Dear UMHEF Friends,

When in the midst of organizational leadership transition, it becomes clear that the work entrusted to us has always belonged to all of us. In the story of Elijah and Elisha, the prophet’s mantle falls as a sign that while servants may change, the work of God continues. The mantle is not a possession. It is a trust—received for a time, carried with humility, and handed on in faithfulness.

This has been such a season for The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. We give thanks for the servants whose faithful stewardship has shaped this ministry in profound ways. Through their vision, wisdom, and devotion, UMHEF’s witness and reach has expanded to help countless students pursue the education to which God had called them.

And now, the mantle falls upon all who currently share in this work: trustees and staff, donors and institutional partners, alumni and students—and upon the whole community of people who sustain this ministry through prayer, generosity, wisdom, and service.

UMHEF has been carried by people bound together in common mission. That mission remains clear: to lift burdens, remove barriers, and help students at United Methodist-related institutions fully engage in the transformative work of higher education as they discern God’s call upon their lives.

Because the Spirit of God always leads onward, faithfulness requires more than preservation and maintenance. Faithfulness requires discernment. The needs of students are changing. The landscape of higher education is shifting. New opportunities for ministry are emerging. We seek to steward wisely, listen prayerfully, and move courageously into the future God is preparing.

What follows in the 2025 Annual Report is evidence of a ministry carried faithfully across generations, sustained by many hands, and alive with possibility. Thank you for carrying this mantle with me together.

With gratitude and hope,

Rev. Cara Stultz Costello, UMHEF President & CEO

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