Foundation Prize Assists Children Around the World

Sue Hortman of First UMC, Natchitoches, won the $500 ministry grant grand prize drawing at the 2022 Annual Conference in Baton Rouge.

When Buzz Hortman agreed to accompany his wife, Sue, to the Louisiana Annual Conference in June of 2022, he had no idea he was about to hit a lucky streak that would benefit children across the world.

Buzz and Sue Hortman are members of First UMC of Natchitoches, where Sue was elected as a lay leader to represent the church at AC22 in Baton Rouge, held June 15-17.

As the Conference sessions gathered, Buzz waited for Sue in the seating area of the Foundation’s exhibit space. He noticed the hubbub around the Foundation’s prize drawing table, and decided to enter his wife’s name, on the off chance she might win.

Sure enough, after several smaller prizes were awarded, Sue’s name was drawn for the grand prize drawing, a $500 ministry grant for her church.

According to Rev. Gary Willis, pastor of First UMC, Natchitoches, the prize was used toward an ongoing church project: Operation Christmas Child, a ministry administered by Samaritan’s Purse of Boone, N.C. Volunteers across the U.S. coordinate and gather shoeboxes full of Christmas gifts for children in need around the world.

First Natchitoches had just begun their second year of involvement with Operation Christmas Child. The project team had increased its goal over last year’s, hoping to complete 150 boxes. While church members donate some money and items for the gift boxes, there are costs involved with supplementing the boxes and shipping them to Samaritan’s Purse. First Natchitoches was able to use the grant to cover the cost of reaching their new goal.

Rev. Willis was pleased to receive the grant that helped the church reach its goal. He said, “We appreciate the grant made by the Foundation. Not only does it help Operation Christmas Child, but it provided us an ecumenical opportunity as well, to work with the other churches around Natchitoches that are heavily involved in this ministry.”

Foundation President Chris Spencer said, “The Foundation is pleased that the ministry grant was put to good use, and we hope to provide another grand prize ministry grant at next year’s Annual Conference.”