I really have a wonderful ministry as the Planned Giving and Trust Services Director for the Wisconsin Conference. It is a privilege meeting so many individuals whose lives have been touched by grace. It shows… in their joy, their generosity, thoughtfulness, gratitude, and commitment to Christ.
One of these many individuals, Steve (not his real name), came to my office a while back and asked if we could talk. A few days before, while watching Adventist media, Steve heard about something called a Charitable Gift Annuity (aka CGA) and asked me to explain how it works. I told Steve a CGA was a way to create an income for himself during his lifetime, and after he passed, he could leave a gift to a charity of his choice. Steve expressed great interest in a Charitable Gift Annuity that would help further the work of God in Wisconsin, and that wanted to go home and pray about it. He would get back to me.
Steve called the next day and said he had decided to go forward with creating a CGA. I was happy that he called back, and when he told me the amount of the CGA my heart almost fell out of my chest. Let us just say that the amount was exceptionally large. One day the Wisconsin Conference should benefit greatly from Steve’s gift. Praise the Lord! Steve’s only condition was that the use of these gift funds must reflect his Seventh-day Adventist Christian values – to that we could heartily agree!
I share this true story, not to brag about how large a gift Steve will leave the Wisconsin Conference, but to share with you one more way that we can further the work of God in Wisconsin – through the use of a Charitable Gift Annuity. Charitable Gift Annuities come in all sizes. They are not for everyone, as not everyone’s circumstances are the same. Below is a further explanation of how a CGA works. For more information, contact Pastor Bill Ochs @ 920-484-6555, ext. 311, or call his cell @ 608-446-3452, or check the Planned Giving and Trust Services Web page here.
Remember! Our eternity is God’s priority,
Pastor Bill Ochs, Planned Giving and Trust Services Director
HOW A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY WORKS
A charitable gift annuity is a way to make a gift to support the work of God in the Wisconsin Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
1 – Easy to establish; no complicated documentation required
2 – You transfer cash or property to the Wisconsin Conference of Seventh-day Adventist
3 – In exchange, we promise to pay fixed payments to you for life
4 – The payment can be quite high depending on your age, and a portion of each payment may be tax-free
5 – You will receive a charitable income tax deduction for the gift portion of the annuity
6 – A charitable gift annuity can be a way to increase your retirement income
7 – Most importantly, you receive joy & satisfaction, knowing that you will be helping to further the church’s mission & hasten the coming of Jesus