“My sons will
be your
heirs.”
When the Rev. Wendy Maclean was a candidate for
ordination, she developed a proposal.
Earl, a gentleman in her congregation, had a dream.
They had never met, but their lives came together in a
way that was to change Wendy’s life, and her family’s,
forever. Unfortunately, Earl died in 1997 before Wendy’s
ordination.
The following is a letter that Wendy felt inspired to write
to him in spirit this past September.
*****
Dear Earl,
Much has happened since we last spoke in March of
1997. You will remember the dream that inspired you to
give your bequest before you died. You had no children
of your own, but you trusted that the church would have
children for generations to come. When I thanked you
for your gift, I said, “My sons will be your heirs.”
I was a mature student at Queen’s Theological College
when I brought my proposal for a “self-designed
internship” to Queen Street in Kingston in 1996. Their
minister said, “We can’t afford it, we need a new boiler.
But I will make a few calls …”
The minister called Joan, who held my proposal beside
the vision you had presented to the Redevelopment
Committee. The two documents looked like they were
written by the same person. You helped subsidize that
internship. I only met you once, but I felt your support.
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Church Administrators /
Secretaries:
Including legacy giving
bulletin inserts twice a
month on Sunday
mornings tends to
increase the number of
legacy gifts to a
congregation—and
that's not a bad thing!!
This information can
also be used in your
newsletters, on your
website, at meetings,
or wherever you think
appropriate.
Personal Use:
For those who are not
church administrators/
secretaries, but are
receiving these inserts,
please regard this
information for your
own personal use.
That is only the beginning of the story of how your
generosity blessed our lives.
I had six wonderful years of ministry with Queen Street
and six more at Cowansville, Quebec. Now I am Vision
and Transformation Minister in Montreal Presbytery,
helping congregations build faithful futures.
My sons thrived in their years in Kingston. They are
young men you would be proud of. Your spirit of
generosity and vision continues to bless my family and
ministry and our United Church of Canada.
May the saints rejoice with you—and hear the praise
from our corner.
Rev. Wendy Maclean
Vision and Transformation Minister, Montreal Presbytery
*****
Earl was always generous with the United Church, and
had always planned to leave a bequest in his will.
“He had a very faithful accountant, who helped him
set up a careful legacy will. At my covenanting
service at Queen Street United in 1997, the
accountant presented me with Earl's Bible and his
wife, Hazel's, hymnbook.
Earl's generosity has certainly changed my life.”
Generosity changes lives. As Wendy’s story shows, a
legacy gift can have a powerful impact on generations
to come.
You, too, can become a benefactor of the future. I
would enjoy helping you find a way to change lives, as
Earl did, through your bequest or major current gift.
Clyde Flight, Financial Development Officer
Newfoundland and Labrador Conference
709-722-9935 cflight@united-church.ca
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