WELS celebrates milestone in endowments program
This year WELS Ministry of Christian Giving and WELS Foundation are celebrating 16 years of Godās blessingsāand the generosity of Godās peopleāthrough the WELS endowment funds.
In 2005, synod convention delegates prayerfully considered how WELS could help support gospel ministry in a predictable and ever-increasing manner. One answer was to establish the WELS endowments, which benefit the Lordās work in WELS Home, World, and Joint Missions and at our four ministerial education schools. Out of gratitude for Godās love and a desire to help more people know Jesus as their Savior, WELS members have faithfully contributed to these endowments over the last 16 years, resulting in more than $100 million in gifts received ($36.7 million) and expected ($68.9 million).
āWe praise Jesus for guiding our synodās plans and prompting our membersā gifts so that weāre now able to distribute more than $1 million from these endowments for greater tuition assistance for ministerial education students and the funding of mission work to people groups located both in the U.S. and in foreign fields,ā says Rev. Kurt Lueneburg, director of WELS Ministry of Christian Giving.
In addition to the two synod endowments, WELS Foundation also manages endowments that are set up by individuals, congregations, and other WELS ministries. In total, WELS Foundation distributed $3.5 million to gospel work from more than 350 endowments this year, providing ongoing financial support for gospel work throughout WELS.
One of the endowments managed by WELS Foundation was established by WELS members David and Lynette Buss, longtime supporters of Jesusā work through their local congregation and area Lutheran high school. āWe read an article about Martin Luther College in a flyer from WELS,ā says David, āand we knew we needed to distribute [our blessings] to people in the ministry field.ā The Busses are helping reduce the burden of tuition costs for students so they can focus on training for the ministry.
The Busses understand that an endowment fund is an ideal way to support MLC students for years to come. āThis fund will grow as long as we are on this earth, and it will continue to grow and help hundreds of students in future years,ā says David.
āAn endowment is a great way to create a lasting legacy of Christian faith while carrying out the Lordās work,ā says Mr. Jim Holm, executive director of WELS Foundation, āand there are a variety of ways to set up an endowment: cash or appreciated assets; or through a will, trust, beneficiary designation on a retirement account, or insurance proceeds.ā
To learn more about adding to an existing endowment or setting up an endowment for a ministry close to your heart, contact your local WELS Christian giving counselor at wels.net/giving-counselors or call 800-827-5482.