Barry Bledsoe encouraged messengers to the annual meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention to be good stewards of their money by providing for the Lord’s work in their wills.
In speaking to those assembled Wednesday morning, Bledsoe, president of The Baptist Foundation of Alabama, said the Foundation strives to be technologically sound and academically sound with investments.
There is also a focus on ministries and development, which has been the Foundation’s priority in 2005, he said.
As of July 2005, the Foundation’s assets totaled $85 million. About 51 percent of this was from gifts from individuals, Bledsoe said.
Thirty-nine percent was from funds managed by the Foundation for Baptist entities such as churches, universities and colleges.
In conjunction with Thompson and Associates of Brentwood, Tenn., the Foundation launched The Carpenter’s Plan to help Alabama Baptists with estate planning, according to the Book of Reports.
Bledsoe said 120 individuals or couples were counseled by the Foundation or Thompson and Associates during 2005.
At first, 95 percent of these had wills, and only 5 percent were leaving anything to Baptist causes. After the estate-planning process, more than 90 percent left assets to Baptist causes.
“Total future gifts exceed $55 million,” he said.
“What if Alabama Baptists considered estate planning an act of stewardship?” Bledsoe asked. “What if every Alabama Baptist church had a plan to properly utilize estate gifts?
“We would change the world,” he said. “We could fund all the great ministries of the Alabama Baptist Convention and the local church.”
Share with others: