A Volley from the Canon, Number 130--Endow Your Pledge

A VOLLEY FROM THE CANON NUMBER 130: “ENDOW YOUR PLEDGE” The Book of Common Prayer exhorts our clergy to remind their flock, regularly, to remember the Church in their wills. Most, it is hoped, do so in various ways. Here’s a way of reminding, that is easy to remember and rather compelling (via Donald Romanik of Episcopal Church Foundation): Endow your pledge. It’s easy, and it’s attractive. None of us wants to see the church suffer sudden and catastrophic loss upon our demise. We want our legacy of faithfulness and support for the work of our church to continue and grow. Adding more pledges through membership growth is great, especially if it expands the ability of the church to minister, not merely keeping up with losses through deaths and transfers. Therefore, if we leave to the church, through a specific bequest, twenty times the amount of our annual pledge or gift, we extend that pledge or gift in perpetuity. Don’t tie the hands of future vestries with ministry-hobbling restrictions, for we don’t know what challenges and opportunities the future will bring with it: just make the pledge, forever. Both in heaven and on earth, “joining our voices with angels and archangels” in continuing hymns of thanksgiving and praise will be all the easier for it.