Jesus spoke often of money and stewardship, Barry Bledsoe, president of The Baptist Foundation of Alabama, told messengers to the Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting Nov. 18.
“We are sitting on resources that over time can go a great way toward funding of Great Commission ministries,” he said. “Planning your estate is the largest act of financial stewardship. I believe that it is one of the missing links to fulfilling the Great Commission.”
Bledsoe gave a brief introduction to the Kingdom Stewardship Alliance, which the Web site describes as “a new ministry initiative for the local church and its members dealing with being stewards of all God’s blessings.”
“How we plan our estate is an act of stewardship,” he said. “It is our desire to continue to serve the Lord with the resources we have — let us fund the Great Commission, as we are stewards of everything we own.”
Bledsoe also noted the three basic functions of the Foundation.
“They are to administer permanent gifts that have been given by Baptist donors, to assist churches in institutional investments and to promote stewardship with regard to estate assets,” he said.
The Book of Reports outlined two additional services.
The Foundation will settle the estates of any Alabama Baptists who leave at least 10 percent of their gross estate to any Baptist cause, and will “meet the needs of elderly Alabama Baptists who have committed to leave at least 10 percent of their gross assets to the Baptist cause of their choice and who do not have family willing or able to help manage their life’s circumstances.”
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