As the Missioner for Legacy Stewardship I am honored to serve in this ministry for the Diocese. Many people have asked me what Legacy Stewardship is and what it is I do. The key word is Stewardship: our ongoing service to God in our care for our church, our family and all that has been given to us by God. Legacy Stewardship comes out of planning for life's end and usually takes the form of a gift to support the mission of our church.
What's in a Name? There are many names for Legacy Stewardship: Planned Giving, Gift Planning and Deferred Giving, Bequest Giving. No matter what we call it, Legacy Stewardship offers us an opportunity to give back to the church all that it has given to us. God has given us so much and has entrusted us with so many material things. So what will we do with all the things we've acquired, are in our estate, when we die? Through careful planning and in appreciation for all that God has given us, we can leave a legacy to our family, friends and charities, especially our church as well as Camp Bement, the Diocese, the Episcopal Relief and Development fund, for examples.
Why do people leave legacy gifts to the church? So many of us want to show our gratitude for all that God has given us that we are moved to leave a gift at the time of our death to fund future ministry in our church. It is a gift of giving back in appreciation for all that has been given to us and a gift of giving forward to support the church's mission in the future.
How do we go about leaving the church a gift? The easiest way is to leave the church a bequest in our will. There are other ways to make gifts as well: Pooled Income Funds, Charitable Gift Annuities, Life Insurance, and Real Estate. Most gifts to the church are made through bequests. Looking at a will as a way to give to the church is an idea that is new to many of us. Giving a gift through our will is one way we can ALL participate. No gift is too small. It is the act of giving that brings us closer to God not the amount.
What does Legacy Stewardship offer Vestries and Wardens? Legacy Stewardship not only offers individuals a way to enrich their spiritual lives through giving but also provides us an opportunity to secure the financial well being of the future ministry of our churches. The Bishop has challenged our vestries and wardens to lead our churches away from following the path to 'slow death' by undergoing 'deep change'. Through change we can harness our creative energies, take reasonable risks, and respond to God's call to make the world a better place. Just think of the good works our churches could do with increased resources! Legacy Gifts provide resources for the future ministry of our churches. When Vestries and Wardens embrace the concept of Legacy Giving in their churches, they choose the path of change as well as the path to a bright future, one that can carry on God's work in their churches for the next generations.
What does the Missioner do? My role as Missioner is to support individuals throughout the Diocese to enrich their spiritual lives through making legacy gifts, such as bequests and life income gifts, the two most popular ways to give. I invite you to call on me as a resource, as someone to bounce ideas off of, in making your plans for life's end.
My other role is to support churches in developing planned giving programs. I work with Rectors, Wardens and Committees in setting up an ongoing Legacy Stewardship Program. I've been invited to give Homilies, offer Coffee Hour Programs, and deliver Seminars and Workshops as well as to sit in on meetings of the Vestry. I have many resources to share. I am also a direct link to the Episcopal Church Foundation.
If you would like to join in the conversation about Legacy Stewardship whether for your own plans or your church's plans, you can reach me by email at ejwhite@diocesewma.org, or by phone at 800-332-8513 ext 12. Please feel free to contact me anytime.