A Lasting Legacy

Many pastors are uncomfortable talking to their members about stewardship, especially when it comes to estate gifts.

Yet 45 million U.S. households will transfer $68 trillion in wealth over the next 25 years, and according to caring.com, 57 percent of Americans do not have an active will. Implementing estate planning programs and promoting planned gifts is an indispensable element of a church’s stewardship strategy. Shawn Edwards, the senior pastor at North Park Baptist Church in North Richland Hills, Texas, is now very comfortable talking about estate planning.

North Park Baptist Church’s purpose is to transform their city and the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Founded in 1970, the church is celebrating 50 years of ministry in North Texas. Many of their long-time members are now at the age when they are giving serious consideration to the legacy they will leave behind, and they want to be sure their “house is in order.” One’s family and faith often frame the testimony of a Christian’s life; a lasting legacy not only includes the lessons taught and examples lived out, but also the faithful service and generous giving of the Christian.

Pastor Edwards first heard about the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation while attending a will and estate planning seminar at the SBTC Equip Conference. After talking with the presenter, he scheduled a House In Order seminar at his church to better inform the members about wills and other end-of-life decisions. Following the presentation in August 2019, the church had dozens of families take advantage of the free will to truly get their house in order. Pastor Edwards even had his own will done!

Since that time, the church has unfortunately lost two of its members whose wills were completed by the Foundation. Both families expressed to the pastor how thankful they were that the church had offered the House In Order seminar and provided an opportunity for their loved one to create a will. The pastor explained, “The peace that having a will in place brought these families during that time was priceless.”

North Park has since then received its first-ever gift from the estate of a member. This gift established an account at the Foundation that has already been an enormous blessing to the church, especially during these uncertain times. Pastor Edwards sees this whole experience as God through his sovereignty providing for the church in this crisis. The church plans to do another House In Order seminar in 2021.

“I would strongly recommend to any pastor that they have an estate planning seminar at their church,” says Pastor Edwards. North Park had as many young couples as senior adults who were interested in preparing a will. Planned giving is an excellent opportunity for churches to provide a way for its members to leave a legacy to the gospel through their church. Pastor Edwards says, “My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner!”