Afghan families, aching for a better life, would rather send their children ahead of them than leave them behind, but a best-case scenario is for the whole family to escape together. These families depend on a highly developed network of smugglers who make their fortunes on the backs of refugees desperate to escape difficult situations.

A quick scan of a refugee center in southern Europe tells the story. The ratio of children to adult is about 11. A toddler wrestles with his mom, hoping to win the pencil she is using to take notes during a language class.
A teenage boy, hair falling over his eyes, stands in the back of the room. He’s come for the food, but he stays for the company. Unable to attend school and afraid of being caught without a passport, he finds the refugee center a safe place to find companionship.

The center, manned by Southern Baptist workers, offers practical help to families. The youngest children play with plastic farm animals while older siblings color pictures of superheroes and butterflies. Their parents are freed up for a few minutes to participate in English classes. After a meal, they are invited to stay for Bible study. At least half choose to stay.

One Hazara family from Afghanistan is eager to stay. They have been the recipients of two life-changing gifts during their migration. The first — a Bible — was given to the young father in a seemingly unlikely place: Iran. The second gift came from Christian volunteers in Europe who saw that the man’s son needed glasses.
Through the kindness of strangers, the family was drawn to the refugee center where the Gospel is preached daily.

Now this family chooses to worship with the Persian church in town. Though they are in limbo — immigrants who have yet to find a home — they are settled and free in a way they have never been before.

Most Afghan and Iranian refugees are not on the move by choice. Threats and persecution drive them to seek a better life, a safer home, particularly for their children.

Dina is a mother who fled Iran after her husband was arrested for crimes against the state. She would have been arrested as well had she stayed, and there would have been no one to care for her 2-year-old daughter. In six months she has heard nothing of the fate of her husband, and she may never know whether he was imprisoned or killed.

Dina was able to escape with her child, but other parents have no choice but to send their older children to Europe alone with the aid of smugglers. Workers at the refugee center tell about a 14-year-old boy who came through on his way from Afghanistan to France. He had an uncle there with whom he hoped to connect, but he was traveling without parents or siblings. His story is typical.

Most every family has a story of deep trauma. One Afghan family of six fled Iran because of discrimination and limitations on their children’s schooling. They could not receive an education beyond grade 5. After nearly two years in Turkey, they were smuggled by boat to Greece. The large family was separated in the course of the journey, and two of the children, ages 12 and 14, went missing.

“The mother has cried so many tears that she cannot cry any more,” explains a Southern Baptist worker. “She has no idea where her 12- and 14-year-old children are. She was told — I guess by the smuggler — maybe they are in France.”

Another mother of a 6-year-old boy tells of her journey: “It was very bad; our suffering was so great. We went across the mountains and now my son is afraid of the mountains; he is afraid of the police. He does not want to go outside. He can no longer control himself.”

The trauma of the trip has left the boy incontinent. “We, the pastor and a Persian worker … prayed for his healing. Please pray with us,” the worker says.

She adds: “Only God can give these people life and hope. I am thankful to hear their stories. How else can I begin to have a heart with the compassion needed to minister to them?” 

Consider including missions in your planned giving by contacting a Foundation estate planning representative. Gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program help Southern Baptist workers around the world share the Gospel with refugees such as these.

(Beth Alexander is an IMB writer living in Central Asia).

Will, the 15-month-old son of Theron and Meagan Stoltzfus, may follow in his parents’ footsteps. He stands in the middle of their living room and says, “On mark, get set, go,” before he runs in a circle around the room.

Meagan, who worked for the Foundation as a trust officer until Will was born, and Theron, Accounting Manager at Prime Bank, met at Oklahoma Baptist University in 2004. Both were on the university’s track team. Meagan pole vaulted and Theron ran cross-country and long distance races. He was a two-time All-American and member of the 2007 National Championship Team.

“We met running track and were always at practice or traveling together to track meets,” Meagan said. “It was a big part of our lives and our friendship.”The couple graduated in 2007 and were married that summer.

When Will was born, they, like a lot of parents, wanted to secure his future by creating an estate plan that included naming a guardian for him, someone who would take care of Will if something were to happen to them.

“It’s not something people want to think about,” Theron said, “but we knew that it was best to be prepared and have a plan in place if something happened to us. We did it for Will but also the others who are left behind to deal with the consequences. It makes it easier on everyone if we make the decisions ahead of time.”

As a former Foundation employee, Meagan was familiar with the legal fee reimbursement plan. The Foundation reimburses a portion of a couple’s legal fees if they leave a 10 percent gift in their will, half of which must go to a Baptist ministry and can include the Southern Baptist church they attend.

“Being able to be reimbursed for our legal expenses was important to us because when you have a new baby, there are a lot of expenses,” Meagan said.

After the couple contacted the Foundation about an estate plan, they received a packet in the mail with an estate planning worksheet and instructions on what they would need to include in their estate plan.

“We were able to think ahead about our options and get our information prepared in advance,” Theron explained. “We then met with a Foundation representative and she had everything ready for our attorney. After we looked over our draft, we just had to go in to our attorney’s office and sign our documents.”

Leaving a gift in their will was an important decision for the couple. They chose to leave a gift to Hope Pregnancy Centers.

“We believe in the work that Hope Pregnancy Centers does. They are meeting the needs of women and people in desperate situations and giving them hope,” Meagan said. “Whether we give with our time or finances, we believe this is an organization that is helping."

The couple also chose to leave a gift to the OBU track team because of their love for it and the impact it has had on their lives.

Meagan added, “Even in simple things. Someone asked the other day why we still go to church when so many young couples don’t join or stay connected. It goes back to that discipline. When you are a young married couple and working, Sunday may be the only day you have to stay home and rest. And then when you have a child, it would be easier to just stay home and let him sleep. But we learned to discipline ourselves.”

They attend Village Baptist Church and have served in a variety of roles involving the youth. Today, Theron serves on the stewardship committee and Meagan is organizing the church’s upcoming Easter egg hunt.

“We both feel that God has called us to use wisely what he’s given us. A part of that is using what he’s given us to help further the ministry of God and minister to others and show them God’s love,” Theron said.

Learn more about creating an estate plan by calling 1.800.949.9988 or click the Begin Your Estate Plan Now button at the top of this page.

Matt and Melissa Leckie, Keller, TX, come from an outgoing, musical and artistic family. Both parents--mom, a teacher, and dad, a pastor--are musical, but the Leckies say they’ve inherited their dad’s skill and love for art. The siblings attend Oklahoma Baptist University on Foundation-managed scholarships.

“My family doesn’t have a lot of money and I don’t have a lot of money,” said Matt, a senior cross-cultural ministry major and graphic design minor. “I wouldn’t be able to have this education without these scholarships."

Even with the scholarships, Matt, 21, holds down several jobs to help pay for college and living expenses. He works as a youth pastor at Eastern Gate Baptist Church, about an hour away from Shawnee, a position he’s held for a year. In addition to that, he also works for a store in the Shawnee Mall, and takes on occasional freelance artwork and graphic design jobs mostly for churches.

Melissa, 19, a sophomore who feels close to declaring art as her major and business as a minor, said she chose OBU because of Matt’s experience and the experience of OBU graduates in her church.

“I knew I wanted to go to a Christian school, but when I came to school I had no idea of how I was going to pay for it,” she said. “I got a work study job and two loans and I was still not sure how I was going to work it out. Getting the scholarship takes a huge stress off of me; I’m not worrying how I’m going to pay off the year. Now I can focus on the reason I’m at OBU.”

Melissa also works at Java City, the Geiger Center coffee shop and volunteers on Wednesday nights helping Matt with his youth group.

Debbie Stephens, a financial aid counselor, said about Melissa receiving a scholarship, “She got big tears in her eyes and couldn’t believe it and said, ‘Thank you so much,’ at least four times.”

The siblings say that they’ve always been close and when they aren’t studying and working, they like to long-board, which is very similar to skateboarding. Matt has been riding for more than a year.

“Last year was my first year. I got one for my birthday and I ride it to class. There are a couple of girls here on campuses who ride also,” Melissa said.

“There’s a pretty fun long-boarding community here,” said Matt.

In 2003 these investment opportunities were expanded to include the Church Building Loan Investment Fund. This is the pool of funds from which the Foundation uses for Church Building Loans. This allowed churches and associations to partner with other churches who borrowed money to expand their ministries. The Church Building Loan Investment Fund became the investment of choice for many Baptist churches across the state of Oklahoma. And for good reason. The CBLIF traditionally paid above market rates on deposits in the fund.

The Foundation replaced the CBLIF with CBL Term Investments in January 2011. This new format offers one month, three month, six month, nine month, one year, and two year investment options.The rates offered continue to be better than can be earned on traditional bank CD’s and money market accounts. Investors have the flexibility they desire in structuring deposits that will meet their needs in an ever changing financial world.

Scott Badgett, associate pastor of discipleship at Chisholm Heights Baptist Church in Mustang, put it this way, “Chisholm Heights Baptist Church wants to be good a steward of its money. We believe we have a responsibility to support Southern Baptist churches. With CBL Term Investments we can do both. Yes, we are strong supporters of the Cooperative Program, but this is another way in which we can help other churches grow.”

A new account can be opened anytime during the month during normal business hours of the Foundation. This means the church’s money can begin working immediately, not only for the church, but for the churches looking to borrow money from the Foundation for expansion of their ministries. It is truly a win-win combination…great rates and providing for the expansion of ministry.

If you would like to learn more about our new investment options through the CBL Term Investments, call the Foundation today to see how your money can work for you and other churches. For more information you may visit our website at www.bfok.org or email at jvaughan@bfok.org.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. The CBL Term Investments invest exclusively in the debt of Southern Baptist entities with current income as its lone objective.

Mansour and Fifi Boutros, both born and raised in Egypt, acknowledge God’s hand in their lives and say that trusting Jesus Christ as their Lord has been an exciting adventure.

The Boutroses, members of First Baptist, Enid, became estate planning clients of The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma in 2011 after seeing an advertisement in the Messenger for will and trust services.

“We were interested in this since we have no children and would like to leave our estate to Christian organizations,” they said.

Mansour, who became a United States citizen in 1969 and worked for the United States Department of Defense as an engineer, accepted Christ when he was seven years old. As a young man, Mansour attended school and later worked with Muslims. As a Christian living in Egypt, he was forced to learn in school the Muslim religion and to memorize verses from the Quran.

“Living as a Christian in a country which declares officially that it is a Muslim country can make you feel like a foreigner in your own country,” he said.

Fifi immigrated to Canada in 1964. She had attended church all her life and thought she was a Christian until she experienced a spiritual crisis. She was given a book, “The Normal Christian Life” written by Chinese evangelist Watchman Nee.

She says in her written testimony, “For the first time in my life, I read that we cannot live the Christian life on our own, that we are helpless, hopeless sinners doomed to hell. But the Lord Jesus paid the penalty of our sins on the cross and wants to transform our hearts.”

Fifi asked God to give her a new heart and she says that life changed for her after that. She developed an intense hunger to study the Bible in depth and a burden to witness.

She met Mansour, who was in Toronto on a long weekend, through a friend. He asked to see her the next day and gave her an engagement ring. Fifi applied for immigration to the United States and the couple was married in 1972.

They grew in their faith together and answered a call to missions in 1987. Mansour retired from the Department of Defense and they served as missionaries in North Africa and the Middle East.

The couple says it’s important to them to contribute to ministries that promote and spread the Gospel in various countries of the world, as well as to those that help orphans and the poor.

“We strongly believe that God has entrusted us with whatever we have, to use and share as faithful stewards during our lives on earth. We also strongly desire that God’s gift to us would continue to be used for His glory even after our death,” they said.

The Foundation will reimburse a portion of your legal fees if you leave a 10 percent gift in your estate plan, at least half of which must be to a Baptist ministry and may include your Southern Baptist church. For more information about the Foundation’s estate planning services, please call 1.800.949.9988 or visit www.bfok.org.

Today, if I had to book a flight directly with an airline, but without using a computer, I’m not sure where I would start. I know a few people whose bank has zero physical locations. With all this online change, I began to wonder when our clients would feel comfortable doing their estate planning through the web.

Estate planning will remain mostly a process that is done in a personal appointment between our staff and clients. However, The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma now offers the ability to complete the initial step, the completion of an estate planning worksheet, on our website. This new online estate planner is more than just completing a worksheet on your computer. It is an interactive process where you answer a series of questions, related to your estate planning decisions, and your responses are used to fill-in the worksheet. It is easy to start your own estate plan. On our homepage (and at the top of this screen) you will see a “Begin Your Estate Plan Now” link in the upper right corner.

This selection will take you to a new page titled “Wills Planner Access” where you can create a new account by supplying an email address then assigning yourself a password. Once you have setup your account you can begin working on your Wills Planner by selecting the Wills Planner link. You can save your work which will allow you to complete the Wills Planner over several sessions. The program will tell you when you have finished the Wills Planner and allow you to review the completed form as a PDF file. The link titled “Wills Planner Access Privileges” allows you to grant Foundation staff access to review your worksheet.

Once we have reviewed your Wills Planner we will contact you to discuss the next step to completing your estate plan. If you have any question about our online estate planning process just call us at 1-800.949.9988.

Dan Allen is Chief Development Officer, Senior Vice President, Donor Services with The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma. 

                                                    

The first steps into Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida could not have been anything short of a miracle for Pastor Raul Bermudez or for the church itself. From the outside, Nueva Vida, which in Spanish means “new life,” had its fair share of glitches.

Looking at it, one would not know that is was the first Hispanic mission in Tulsa under the wing of Immanuel Baptist Church of Tulsa or that it was, and still is, the only Hispanic congregation to own its property rather than rent it.

In March 2011 when Raul stepped in to fill the role of lead pastor, Nueva Vida had only 15 members, a small property on Atlanta Boulevard purchased after the church had ventured out on its own from Immanuel Baptist Church in Tulsa, and the remnants of a rich history to work with. But, Raul saw the potential.

Within months of Raul’s arrival, church membership had increased from 15 to 90 members made up of 60 adults and 30 children. Tulsa’s oldest congregation was increasing, and with this type of growth, the church was again forced to start looking for another property. It was then that Raul stumbled upon the Catholic Charities building, circa 1910, inside the Brady Heights District of Tulsa. The building had all of the historical attributes appealing to the congregation and was situated in a neighborhood that reflected these same qualities.

Because the Atlanta property had been purchased with cash and the church had not built up much in reserves since, Raul called the Tulsa Metro Baptist Association to get advice on how to proceed. Raul was introduced to the Foundation’s Church Building Loan program and said he didn’t have to think twice.

“The money goes toward the work of the Gospel, why would I look anywhere else?” he said.

Securing a loan through the Foundation has allowed the church to move into a larger building that will allow for more educational space which is important to Nueva Vida primarily because of the size of a typical Hispanic family. Some members at Nueva Vida have up to 11 children. The new building also has a larger worship space that will permit for the growing congregation, as Raul is now preaching two services; one in Spanish and one in English.

One of the most important aspects of the loan was that it allowed Raul to not only purchase the new property but also purchase three adjacent houses as well. These houses are being fixed up as rental properties to generate additional income for the church, though the mission to restore these homes goes deeper than the extra money.

Raul is using the remodeling of the Catholic Charities building and the homes as a way to reach out to a fallen community where he can not only help restore the neighborhood, ultimately driving prices of homes upward, but also give these community members, who are newly reformed Baptists, a place to worship.

Raul describes it best; “I attend a community prayer breakfast every first Saturday of the month so that I can meet the neighbors and get them interested and excited about the potential revamp of the neighborhood as well as the convenience of worshiping in their backyard.”

All because of a simple loan, Raul and his extraordinary church have been able to perform God’s work and breathe nueva vida into the congregation as well as the surrounding community.

For more information about church building loans, contact Jerry Vaughan, Senior Vice President of Church Services, at 800.949.9988, ext. 108.

R.A. Lemen: Impacting Missions More Than 50 Years After His Death

I recently returned from a 10 day visit to a South East Asian country. On my visit I was blessed to meet with numerous local Christian business leaders who are using their companies as a platform to spread the Good News in the face of scrutiny, occasional harassment and backlash on their businesses. I was humbled and encouraged by the commitment and dedication of these dear brothers who are the arms and feet of Jesus in their country.

You may not know that the first gift received by the Foundation was from rancher R.A. Lemen who gave a gift of land in the Texas Panhandle which sold for $32,400 in 1944. The gift was given in memory of his late wife to fund mission in the Orient. Today that gift is valued at $170,168 and has distributed $363,845 since its inception to fund mission efforts in South East Asia. Mr. Lemen died in 1958, but distributions over the last three years from the endowment he established are more than the original gift.

II Chronicles 9:11 reads “… through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." I believe that through us, The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, the generosity of R. A Lemen has resulted in thanksgiving to God by the Asian believers who have come to faith as a result of this gift. What a privilege it is to facilitate a donor’s wishes to impact the Kingdom.

If you want to learn more about what we do as a Foundation that would help you individually, as a church or association you may follow us on Twitter @BaptistFdnOkla, friend us on Facebook, or watch video testimonies on YouTube.

Robert K. Kellogg
President & CEO

Have you ever given to international missions and wondered what spiritual impact your gift had on lives? In our latest issue of Generosity, the article, Souls: Return on Investments, paints a clear picture a donor's gift at work. Read Souls: Return on Investments.

Robert K. Kellogg
President & CEO
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma

Have you ever given to international missions and wondered what spiritual impact your gift had on lives? In our latest issue of Generosity, the  article, Souls: Return on Investments, paints a clear picture a donor's gift at work. Read Souls: Return on Investments.

Robert K. Kellogg
President & CEO
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma

By Mike Romero, Foundation Vice President, Trust Counsel and Member of Council Road Baptist Church

On January 9, 2011, the people of South Sudan voted to secede from Muslim-controlled Sudan in an effort to establish their own identity. The nation of South Sudan will celebrate its independence day on July 9, 2011. Sudan, a nation ravished by civil war, is attempting to find peace through the separation from the North. Unfortunately, South Sudan shows the effects of decades of war with very poor infrastructure and resources. Upon its independence, South Sudan will comprise 10 states with nearly 200 ethnic groups and will include dozens of languages and dialects.

The men in the picture represent the leadership of the recently formed Baptist Convention of Sudan. A former International Mission Board missionary to this area helped these men organize as a convention in 2007. However, due to a lack of resources and other challenges with basic infrastructure, they have not met since their formation.

Kyle Pewitt, Missions Pastor, Council Road Baptist Church, Bethany, and I had the opportunity to accompany John Duerkson, also from Council Road, to Juba, Sudan. John is a linguist with a well-known Bible translation organization and has had various posts throughout Eastern Africa. Through another contact, we were able to reach the IMB missionary who helped organize these men and then were able to contact six of the pastors in the picture via email. On short notice, Council Road was able to provide resources for several of these men to travel to Juba for a meeting. The pastors referred to the meeting as the first annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of Sudan.

We met together for the first time on Friday, March 25 under an enormous mango tree along the banks of the Nile River. Most of these men had not seen each other since the formation of the Convention. It was a blessing to see them renew their friendships and discuss their respective churches. During this first day, we spent about seven hours hearing the amazing stories from each pastor, their backgrounds, training and church work. Stories, which at times were heart wrenching, but also stories filled with hope and joy for the Gospel.

The tall man on the far left side of the photo is a pastor named Ding. He is from the Nuer ethic group, which resides primarily on the East side of upper Nile region of South Sudan. We discovered that Ding was a “Lost Boy of Sudan,” who was displaced in the early 90’s to Ethiopia during the second Sudanese civil war. From there, Ding was able to get to Kenya where he began his education. He is now completing a master ’s degree through a local university, actively planting churches, and training leaders in his home area. Ding’s master’s thesis is on the results of HIV/AIDS education and prevention in Sudan.

By the end of the day, what became evident is the zeal each of these men had for reaching the lost in their communities and around the region. Again, because of a lack of basic infrastructure, these pastors had no idea what each other was accomplishing, often commenting that they thought they were working in isolation. Every one of them reported on their churches and the other churches they helped to start. They all reported how they tried to pull together resources to secure Biblical training for other men to become pastors. Some are training indigenous missionaries to reach areas that we simply cannot access. Although I cannot put the actual names of these regions in print, these are key areas in the effort to reach into North Africa.

The second day of the meeting resulted in a list of priorities for the new convention along with a firm commitment to meet again in November. During that meeting, they will adopt the Baptist Faith and Message as their statement of faith and develop a vision for planting churches in all 10 Sudanese states. They have known churches in three states and are attempting to verify work in a fourth state. The vision also includes the delivery of education to children to help shape future generations. These Christian schools are usually located at and funded by the local churches. This provides one of the few alternatives to the children learning in Islamic schools. After our meeting concluded, the pastors compiled a list of known Baptist churches, which totals 78. Another 28 churches are being planted once pastors can be trained and leaders developed.

The needs in South Sudan are staggering and it is very difficult to know where to begin. However, these men have a passionate vision for their people and zeal to reach the lost. They do not want to be dependent on the West for support. Pastor David said that the churches need to support each other whether or not they receive support from outside. However, there is a great opportunity for us to partner with them in sharing the Gospel in very dark places. This can be done by providing funds to cover transportation and housing costs, attending convention meetings, equipping pastors and other leaders (both men and women) with Biblical training, supplying materials for the construction of a convention office and other churches, as well as basic supplies such as plastic chairs and wooden pews.

Our churches can partner with the Sudanese to impact Sudan and the surrounding regions for Christ. Please pray for these men as they represent the birth of a new convention in the birth of our newest nation. To learn more about partnering with the Convention in South Sudan, please contact Kyle Pewitt at kpewitt@councilroad.org.

On March 20, Michael Romero, the Foundation's Vice President, Trust Counsel, had the opportunity to accompany Kyle Pewitt, Missions Pastor, Council Road Baptist Church, Bethany, and John Duerkson, another Council Road member, to Uganda and the Sudan. The purpose of the trip was to meet with existing pastors to explore opportunities to partner Council Road with missions work in Africa. The team spent about a week in Kampala with pastor, James Tiera of Kampala Community Church. During their time in Kampala, they attended the church’s regular services and explored the work of other pastors in the area. The team also spent a week in Juba, Sudan. In Juba, they had the unique opportunity to host 14 Southern Baptist pastors for a two-day meeting to hear about their ministries. What became evident meeting with Sudanese pastors is their zeal for reaching the lost in their communities and around the region. Because of a lack of basic infrastructure throughout the country, these pastors had no idea what each other was accomplishing, often commenting that they thought they were working in isolation. Every one of them reported on their churches and the other churches they helped to start. They all reported how they tried to pull together resources to secure biblical training for other men to become pastors. Some are training indigenous missionaries to reach areas that we simply cannot access. These pastors have a passionate vision for reaching their newly emerging nation which will celebrate its independence day on July 9, 2011.

We are pleased that Mike had the opportunity to represent his church and the Foundation on this trip. Please join with us in praying for Council Road as they look for ways to partner with the Sudanese pastors impact their country for Christ.

To read Mike's article about his trip, follow this link: The Birth of a New Convention for the Birth of a New Nation.

Robert K. Kellogg
President & CEO
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma

We’ve recently completed a video series featuring three estate planning clients who allowed us to tell their stories of why they created a will or trust through The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma. Sonja Johns, a young widow, tells the poignant story about the death of her husband. Her estate plan allowed her to name a guardian for her young children in the event something was to happen to her. Hank and Jean Luce, who are in a second marriage, explain that their will allowed them to put in writing their end-of-life instructions and both see it as a gift to their blended family. Our own Kathy Lee Hatchett, the Foundation’s Women’s Estate Planning Educator, and her husband, David, talk about how their will allows them to have a lasting impact on the Southern Baptist ministries that they love. The Foundation staff and I get to hear these testimonies often about the peace of mind an estate plan brings to individuals and families who choose to provide for their families and protect their wishes while also making an impact on Southern Baptist ministries. Thanks for letting us share these estate planning stories with you.   

Robert K. Kellogg
President & CEO
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma 

I am very fond of studying and reading about the Wright Brothers. My wife thinks it’s because they were sons of a Protestant minister and I’m always looking for examples of successful Protestant ministers’ sons, because I am a preacher’s kid.

Although all their siblings went on to get advanced degrees and their mother and father had advanced degrees, Orville and Wilbur did not pursue a formal education past high school. They worked out of a workshop, their bicycle shop, on a passion for controlled-powered heavier-than-air flight. This was at a time when, I’m sure, most of our nation thought, “If God had wanted you to fly, he’d have given you wings.”

There’s really no reason they should have been successful. Success should have come to Samuel Pierpont Langley. He was everything the Wright Brothers were not. He was well educated, well connected and well funded. He taught at the nation’s most prestigious universities and at the height of his career was appointed Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1901, he was given $50,000 to develop a plane that could carry a soldier. The Smithsonian matched that with an additional $50,000. Through the Smithsonian, he had contact with the brightest minds in the world. However, on December 17, 1903, the two preacher boys were successfully able to record first hand flight. In fact, they did four of them before the plane was destroyed.

Why is it that the Wright Brothers succeeded where Langley failed? I think it had to do with three things:

Passion or zeal. The Wright Brothers believed that controlled-powered heavier-than-air flight was possible and that’s what they wanted to achieve. Samuel Langley was gifted, he was a scientist,  and had worked with hot air balloons. But he became passionate about it only when he realized the fame and fortune he could attain.

Proper perspective. Samuel Langley thought the key to flight was to take off and land. The Wright Brothers understood at the outset that the success of the whole thing depended on holding the aircraft in the air.

Perseverance or determination. Langley attempted flight twice and when both times failed, he quit-- eight days before the Wright Brothers were successful. The Wright Brothers spent four years just studying kites and gliders to understand how to control a flight, then essentially 18 months building a plane, crashing a plane and learning from mistakes and starting over. On two occasions, Wilbur Wright put in his journal that manned flight would not be achieved in his lifetime and yet they continued to pursue the dream.

As we look toward a successful 2011, the Foundation is committed to maintaining a passion, proper perspective and a spirit of perseverance. Rather than focus on the takeoff or landing, we will focus on the mission that helps further Kingdom work—promoting charitable planned giving and providing financial management for the gifts that strengthen Southern Baptist ministries today and tomorrow. Our time and resources are committed to this mission and we will demonstrate perseverance in all of our tasks.

Happy New Year.

Robert K. Kellogg
President & CEO
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma

We are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of God but also in the eyes of man.

II Corinthians 8:21

Have you ever contemplated whether your life makes an impact?

Columnist Jim Priest stirred my thoughts in a recent article where he asked that question. He then went on to compare and contrast the lives of two men: Max Juke and Johnathan Edwards.

Juke was an avowed atheist who had no formal education. He was adverse to work, a hard drinker and fathered many illegitimate children. In contrast, Edwards was God-fearing and a Bible-believing evangelist credited with igniting the Great Awakening. He was briefly president of Princeton University and authored books on physical fitness and kindness.

Undoubtedly, their lives affected their families, but what about the influence on the generations that followed? What was their legacy?

Juke had 1,026 descendents: 300 convicts (27 murderers); 190 prostitutes; 509 alcoholics/drug addicts.

Edwards had 929 descendents: 13 college presidents, 86 college professors, 430 ministers, 314 veterans, 100 attorneys, 30 judges, 75 authors, 66 physicians and 80 public servants, including three governors, one U.S. vice president, and one controller of the U.S. Treasury.

Obviously, their life choices—how they spent their time and where they focused their attention--had monumental, far-reaching consequences.

I recently asked Foundation board members if they ever wonder if their sacrifices as board members make an impact.

These are men and women who have committed time--time away from their families and their businesses--to diligently guide the Foundation in its role of promoting charitable planned giving and financial management of the gifts that strengthen Southern Baptist ministries.

The impact is that students are able to attend an exceptional Christian university like OBU, senior adults have quality programs and housing at Baptist Village Communities, the BGCO’s ministries such as Disaster Relief receives funding to help in our state and around the world, and children receive guidance in a loving, Christian family setting at Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children.

Do you ever wonder if your life and sacrifices make an impact?

Robert K. Kellogg
President & CEO
The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma

The Foundation’s Church Building Loan Investment Fund has become the investment of choice for many Baptist churches across the state of Oklahoma. And for good reason. The CBLIF has traditionally paid above market rates on deposits in the fund and has provided a way for churches to invest in the ministries of other churches by providing funds the Foundation can loan through its Church Building Loan Program. And none of that is going to change.

But, the investment structure of the CBLIF is going to change. Effective January 1, 2011, the Foundation will offer CBL Term Investments with four investment options from which to choose. Along with the existing monthly option, there will now be an option to invest for six months, one year and two years. And the rates offered will continue to be better than can be earned on traditional bank CD’s and money market accounts. This new format will give investors the flexibility they desire in structuring deposits that will meet their needs in an ever changing financial world.

A new account can be opened anytime during the month during normal business hours of the Foundation. This means the church’s money can begin working immediately, not only for the church, but for the churches looking to borrow money from the Foundation for expansion of their ministries. It is truly a win-win combination… great rates and providing for the expansion of ministry.

"Chisholm Heights Baptist Church wants to be good a steward of its money. We believe we have a responsibility to support Southern Baptist churches," said Scott Badgett, associate pastor of discipleship. "With the new CBL Term Investments we can do both. Yes, we are strong supporters of the Cooperative Program, but this is another way in which we can help other churches grow."

If you would like to learn more about our new investment options through the CBL Term Investments, call the Foundation today to see how your money can work for you and other churches. For more information you may call 1.800.949.9988 or email at churchfundsmanagement@bfok.org.

I am seeing a growing number of families make the decision to include a gift to charity in their estate plans.  Most of us naturally, and rightly, assume that our estates will go to our children.  However, if we have supported ministries during our lifetimes with cash gifts why wouldn’t we want to extend that beyond our lifetimes by making a tithe gift at our death?  

Local Congregations a Prime Beneficiary
Each year between 250 and 300 families will complete an estate plan that includes a future gift to their favorite Baptist ministries.  The donors document in their wills or revocable living trusts what ministries will receive the benefit of these funds.  Over the last several years the largest category has been the donor’s local Baptist church.  In 2009 alone, Oklahoma Baptists established gifts in their estate plans worth an estimated $18.6 million.  Last year 26 percent or $4.85 million of these funds were specifically left to benefit the will maker’s local Baptist church. 

Impact on Ministry
In future years, these churches will have the ability to expand their ministry through missions, evangelism and outreach as they receive estate gifts from former members.  Imagine if your church received a $50,000 estate gift today that was completely unexpected?  What mission opportunities or outreach efforts could be done that was previously impossible due to budget constraints?  This impact is being driven by modest estates.  The average family that will leave an estate gift this year to their local church has an estate less than $300,000.  That includes the value of life insurance and retirement plan accounts. 

Outright vs. Endowment
Many of the families leaving estate gifts to their church are using an endowment fund.  An estate gift is most likely the largest one time gift any of us will make and some families want to make sure that the gift has a long lasting impact on their church.  Gone are the days when endowments were used only by wealthy families to benefit large institutions.  Congregations large and small are receiving endowment gifts from modest sized estates.  These donors have the desire to insure that their gift provides income to further ministry for generations.  

If you have a desire to leave a gift to a Baptist ministry, including your local church, we can assist you and your attorney to update an existing estate plan or get your first plan put in place.  Visit “Begin Your Estate Plan Now” or simply call us at 1-800-949-9988. 

Stan and Mary Phang, estate planning clients of The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, made the decision for their children’s future and education to move their family to the United States with the intention of becoming citizens of the United States.

“It took us five years to get a green card and then another five years before we could apply for citizenship,” Stan said.

Stan became a citizen in January, 2010, and Mary received her citizenship in February, 2010. “It’s unexplainable how happy, excited and relieved we are,” Stan said.

Their church, First Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, has become like family to the couple and their children, the Phangs said.

“We are truly brothers and sisters in Christ. Just like in our natural family, the more we spend time with our church family, the closer we get,” Mary said.  “We pray for each other, study the Word together, encourage one another, laugh and grow together. We are strong in our walk with Christ because of our church family.

“There is a sweet fellowship that words cannot describe and the world cannot give us; a little taste of heaven, I should say.”

The couple began thinking about the importance of naming guardians for their children and wanted to know more about estate planning from the Foundation. Mary remembered reading in the Messenger an article about a family that created a revocable living trust through the Foundation.

“It caught our attention because it said that the Foundation helps out with the legal fee requirement if you give to the church or a Baptist ministry,” Mary said. “We wanted to give to our church anyway so we contacted Dan Allen.”

Allen, Foundation senior vice president of donor services, helped the Phangs, in conjunction with their attorney, begin and finalize the estate planning process. 

“We would recommend the Foundation to our church friends and have been telling others,” Mary said. “Every family should have an estate plan in place—especially if you have children. It gives you peace of mind.”

To learn more about the Foundation’s estate planning services, select Wills Presentation or call 800.949.9988.

Hank and Jean Luce, Auguie Henry Society members since 2006, encourage their friends in second marriages to consider creating a will or trust as a way to alleviate stress that can occur between blended families.

The couple married 15 years ago, a second marriage for both. Between them, they have five grown children. The couple sees their estate plan as an act of stewardship but also a gift to each other and to their blended family.

“With a blended family you need to set in motion what needs to be done in the event of your death so that there isn’t conflict or unsettledness with the children,” Hank said. “We don’t know when the Lord is coming, but he calls us to be good stewards of all that he has given to us.”

The couple first contacted the Foundation to begin their estate plan after Hank experienced a heart attack and subsequent heart-related health problems.

“We started to do some serious thinking. I also had in mind one of my dearest friend, whose husband died in his early 40s. They did not have an estate plan and she had a financial mess to deal with after his death,” Jean said.  

A Foundation representative visited with the Luces in their home and answered questions about a living will and trust. At that time, Hank and Jean also named a successor trustee who will handle all financial matters if they ever become mentally or physically unable to make decisions on their own. An attorney finalized all the documents and because the Luces left a gift to a Southern Baptist ministry, the Foundation reimbursed a portion of the legal fees they incurred.

“We don’t have mega-assets or finances but we want to be good stewards of what we do have,” Jean said. “And I tell my friends to not let cost delay them in taking care of health and financial decisions. The cost is next to nothing and the Foundation will take the time to walk you through everything.”

To learn more about creating a will or trust with the Foundation, call 800.949.9988 or visit www.bfok.org.

    “I remember thinking, ‘What am I going to do?’ But at the same time thinking, ‘God is going to take care of me,’” Sonja Johns said about the death of her husband Chris Johns.

    Sonja, 28, and Chris were married only five years when he died last August of a blood clot to his lungs, but in those few short years they built a deeply connected life together, a life that takes some couples decades to nurture.

    “He was an involved dad and a great husband. The funny thing is, though, I was not looking for Chris before we started dating. I was so busy and focused on school I just wasn’t looking for a husband,” Sonja shared.

    However, friends and family had Chris picked out for Sonja long before he arrived on her radar.

    One Sunday afternoon her sister and parents returned from their home church, South Lindsay Baptist, and told Sonja about a young man they had met who helped with the youth group and that they hoped she would meet soon.

    “I met your husband today,” Sonja’s dad, Steve Paul, told his daughter.

    Soon the youth minister and pastor at South Lindsay echoed the same sentiments and teased Sonja that they knew a nice guy she needed to meet. Sonja said this went on for weeks until in near exasperation she told the youth minister, “Look, my summer break ends in about 12 hours. If Chris is going to call me, tell him to call.”

    Chris called and they began dating. Not long into their dating relationship, the two recognized they had a lot in common. Talk of marriage came quickly and the man Sonja did not know she was looking for became her fiancé.

    Sonja said while she and Chris dated, she uncovered a high school journal in which she noted characteristics she wanted in a husband. Her list included hardworking, patient, someone who would treat her as special, and selfless.

     “I was able to check every single one of them off. Chris had all the characteristics I had listed,” she said.

    The two were married in August 2003.

    When they returned from their honeymoon, they met with The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma to complete their wills. Sonja’s mother, Suzie Paul, has worked for the Foundation as administrative assistant for Donor Services since 1999 and talked to both of her daughters about the importance of having a will.

    “It was just a given that when we returned from our honeymoon we would take care of that as we started our married life together,” Sonja said.

    Sonja finished school; the Johns built a house and had their first child, Jackson, who is now three years old. The weekend before Chris died last summer, the couple announced to their families that they were expecting their second child in April 2009.

    Just days later Chris was taken to the hospital and Sonja was told by a nurse, “We can’t do anything else; he’s gone.”  Chris died at the age of 34.

    Sonja and her family are trying to adjust and help Jackson adjust to life without a very involved husband and father.

    “Jackson asks if his daddy is happy and now he tells people his daddy is in heaven,” Sonja, who attends First Baptist, Moore, said.

    Experiencing life’s unpredictability and becoming a single mom has made Sonja even more of an advocate of having a will.  She said that if she were to die suddenly, a will makes her wishes for the care of her children known.

    “In talking to people at work and young couples at church I hear that so many don’t have wills set up because they just don’t want to think about it,” she said. “Young families need to do it for their children. The Foundation will help them with their expenses if they leave a portion to a Baptist cause such as their church or some other Baptist ministry.

    “For me it’s about my kids. That is why it is important for young families to have a will. You want to know your kids will go to someone you have chosen to keep them safe and comfortable.”  

    Sonja and Jackson will welcome a baby girl into their family this spring. Her name is Katie, a name Sonja and Chris chose together.

 “All we really had were beginnings,” Sonja said. “We did everything together and we were kindred spirits.”  

When a woman educates herself about financial issues and puts an estate plan in place, she moves from financially boggled to financially bold and gains a new level of confidence, says Kathy Lee Hatchett, the Foundation’s contact for women’s estate planning.

Many women are concerned about the economic uncertainty. Hatchett addresses some of the concerns when she speaks to women’s groups on the subjects of God’s purposes for finances, stewardship, budgeting, debt, and the importance of life insurances and estate planning. In the following question and answer segment, Hatchett, Foundation estate planning counselor, explains that when a woman has a plan in place it satisfies her need for security and God’s instruction for stewardship.

What is an estate plan and why is it important to have one?

KLH: It’s important to remember that an estate plan is more than a will. A will is important but not sufficient. An estate plan deals with how you want your estate distributed at your passing, designates a guardianship for minor children, prepares for possible incapacity issues, and includes end-of-life directives. It’s also important to understand that every woman needs an estate plan whether she has a very small estate or a large estate.

Do women approach finances and estate planning differently than men?

KLH: Women have a strong need for security, especially in difficult times. Women are typically not risk-takers. Therefore, many women tend to be the movers in getting an estate plan in place. Women need to be more involved and educated regarding financial issues and estate planning since, on average, we live longer than men do. Statistics show that wives have a greater chance of serving as caregiver to a sick husband. A plan reduces the stress in women’s lives when they have a better grasp of financial issues and have an estate plan in place. If they are married, it helps if they work with their husbands in keeping informed about financial issues and are involved in financial decisions.

What does it take to begin an estate plan through the Foundation?

KLH: There is usually an initial meeting with a Foundation representative to organize financial information and discuss the desires she has about the estate. It would be wise to bring a list of her financial assets, the amounts of those assets, and a copy of the deed to any real property or mineral interests she owns. This information is forwarded to the attorney of the woman’s choice who will then draft the legal documents and help her execute the documents so she has a legal estate plan in place.

What is the benefit of working with the Foundation?

KLH: The Foundation reimburses a portion of the woman’s legal fees if she leaves a 10 percent charitable gift, at least half of which must be to a Baptist ministry and can include the Southern Baptist church she attends.

Why is it important for a woman to include charitable giving in her estate plan?

KLH: God entrusts to each of us His assets. He also instructs us to be good managers of those assets and directs us to be generous givers to Him throughout our lives as a way to acknowledge that everything is His. Including a gift to His Kingdom in an estate plan is the final act of stewardship on our part. It is the biggest gift we can give back to our Lord. That is the type of legacy the Lord wants us to leave.

Life is full of surprises. Having an estate plan helps women to prepare for unexpected events in life. Did you know that an estate plan:

·         Designates a guardianship for your minor children

·         Documents how you want health care decisions handled if you become incapacitated

·         Includes your instructions for end-of-life medical decisions

·         Records your wishes for how you want your estate distributed at your death

Four Steps to Help You Move From Financially Boggled to Financially Bold:

1.      Begin by making a list of your assets and liabilities (to help you with this, click here to download a copy of Your Personal Records Organizer).

2.      If you are married and your husband manages the family finances, stay informed about those issues and decisions.

3.      Think through and write down your wishes for guardianship, incapacity issues, end-of-life medical and asset distribution instructions, and charitable giving plans. Take this list with you to your appointment with a Foundation representative.

4.      Learn more about wills and the documents included in the Ways to Give/Women’s Estate Planning section of the Foundation’s website.  

Kathy Lee Hatchett is a certified estate planner and is available to speak at your next women’s event. Call 405.949.9500 or 800.949.9988.