, stocks, grants and investment earnings, plus estimated savings on interest with foundation loans.
- $111.02 million invested in the foundation’s managed investment funds.
- A $250,000 matching grant with the Florida Conference for a COVID relief fund for churches.
- $70,000 awarded to 14 newly ordained clergy to help defray educational expenses and $40,500 in tuition payments on behalf of 18 Sinclair Scholarship recipients.
- An estimated $1.2 million in interest savings from foundation loans.
- $165.2 million invested by churches and individuals in the foundation’s Development Fund.
- 36 free financial planning consultations with clergy.
New will also oversee a church lending program that has been underway since 1976. The foundation has provided more than $408 million to Florida Conference churches, agencies and other ministries in that time and has never lost on a loan or been forced to foreclose on a property.
Currently, the foundation oversees 162 open loans with a balance of $108.16 million.
New has a few visions he hopes to integrate into the foundation’s current responsibilities. One is developing new ideas and opportunities for Methodists who are drifting away from the church.
“We need to build a bridge between us and find the common ground,” he said. “For whatever reason, some people are moving in another direction. What could we do to make them feel at home again, and how can we bring their ideas into the fold again?”
He’s also empowered by the combined years of service and knowledge among the foundation’s staff members, who will help ease his transition from All Saints Academy. Becker will be an integral part of that transition, acting as a consultant for several months.
“We have a legacy here of nurturing churches, ministries and people,” New said. “As with anything in life, the stock market will go up and down, from a bull to a bear. The important thing is keeping focused on how we stay strong and connected and meeting our end goals. This is when our investment in relationships will pay off.”