Taking care of the caretakers
They listened to lonely people on Sunday afternoons in between preaching that morning and again that evening. They used their scant meager resources to cover Vacation Bible School supplies, a Bible for an inmate, decorations for a youth Valentine party. Their part-time salary from rural bi-vocational churches belied their full-time ministry. These gracious, generous Christian servants lived their faith and received sparse material means to show for their dedication and perseverance. They frequently came to the end of their working years with no home owned, no health or life insurance, no means of ongoing support in their retirement.
Fortunately, an agency reaches out to these long-serving warriors, making a concrete difference in their ability to cover their expenses every month.
In May 20, 1918, the Southern Baptist Convention established a relief and pension board at their annual meeting in Hot Springs. The goal of that board, now known as GuideStone Financial Resources, was to benefit aging individuals who had devoted their lives to Christian ministry. They were funded in part from a $1 million donation from John D. Rockefeller and his son. GuideStone grew through the twentieth century, in days without governmental security nets, before ministers and other spiritual workers had to become their own financial advisors to plan for retirement and the future. Indeed, many could not have provided anyway, as the Depression, Dust Bowl, and disinterest in spiritual life decreased what modest finances were available to these struggling churches.
GuideStone has grown to offer many financial services to churches, Christian organizations and individuals, and has financial investment and assistance programs for all denominations. Along the way, sound ventures and outlays enabled the agency to fund itself, relying solely on direct donations and their own investments. In fact, in order to make more funds available to missionaries and church workers, GuideStone relinquished all funds previously budgeted for them through the Southern Baptist Convention in 2007.
The branch dedicated to assisting retired church workers and families, Mission: Dignity, may be familiar through its former title, “Adopt an Annuitant.” The program has expanded through the years and currently helps sustain nearly 2,000 ministers and denominational workers, in addition to surviving spouses. As Rick Hall, a GuideStone recipient says, “Social Security pays our bills, Mission: Dignity buys our groceries.”
GuideStone recently recognized First Baptist Church of El Dorado (SBC) for long-time commitment to this program. In February, before covid 19 mandated social distancing, GuideStone Director of Development John Ambra presented pastor Jonathan Kelley a certificate commemorating the church’s continued support. Ambra
noted, “Through more than a century of ministry to pastors and their families, churches like First Baptist have given wholeheartedly to provide benevolence assistance and to honor God’s faithful servants. It’s a wonderful privilege to affirm this church’s 22 years of consistent generosity and to celebrate what God has done through them to extend comfort, security and dignity to our retired pastors and their widows who served joyfully and sacrificed greatly in years past.”
Pastor Kelley added, “The Adopt an Annuitant program forges a unique partnership that allows First Baptist Church of El Dorado to support pastors around our nation who have faithfully served Jesus and His Church. As we participate in this program, we see the prayer of Jesus—“I pray that they will all be one”—fulfilled in our midst.”