News

GBOD Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer Foye Webb to Retire

Foye Webb

(March 14, 2008, GBOD) — Foye Webb, treasurer and chief financial officer for the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship, will retire effective December 31, 2008.

Webb's tenure with GBOD began in 1996, as the executive director of the Division on United Methodist Men, following a 22-year career as an audit executive with the federal government's Defense Contract Audit Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.

"GBOD has been blessed by Foye's energetic and widespread knowledge of all things financial. His commitment to excellence and detail has undergirded the Board's commitment to the highest level of fiduciary responsibility," said the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for GBOD.

Though being the CFO was not what he was initially hired to do, Webb has shepherded the GBOD Financial Services Office for 12 years, the annual financial audit since 2000, and served as convener for the General Agency Treasurer's Table since its inception in February 2004.

Webb played a key role in creating Africa Upper Room Ministries, serving as treasurer of its Board of Directors and liaison with GBOD's indigenous representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"It was exciting and an honor to be involved with the birth of Africa Upper Room Ministries. The church leaders that I have had a chance to work with across the world have just been amazing," said Webb.

"Working with bishops in Africa, Europe and the Philippines -- that never would have happened -- had I not come here. It's remarkable to me," he said.

Foye oversaw the expansion of GBOD's facility maintenance staff and services to include GCFA and Scarritt-Bennett Center. He also facilitated the sale of over one million dollars of excess agency real property to generate additional ministry funding, negotiated lease of unused agency property that increased revenue nearly three times that of the existing lease, and oversaw facility renovation projects in excess of a half million dollars, without debt.

He has been a trustee since 1999; an elected treasurer and member of the Executive Committee of the Foundation for Evangelism since 2005; member of the GCFA Investment Committee since 2000; and GBOD liaison with the United Methodist Church Foundation Funds Management Committee since its inception.

"Foye has seen his work as much larger than that of financial services. His wide-ranging abilities have ensured the creation of partnerships across agency and organizational lines, bringing efficiencies and quantities of scale into place, which have saved GBOD and the church hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Greenwaldt.

Webb says that the agency was in good financial condition when he arrived. His mission was to maintain the organization's financial soundness and place of respect throughout the church.

"We'd always had a really good reputation among colleague agencies in the church. I wanted to maintain that healthy relationship," he said.

A member of Belmont United Methodist Church, Webb has served as Spiritual Formation Committee chair, Stephen Ministry Leader and Team Coordinator, substitute Sunday school teacher, Administrative Board member and Annual Conference delegate.

Webb also represented the Nashville District on the Tennessee Conference Spiritual Formation Committee, and he is nominated to become a member of the Conference Committee on Finance and Administration.

Webb attended Wesley Theological Seminary and was an ordained deacon and a probationary member of the Holston and Virginia Conferences.

Webb and his wife, Carol, have two children and four grandchildren.

He plans "to be retired" and enjoy his children and grandchildren, while being in service to the local church and community.

GBOD will launch a search process for Webb's successor in the next few weeks.

The General Board of Discipleship's mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD (www.gbod.org) is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7017.