WELS endowments help support tuition assistance

Thanks to the generosity of God’s people, WELS Foundation distributed $1.3 million to gospel ministry in July through the WELS endowment funds. These funds were established by delegates at the 2005 synod convention to provide ongoing, dependable support for the Lord’s work in WELS Ministerial Education and WELS Home, World, and Joint Missions.

In addition to the WELS endowments, WELS Foundation also manages endowments that are set up by individuals, congregations, and other WELS-affiliated ministries. In total, WELS Foundation distributed $4.1 million from more than 375 endowments this year, providing ongoing financial support for Christ’s gospel work throughout WELS.

Several of the endowments managed by WELS Foundation benefit Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn., providing tuition assistance to students training to become teachers.

Katie Rosenau, a member at St. Mark, Leesburg, Fla., is entering her second year at MLC in the Elementary Education and Communication Arts and Literature program. Katie feels blessed to have received crucial financial support through endowments. “The academic scholarships I have received through the endowment funds have certainly been a blessing,” she says. “More traditional tuition assistance was not available to me, making the academic scholarships all the more important. It is a gift that my efforts in studying and focusing on classes are being rewarded.”

To Rosenau, the support she has received is more than just a financial blessing: “In working hard to achieve academic excellence, I often end up spending more time in God’s Word. Being blessed through my studies allows me to dedicate even more time to growing spiritually in my faith.”

Rosenau extends her thanks to those who have generously supported her through their financial gifts. “Knowing there is support for my academic achievements helps encourage me to strive for my very best,” she says. “I am grateful for all the people behind the gifts who are helping those who might not qualify for other types of assistance. Your gifts are received with appreciation!”

“Providing tuition assistance for those wanting to serve in the teaching ministry is a goal everyone can support,” says Mr. Jim Holm, executive director of WELS Foundation. “An endowment fund can provide a source of stable financial support for these young men and women.”

There are a variety of ways to give to an endowment: cash or appreciated assets, or through a will, trust, beneficiary designation on a retirement account, or insurance proceeds. To learn more about adding to an existing endowment or establishing a new endowment for a ministry that you love, contact your local WELS Christian giving counselor at wels.net/giving-counselors or call 800-827-5482.