The Barnes Evaluation and Administrative Team (BEAT) reports its sixth year of funding innovative missions and ministries. Since its 2020 inception, BEAT has funded more than $5.7 million to 114 boards, agencies, churches, and districts across the conference's five districts. It hosted two BEAT Academy training events (September 2025 and February 2026). In 2026 BEAT moved from three funding windows to two (April and October); annual funding equals 5% of the fund's three-year average end-of-year balance.
In 2025 the funding allocation was $1,493,000: twelve grants totaling $721,023 were approved in the May window and six grants totaling $363,248 in the November window, for 18 grants totaling $1,084,271. In 2026, BEAT has $1,559,900 available. Co-chairs: Rev. Dr. Orlando Evans and Kim Walls Powell.