By Pam Braden
Jim Berner has served the West Virginia Conference for 25 years as conference treasurer and director of administrative services. On Friday, four bishops honored his service as a preacher, treasurer, golfer, and minister.
Berner is credited with ensuring that pastors in the conference have health care insurance and well-funded retirement pensions. He taught church leaders to manage their budgets and called us to be good stewards of church finances.
By continuously improving financial record keeping, Berner improved systems that require, as he terms it, “third grade math,” to determine church apportionments.
In his remarks, Jim quipped about each of the bishops with whom he served and joked about his travels and eating hot dogs in every corner of the state. Berner said his father wanted him to be a banker but his Heavenly Father wanted him to be conference treasurer.
Jim’s wife Beth and other family members joined him at the Friday business session as he was honored for his 25 years of service.
The conference is indebted to Jim for a career of service, integrity, honesty, and leadership.
Read more about Jim Berner’s career and retirement here.