Individuals & Families
Churches & Ministries

How We Help

Family, Faith and Financial Planning

Faith and finance go hand-in-hand. We create trusts, estate plans, annuities and endowments that change lives, impact ministry and secure your financial future.

Make Your Money Go Further In 3 Easy Steps

1

CLICK LET’S TALK

Fill out a brief contact form to start the conversation.

2

DISCUSS OPTIONS WITH WATERSEDGE

We’ll reach out to answer questions, discuss options and build plans.

3

FIND A SOLUTION THAT FITS

We’ll guide you to a financial solution that meets your needs and multiplies Kingdom resources.

portrait of Josh Kouri

We decided to finance our project with WatersEdge because of their heart for the local church. They’re making it possible for a lot of people and ministries to do good work. 

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Josh Kouri,
Founder, Senior Pastor, Frontline Church | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

An estate plan was the most logical and efficient means for my wife and me to honor our financial stewardship responsibility by determining and legally clarifying our intent for the distribution and utilization of our assets once our lives on this earth are completed.

Leo Presley,
Finance Committee, Eagle Heights Baptist Church | Stillwater, Oklahoma

I think having an estate plan is important because God has given us stewardship over every part of our life, and we want to honor Him and glorify Him with every aspect. This is something that everybody needs to do, whether you think it’s something that you can put off or not.

Ryan Smith,
Lead Pastor, Arrow Heights Baptist Church | Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

God has blessed us with two families: our earthly family of sons, daughters-in-law and grandkids, and a spiritual family in Christ. Our desire for the resources God has given us is to provide for the furthering of both. Let me encourage you to take advantage of this great opportunity.

Doug Melton,
Pastor, Southern Hills Baptist Church | OKC, Oklahoma

J.T. English photo

I can’t emphasize it enough: I don’t think we could be doing what we are doing right now without our partnership with WatersEdge. From the first conversation, I’m not sure I’ve worked with an organization that has streamlined things for us in a more simplified way, that was leveraging everything God has blessed them with to bless churches.

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J.T. English,
Lead Pastor, Storyline Church | Arvada, Colorado

Portrait of Wilma Bradshaw

The estate planning process was easy, and it helped me put things in order. I would definitely recommend WatersEdge to anyone considering going through that process. I’ve always wanted to help as many people as I could, and that’s been my whole goal. Now, with this plan, I know I’m making a difference.

Wilma Bradshaw,
Donor | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Portrait of Lindsay Acocella

We immediately sensed such a partnership with WatersEdge — a like-mindedness of what we were wanting to accomplish. Not because we wanted to make our church well known, but to be obedient to what we felt like the Lord was calling us to do.

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Lindsay Acocella,
Director of Strategy and Operations, Storyline Church | Arvada, Colorado

Portrait of the Petersen Family

God has given to us over and over again. We want other people to give because of the joy we’ve experienced from it. That’s what we’re doing with our family; we hope that future generations will continue to give back.

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Carl and Jan Peterson,
Donors | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Portrait of President Heath Thomas

OBU’s partnership with WatersEdge is a gift from God, because WatersEdge is a resource that helps us facilitate giving and management of our gifts, advancing OBU’s mission in the 21st century and beyond. The partnership has been phenomenal in making it easy for donors to give and know that their gift is secure. It’s managed properly and distributed properly, and that’s absolutely vital for healthy giving partnerships with our donors. 

Heath Thomas,
President, Oklahoma Baptist University | Shawnee, Oklahoma

We have three children and we wanted to make sure they were going to be taken care of and it wouldn’t be left up to somebody else. We also wanted to make sure our possessions were going to Gospel ministries. WatersEdge was very easy to work with.

Brent Prentice,
Senior Pastor, Eagle Heights Baptist Church | Stillwater, Oklahoma

Portrait of Drew Stanford

The Bible says to be good stewards. WatersEdge helped us do that. They gave us a really good rate, streamlined the paperwork and made it easy. 

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Drew Sanford,
Student and Administrative Pastor, Sunnylane Church | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Portrait of Thomas Sieberhagen

Some of the others in my program at Southwestern spent four or five years getting through. Because I had the Estes scholarship through a WatersEdge endowment, I was able to take full loads and do the coursework in two years in order to get to the mission field quickly, which was key. 

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Thomas Sieberhagen,
Missionary, International Mission Board | Namur, Belgium

Portrait of Trey Graham

WatersEdge came alongside our church to promote legacy gifts through estate planning, and they served our church well. The First Baptist Church of Midwest City considers them a partner in ministry, and we are better prepared for the future because of it. Any church should consider the services offered through WatersEdge seriously.

Trey Graham,
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church | Midwest City, Oklahoma

Portrait of Chad Keck

Our church’s estate planning seminar was a huge success. WatersEdge made the presentation interesting and informative, and all of the families who attended the seminar left with a great desire to be better stewards of their lives and possessions. Many committed to using their estates to further Kingdom causes as a result. If you invite WatersEdge into your church to assist in discipling your members about estate planning, you will not be disappointed.

Chad Keck,
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church | Kettering, Ohio

Photo of Randy Ice

I use a single charity fund to give because it accepts IRA charitable rollovers, which provide significant tax savings. An SCF also allows me to choose when my gift goes to my church, so I can support a variety of activities like missions offerings, youth camps, or even a building campaign.

Dr. Randy Ice,
Professor of Finance | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Portrait of Randy Smith

WatersEdge’s management of our endowment accounts has allowed OBU to have dependable returns with predictable distributions, permitting us to guarantee scholarship awards to students during their four years at OBU. The WatersEdge staff truly cares about the impact of endowment distributions on OBU’s ministry.

Randy Smith,
Executive VP for Business & Administrative Services, Oklahoma Baptist University | Shawnee, Oklahoma

Portrait of Margaret Garner

When I first started with WatersEdge, it was just for my will. Now, almost 30 years later, my confidence in them has grown. I highly recommend their trust administration services — it’s the best thing I know of for your personal life.

Margaret Garner,
Donor | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Working with WatersEdge to establish my estate plan was easy and a great experience. Now I have peace of mind about my family’s financial future and the blessing of knowing my estate will further the Gospel after I’m gone.

Blake Gideon,
Senior Pastor, FBC Edmond | Edmond, Oklahoma

We filmed a video for our new church, Bright City, that featured our partnership with WatersEdge. Pastors, make them your best friend. They are superheroes on the financial side of church work.

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Amy Cordova,
Missions and Women’s Ministry Partner at Oklahoma Baptists and Pastor’s wife at Bright City Church | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I wanted to put the money where it was most needed. I know I can’t do it all, but I hope this gift will support someone with the talent of teaching people about Jesus.

Lakie Gillespie,
CGA Donor | McAlester, Oklahoma

Every day I say, ‘God let me be a blessing to somebody.’ I get so much pleasure and satisfaction and joy to give whatever I can each year.

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Carmen Henderson,
CGA Donor | Owasso, Oklahoma

Generosity is not something we are born with; it is something you have to experience, and once you do, you see there is a need – and God provides… If you wait until you can afford to tithe or give, then it is already too late.

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Gene & Kaye Jones,
CGA Donors | Anadarko, Oklahoma

I’ve been a tither since I was 16. When I give to an endowment through WatersEdge, I know that the income will continue to help the church or ministry I’ve chosen to support from now until Jesus comes. Endowment is a way for me to leave a legacy beyond myself so that when I’m dead and gone, I’m still giving a tithe. That’s very fulfilling to me.

Wayne Childers,
Donor | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Most people are waiting for some big reason to give. People think, ‘Well, it’s small. It doesn’t matter.’ But everything matters. If it’s a gift the Lord told you to give, then give and be obedient. You’re not going to get to those big things until you’re faithful with the small things.

Greg & Susan Kannady,
Donors | Kingfisher, Oklahoma

Our tax man is a Christian and he suggested an IRA charitable rollover as a way to reduce our taxable income while helping others at the same time. We chose to give to Baptist Village Communities’ Adams Fund, which provides financial assistance to meet the day-to-day needs of dozens of senior adults with limited incomes.

Gil Kettler,
Donor | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

We chose WatersEdge because it was a better rate. And then also the ministry side of it — the fact that our investment was enabling WatersEdge to provide loans to other churches that needed help.

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Michael Martin,
Senior Pastor of FBC Cushing | Cushing, Oklahoma

Our experience with WatersEdge was great. It was a good conversation, because it’s more than just counting dollars and cents – you can tell that they really care about ministry and life. Creating an estate plan is a pretty simple thing to do to put things in place so that someone else doesn’t have to worry about it.

Bill & Kelly Gandy,
Cross Fellowship Church | Black Forest, Colorado

We’d be fools not to create an estate plan, in a lot of ways. It benefits our child and future children, our families, and even benefits either one of us in case something happens. WatersEdge really communicated that it’s about stewardship and taking care of the things God has given us to use for His Kingdom.

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Will & Cady Bailey,
Western Hills Church | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Taking the loan out through WatersEdge not only saved the church quite a bit of money in interest charges, but also allowed any interest paid on the loan to be re-invested in other churches.

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Reginald Fletcher,
Pastor of Living Word Baptist Church | Indianapolis, Indiana

Our church is young, but WatersEdge has been so incredibly helpful to help us as we move forward with a building project. I love that interest of the loan goes to further advance the kingdom of God. I’m thankful for a place that has sharp business acumen, but also recognizes the big picture of getting the Gospel to the world.

Bob Morissey,
Pastor of The Church @ Clawson | Clawson, Michigan

We chose WatersEdge because of high mission value — our loan interest being reinvested in churches and ministries across the nation. They left the decision up to us, and we haven’t regretted it.

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Dr. Bob Bender,
Pastor of Black Forest Baptist Church | Black Forest, Colorado

WatersEdge helped us when the banks couldn’t, and they were there for us when we needed them.

Brad Graves,
Senior Pastor at FBC Ada | Ada, Oklahoma

 There was a huge difference in the approach of the banks and WatersEdge Ministry Services. The banks look at the church as a business and WatersEdge looks at the church as a ministry. 

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Mitch Green,
Pastor of Country Roads Baptist Church | Lenox, Iowa

 I can’t say enough great things about their process. They were able to move as fast as we wanted to move. From my first interaction with WatersEdge until the time we closed was half the time it took just to navigate the conversation with our bank about getting a lien release! 

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Stephen Hinson,
Operations Pastor of Foothills Community Church | Arvada, Colorado

6,150

Families have signed estate plans that advance ministry.

Charitable estate planning protects your family and impacts the Kingdom.

1,900+

Churches and Ministries have been strengthened.

We’re able to offer loans, investments and accounting to Southern Baptist churches nationwide because of your support.

$269.6M

Has been given to ministry since 2013.

Because of your generosity, we get to send millions of dollars to ministries around the world each year.

Families
Churches
Ministry

Just a Few of Our Valued Partners

SBC Virginia Foundation logo
Arkansas Baptist Foundation logo
Baptist Foundation of Indiana Powered By WatersEdge logo
Ohio Baptist Foundation logo
The Baptist Foundation of Alabama logo