Photo by Adrienne Louise Photo + Films LLC

ATLANTA—Deacon Rick Medina, chief advancement officer for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, sat down with CCS Fundraising staff to answer some questions about Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith and Deacon Medina’s role in the campaign. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

For parishioners who may be hearing about Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith for the first time, what is the campaign and what does the archdiocese hope to accomplish through it? 

Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith is a historic archdiocesan-wide capital, programmatic and endowment campaign for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. At its heart, it is not simply a fundraising effort; it is a spiritual response to the extraordinary growth and pastoral needs we are experiencing across north and central Georgia.

The goal is to help our Church meet this moment with faith and courage. Our parishes are growing, our communities are becoming more diverse and more people are searching for hope, belonging and a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

How is Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith different from the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal and why are both important to the mission of the archdiocese?

The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal supports the ordinary, ongoing work of the archdiocese each year. It funds essential ministries, programs and services that sustain parish life and serve people across north and central Georgia on an annual basis.

Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith is different because it is an extraordinary, once-in-a-generation effort focused on long-term and transformational needs. It is designed to make major investments and create long-term sustainability through endowment growth.

Both are important because the Church needs both daily support and long-term investment. The Annual Appeal helps us serve today. The campaign helps us prepare for tomorrow.

Some parishioners may wonder, “I already support my parish and contribute to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. Why am I being asked to consider an additional campaign commitment?” How would you answer them?

First, I would say thank you. The generosity of parishioners who faithfully support their parish and the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal is the foundation that allows the Church to carry out its mission every day.

This campaign is an invitation, not a replacement for regular parish offertory or the Annual Appeal. We are not asking people to shift support away from their parish or from the Annual Appeal. Rather, we are inviting families to prayerfully consider whether they can make an additional sacrificial commitment over time—often through a five-year pledge—to help address needs that are larger and more long-term than ordinary annual giving can meet.

Every family’s circumstances are different and every gift matters. The important thing is prayerful discernment. The campaign gives us an opportunity to invest in the future.

Trust and accountability are important parts of good stewardship. How will the campaign trust provide transparency and help assure donors that their gifts are used for the purposes they were intended to support?

Trust and accountability are essential. Donors need to know that their gifts will be handled carefully and with transparency.

Campaign funds will be deposited into the Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith Trust, which provides a clear governance structure for receiving, managing and distributing campaign funds. Gifts are restricted for the purposes outlined in the campaign case and oversight is provided through the trust’s governance process. The campaign also includes regular reporting, stewardship updates and independent audits to help verify that funds are used as intended.

In addition, the Office of Mission Advancement will provide ongoing communication about campaign progress, pledge fulfillment, parish distributions and impact. Transparency is not simply a financial practice; it is an expression of good stewardship and respect for the sacred trust placed in us by donors.

Not every family has the same financial circumstances. How should Catholics prayerfully discern what stewardship and participation in Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith mean for them personally?

Discernment should begin with prayer. I would encourage every family to ask: What has God entrusted to us? How are we being called to respond? What gift would be meaningful, sacrificial and responsible for our household?

Participation will look different for every family. Some may be able to make a larger pledge over five years. Others may make a modest gift that still represents real sacrifice. Others may participate through prayer, encouragement or volunteer service. The campaign is not about comparing one gift to another; it is about each person responding faithfully according to his or her circumstances.

It is also important to say that commitments can be adjusted if circumstances change. The Church understands that family situations, employment, health and finances can change over time. The invitation is to prayerfully participate in a way that is generous, joyful and responsible.

Years from now, when we look back on Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith, what do you hope will be its lasting impact on our parishes, our ministries and the Catholic Church in north and central Georgia?

Years from now, I hope we will look back and see that this campaign helped deepen our faith and strengthen our sense of mission. I hope we will see parishes that are more welcoming and better equipped to serve growing communities. I hope we will see more families able to access Catholic education, more young adults supported in campus ministry, more seminarians and priests strengthened for service and more vulnerable neighbors receiving compassionate care.

But even more than the projects funded, I hope the lasting impact will be spiritual. I hope Rooted in Christ—Growing in Faith will help us become a Church more deeply rooted in Christ, more united in mission and more confident in sharing the Gospel. If future generations encounter Jesus Christ more fully because of the generosity, faith and sacrifice of Catholics today, then this campaign will have borne lasting fruit.