Changes are coming to the GNW Office of Shared Services as Sara Goetze, GNW Director of Finance and Assistant Conference Treasurer, is stepping down at the end of August.
She begins a new position Sept. 1 with the General Council on Finance and Administration (The United Methodist Church’s top financial agency) as the Director of Financial Support Services.
“I saw the job posting and I thought it was a really cool job and something I would love to do – five to eight years from now,” she said.
She recognizes, though, that God sometimes laughs at the plans we try to make.
Though GCFA is headquartered in Nashville, Goetze said she’ll be able to work from home in the Portland area and get to travel across the country to support conferences, general agencies and even local churches with their financial systems.
She began working for the Oregon-Idaho Conference in 2022 as a senior accountant.
The GNW Shared Services Office provides finance, administration, property, and human resource support across the Greater Northwest Area of The United Methodist Church, helping the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and Pacific Northwest Conferences steward connectional resources efficiently in service of ministry.
“Sara has brought deep commitment, high standards, and a servant leader’s heart to this organization — often working long hours and stepping into tough situations to make sure things got done,” said Brant Henshaw, GNW Executive Director of Finance and Administration. “It’s a real testament to her talent that others outside our organization have recognized the same skills and abilities we’ve long valued in her.”
Henshaw said a transition plan is being developed to focus on keeping financial operations running smoothly, transferring key knowledge and relationships and maintaining strong internal controls.
Lori McMurray has been hired as the interim controller for the GNW Shared Services office during this transition. She can be emailed at lori@umoi.org as she takes on Goetze’s work.
Meanwhile, Goetze said she’s going to miss working with people across the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences. Being raised as a pastor’s kid in the Oregon-Idaho Conference meant she knew where to find Ashton and Ashland on a map. Now her map is expanding across the country.
“I’ll miss having some of that comfort,” she said.
