Foundation Newsletter, January 2023

Happy New Year from the Foundation! The Lord has greatly blessed the Second Presbyterian Church Foundation this past year:

• $1,208,254 has been granted directly to ministries from the Foundation during its most recent completed fiscal year.

• Gifts to the Foundation during the same period total $449,460, including gifts beginning at $15.

You are making a difference by enabling the good news of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection to be made known year-round. May we all humbly rejoice as we ponder the generosity that directly leads others to come to know Him as well!

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Through December of 2023, any gifts made to any designated fund will be matched at 100% up to $500,000 per fund for a total of $2,500,000. The Foundation has over 30 designated funds from which to choose.
 
This gift from the Foundation provides a "people’s choice format" to those with current charitable intent toward specific ministries of our church, empowering them to double their gift and double their kingdom influence. This opportunity allows a portion of resources to be shifted from the Undesignated Fund at the direction of members of the congregation to areas of ministry that they choose. 
 
Individuals who wish to know more about a specific fund are encouraged to visit the Our Funds page or contact the Foundation office. Throughout the year, there will be gatherings and events that aim to share the history and purpose of certain funds, as well as related activities to date and information regarding those funds’ influence.   

An upcoming event on February 26 focuses on the T. Russell Seminarian Fund, which provides conditional scholarship grants for approved 2PC members to attend seminary and obtain a Masters degree. Members eligible for support are African American, Hispanic, or anyone seeking to serve in urban ministry.

You can learn more at the February event, where you'll also experience an authentic Sunday afternoon high tea—something that was dear to Tim and Kathe. Contact grace.simmons@2pc.org for details. 

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Foundation grants over 24 years total $32,084,000. Of that amount, $5,014,000 has been made to further develop Christian leaders.

One key area is for support of our members while they are taking theological training, that they may freed to give themselves more fully to intensive study and preparation for serving our Lord Jesus Christ in full time Christian service. 

Austin McCann is one such member. A covenant child of Second, he now serves as RUF Campus Minister at Texas A&M. Hear from Austin by watching this video.

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2023 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Foundation! In recognition of this milestone, it is appropriate to celebrate what God has done through this wonderful ministry.
 
Events already underway include parish gatherings as well as designated fund events that aim to tell the story of the Foundation.

Mark your calendar for March 31, 2023, where we will celebrate 25 years with a church-wide event featuring food, fellowship, and a concert. The event is free, and all are invited to join, so be sure to save the date!

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Your generous giving makes all of this (and more) possible!

Foundation in Action: Christian Leadership Development

Foundation grants over 24 years total $32,084,000. Of that amount, $5,014,000 has been made to further Christian Leadership Development.

These have been for seminary development and scholarships; pastoral, youth, and music residents; post college development, such as Fellows and Nexus; children’s music and church library; and scholarships through PDS, ECS, French Camp, and college music. Some of the fruit includes 76 seminarians; 11 pastoral residents; 30 youth residents; and 14 music ministry interns.

Seminarians have earned a variety of master level degrees at approved reformed seminaries. The goal is to provide support for our members while they are taking theological training, that they may be able to give themselves more fully to intensive study and preparation for serving our Lord Jesus Christ in full time Christian service.

Recent graduates include:  

• Dean Franklin - MA /Biblical Studies from RTS/Global

• Austin McCann –MDiv and MACC from RTS/Charlotte

• Artez Henderson –MDiv from RTS/Orlando

• Josh Preston –MDiv from RTS/Orlando

• Taylor Tollison –Master of Theology from Covenant  

One of those is Second’s covenant child, Austin McCann. Austin in the son of Wes and Marianne McCann and the brother of Wes, Luke, and Clay. Austin was a faithful member of Second and attended ECS and Mississippi State University before attending Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. He currently serves as RUF Campus Minister at Texas A&M. He is married to Alex and they have two children, Henry and Betsy.

25th Anniversary Matching Fund Opportunity

In honor of the Foundation's 25th anniversary, new gifts given to specific designated funds will be matched at 100% up to $500,000 per fund through 2023, with a $2,500,000 total cap.

The Foundation has approximately 40 designated funds. Gifts not designated to a specific fund are not matched but are warmly welcomed as they will go to the endowed Undesignated Fund, and the earnings are used to make significant strategic and entrepreneurial grants to ministry partners.

Eligible designated funds include:

Scholarships

Elementary School

• Clay Scholarship Fund (PDS)

  • This fund assists members of Second Presbyterian Church and the ministerial staff with tuition assistance for their sons to attend Presbyterian Day School.

• Young Scholars Program (PDS)

  • This fund provides scholarships for boys in Memphis and the surrounding communities who would not otherwise have access to a Christian education through PDS.

High School

• Meredith Ashley Fox Memorial Scholarship Fund (ECS)

  • Earnings and a portion of the principal from this memorial fund provide scholarships for eligible graduates of Binghampton Christian Academy to attend Evangelical Christian School.

• Graduates of Binghampton Christian Academy Fund

  • This fund provides scholarships for graduates of BCA who are accepted for enrollment at eligible schools at the secondary education level.

College

• Berl Olswanger Memorial Music Scholarship Fund

  • The earnings from this fund provide scholarships for qualified Christian students majoring in music at the college level.

• College Music Scholarship Fund

  • The purpose of this fund is to support the objective of the endowed Berl Olswanger Memorial Music Scholarship Fund, which is to provide scholarship(s) to one or more qualified Christian students majoring in music by making expendable resources available.

• Visible Music College Scholarship Fund

  • This fund provides scholarships for students in need, who are accepted for enrollment at the global Christian college.

• Neighborhood Christian Center Scholarship Fund

  • Earnings from this fund provide scholarships for needy and deserving students for enrollment at a post-secondary educational institution or vocational training school.

Post-College

• The Fellows Fund

  • This fund provides scholarships and allows for the expansion of this program that promotes the relevance of the church to a generation of emerging leaders and instructs how our faith informs our work.

Seminary

• Seminarian Support Fund

  • Earnings fund conditional scholarship grants for approved 2PC members to attend seminary and obtain a Masters-level degree.

• T. Russell Seminarian Support Fund

  • The fund provides conditional scholarship grants for approved 2PC members to attend seminary and obtain a Masters-level degree. Members eligible for support are African American, Hispanic or anyone seeking to serve in urban ministry.

• Crosby Memorial Scholarship Fund

  • Earnings fund conditional scholarship grants for approved 2PC members to attend seminary and obtain a Masters-level degree.

Internships

• Gillespie Pastoral Internship Fund

  • The income from this fund is used to pay the salary of pastoral interns during their internship at Second Presbyterian Church.

• Women in Vocational Ministry Residency Fund

  • The income from this fund is used to pay the salary of women aspiring to full-time Christian ministry as they train at Second Presbyterian Church in selected areas such as counseling, outreach, women’s ministry, or missions.

• Youth Internship Fund

  • Earnings from this fund are used for compensation for interns being trained for Youth Ministry.

• Music Ministry Internship Fund

  • This fund sponsors academic year and summer internships for college students to serve within the music ministry of Second Presbyterian Church.

Music

• Second Conservatory of Music Fund

  • This fund provides scholarships for individuals to build musical preparation for future service in ministry, music performance, and enjoyment.

Media

• Riley Broadcast Technology Ministry Fund

  • This fund exists to support the broadcasting and streaming capabilities of the teaching and preaching ministries of the church.

Library

• Bee Wallis Memorial Library Fund

  • Earnings from this fund are to be used for the benefit of the Second Presbyterian Church Library.

Children at 2PC

• Sharpe Music Education and Children’s Ministry Fund

  • The earnings from this fund support Second’s children’s music education and related activities.

• Donna Kyle Nursery Fund

  • Earnings from this fund are for use to support the nursery or children’s ministry.

• John Owen Recreation Fund

  • The earnings on this fund provide aid for youth to participate in the recreation program at 2PC.

Family

• Chauncey Johnson Family Camp Scholarship Fund

  • Income from this fund is used for scholarships to attend 2PC Family Camp.

Mission

• Allison and Sandy Willson Church Planting Fund

  • This fund and its earnings are used to provide financial support to church planting efforts at home and around the world that are strategic, missional, and reformed in character.

Memphis

• Memphis Intercity Mission Fund

  • The earnings from this fund provide grants to address the needs of the inner city.

• Urban Ministry Fund

  • This fund and its earnings are used to establish inner-city missions in Memphis.

• Home Mission Fund

  • The earnings from this fund support home mission grants.

• Christian Psychological Center Fund

  • Earnings are to be used as a supplement to funds available for research and new program development as well as to pay for consultation services for those who need counseling but cannot pay the fee.

World

• Chloe Malone Burch Foreign Mission Fund

  • Earnings fund grants made by the Foundation in support of foreign missions.

• Wetter World Mission Fund

  • Earnings from this fund support world missions activities.

• Charles and Rebecca Sherman World Mission Fund

  • Earnings provide funding for use by the Second Presbyterian Church World Missions Committee.

Individuals who wish to champion a fund are encouraged to contact the Foundation office to see how the Foundation might support awareness activities that would benefit the fund. Vicki Simmons can be reached at (901) 507-7898 or vsimmons@2pc.org .

Foundation Newsletter, February 2022

“The Foundation plays a vital role in launching new initiatives by mobilizing ministries of compassion, developing ministry to the under-evangelized, and pioneering ministry among the unreached," comments world missions pastor Dan Burns, "all of which comprise 2PC’s vision."

Grants of $4,462,000 have been made to world outreach initiatives from the Foundation over the last 23 years. Many related grants have also been made from Donor Advised Funds.

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Meet two of our Foundation Visionaries: father and son, Bruce and Carter Campbell. Bruce and Carter have each served the Foundation in different seasons of life—both in terms of their own lives and the life of the Foundation.

Bruce was a member of the initial Board of Directors and was the first Chair of the Grants Committee. Carter has served on the Grants Committee and is the current Chair of its Scholarships Sub- Committee, which oversees everything related to our seminarians, among other things.

Reflecting on his dad, Carter shares, “I remember Dad talking about the 2PC Foundation, and he was so excited to see young folks going into full-time ministry. I recall him describing how the Foundation played such a pivotal role in allowing these folks to attend seminary. His involvement with the Foundation certainly impacted me and my interest in serving when I was approached years later.”

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Did you know that giving a memorial or honorarium is a meaningful, thoughtful, and simple act that can be used strategically to advance the gospel?

When you choose to memorialize or honor a friend or family member through the Foundation, you choose an effective way to give by leveraging a small amount of money toward a large cumulative impact. This strategy is yet another way in which individual amounts are pooled and invested in the spread of the Gospel. 

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Current Fellow James Ryan is supported this year in his job placement at Second in part by the Foundation through its Music Ministry Internship Fund. James conducted in our church’s annual Festival of Carols of service on December 12.

Click the video below to watch!

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Christian Kauffman, a committed 2PC member and youth volunteer pictured below, explains the Foundation’s Seed Money program to the current Youth Inquirers Class. 

The Seed Money program, funded by the Foundation, encourages youth charitable giving by providing funded Donor Advised Funds for them when they join the church on Maundy Thursday.

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May of 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the Foundation.

The Stewardship Committee is drawing up initial plans for celebrating this milestone. Pictured below are a few posters from years past. 

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Your generous giving makes all of this (and more) possible!

Our Commitment to World Missions

As our church focuses on World Missions during this season, it is a good time to see how the Foundation complements this important ministry component. Here are some highlights.

• The Foundation has granted $4,462,000 to world outreach initiatives since its inception in 1998. That represents just under 33% of all grants other than those from Donor Advised Funds, from which many other grants were made to world outreach ministries.

• Over 30 ministries have received $3,326,000 of that total. Click here to view those ministries.

• The remaining $1,136,000 was granted from a thus designated fund (Sherman Fund) to the church’s World Missions Committee for their use and further deployment.

• This year the Grants Committee considers $270,000 in new grants. 

Associate Pastor and World Missions Director Dan Burns comments on the role of the Foundation in regard to world missions: “The vision of World Missions at 2PC is to engage in holistic ministry in three overlapping areas: ministries of compassion, ministry to the under-evangelized, and ministry to the unreached areas of the world. The Foundation plays a vital role in launching new initiatives in each of these areas, by mobilizing ministries of compassion, developing ministry to the under-evangelized, and pioneering ministry among the unreached.”

Gifting Memorials to Give Gospel Life

Did you know that giving a memorial or an honorarium is a meaningful, thoughtful, and simple act that can be used strategically to advance the gospel?

When you choose to memorialize or honor a friend or family member through the Foundation, you have chosen an effective way to give by leveraging a small amount of money which cumulatively reaps a large impact. This strategy is yet another way in which individual amounts are pooled and invested, resulting in the spread of the Gospel.  

Memorials and honorariums are a way to easily support our church’s Foundation at any level. It is also easy to do. Gifts of any amount may be made by check or by accessing the Foundation’s web page at www.2pcfoundation.org and clicking on the “Give a Memorial” button at the bottom of the home screen. You can also scroll to the bottom of this page and click the “Give a Memorial” button. In either case, simply let us know:

• who the gift is in memory or honor of

• who to send an acknowledgement to 

• whether the gift is designated or undesignated

Most memorials or honorariums are undesignated as to their use. This means that the interest earned from the Undesignated Fund is used in perpetuity to annually support significant grants that are made in the three arenas of Christian Leadership Development, World Outreach, and Domestic Outreach. 

However, you can designate to which Foundation fund you would like your gift to be made. For instance, if you feel or the person being recognized felt strongly about world missions, you could designate your fund toward the Gospel’s global advance. Any Foundation fund may receive gifts of this nature. Some of the designated funds that most often receive these sorts of gifts are the Willson Church Planting Fund; the T. Russell Seminarian Fund; the Burch World Missions Fund; and the Meredith Fox Scholarship Fund. You can learn about the various designated funds through the website’s FUNDation STRONG page, which lists the funds and explores the history, purpose, and results of each one.

Since the Foundation was established in 1998, a total of $427,570 in undesignated memorials have been made. Additionally, various amounts of memorials have been made to a variety of designated funds. That represents thousands of individuals, both church members and nonmembers, whose contributions have been harnessed and utilized to bear fruit. 

An option exists for those desiring a permanent memorial to ensure lasting remembrance of a spouse, relative, or dear friend and to further Christ’s work. Gifts have a range of commitment levels for the donor and are based on what the donor desires to achieve should a memorial be established. If you would like to discuss a potential gift to the Foundation for this purpose, contact Vicki Simmons at (901) 454-0034, ext. 193 or vsimmons@2pc.org.

Foundation Visionaries: Bruce and Carter Campbell

Members of Second Presbyterian Church since 1987, Bruce and Judith Campbell are the parents of Carter Campbell as well as son Bruce, who lives in Houston, Texas. They have five grandchildren. They are long time members of the Sojourners Sunday School class.

Bruce served as Chairman and CEO of the Board for National Bank of Commerce until early 1993. After retiring from full time service at the bank at that time, he continued to serve on the Board and he also served as the Executive Committee Chairman for a number of years. SunTrust acquired NBC in 2004.  

He was a member of the Foundation Board for 13 years over the time frame of 1998-2012, serving as the inaugural Chairman of the Grants Committee. Bruce was known for his insightful vetting of grant applications and his ability to offer sound principles for the operation of not only ministry partners but the Foundation itself. This was particularly helpful as the Foundation began to figure out how it was going to develop policies and implement practices across multiple areas including grants, investments, stewardship, and general operations.  

Hear from Bruce about his involvement with the Foundation:

Some years ago, I was fortunate to join Second`s Foundation Board.  I knew of the Foundation`s establishment, but it was only after being involved that I began to understand what an important and vital role it served in the life and mission of our church.

The Foundation was established thanks to the foresight of elders Herbert Rhea, Monte Weaver, Jim Boren, and others.  It was created in part to complement the church with grant activities beyond the year-to-year capacity of the annual church budget.  Very wisely, the founders restricted the Foundation from contributions to the church’s annual budget - which historically has become a real problem for some wealthy churches in other parts of the country.

Annual giving is good and necessary for the life of our church but the time horizon for gifts to the Foundation is in years or decades.  Those gifts will be doing good works for the Kingdom long after you are gone. The Foundation supports church members attending seminary plus multiyear support of foreign and home mission activities in coordination with the church.  Foundation funds are responsibly managed by professionals and overseen by the Foundation’s Investment Committee, which is comprised of members of Second with financial experience.

It is for these reasons that Judith and I have included the Foundation in our estate plans.

Members of Second Presbyterian Church since 2002, Carter and Bowie Campbell are the parents of Frazer (Vanderbilt), Eleanor (University of Virginia), and Carter (Memphis University School). They are members of Cornerstone Sunday School class.  

Carter has previously worked in banking and started a new business several years ago. National Property Concepts is oriented around repurposing excess space in existing bank branch locations.

He currently is a member of the Foundation Board, serving for six years since mid-2016. He currently serves on the Nominating and the Grants Committees and as Chair of the Scholarships Sub-Committee, which oversees among other things everything related to our seminarians. 

Hear from Carter about his dad and the Foundation:

Dad had a wonderful influence on so many people; myself included. He genuinely loved the people who worked at the bank, and he treated them accordingly. One the biggest lessons Dad taught me was how to treat others. He was by no means perfect, yet I learned how to treat people by listening to him at the dinner table and observing how he interacted with people at the bank and in everyday life.   

I remember Dad talking about the 2PC Foundation, and he was so excited to see young folks going into full time ministry. I recall him describing how the Foundation played such a pivotal role in allowing these folks to attend seminary. His involvement with the Foundation certainly impacted me and my interest in serving when I was approached years later.  

As a believer in Christ and His kingdom, it has been incredibly rewarding and encouraging to learn through the Foundation about the things God is doing around the globe to extend His kingdom of mercy and grace to a hurting and broken world.  

Through this involvement, my views on the needs in the local community and the world arena have been impacted. I would say I have been thoroughly encouraged.  This broken world aches on every level of life, and the answer is the gospel of Jesus Christ, who came to save lost sinners.  It is easy to get discouraged.  However, I have been immensely encouraged by what God is doing around the world, and serving on the Foundation has encouraged my heart.  Whether its supporting folks pursuing seminary degrees, foreign missionaries, or local ministries, God has blessed the 2PC Foundation with the privilege of supporting a variety of initiatives to expand God’s kingdom.   

For those who might be considering becoming involved with the mission of the Foundation I would say that if you desire to support the expansion of God’s kingdom at home and around the world, I’m not aware of another entity like it.  I would encourage anyone to consider including 2PC Foundation in their estate and gift planning. From wonderful resource stewardship to strategic and targeted missional support, 2PC Foundation is a unique vehicle to support initiatives oriented around extending God’s kingdom.  

Foundation Newsletter, October 2021

Only about 1 in 3 adults have a will, and many people do not realize a will is only part of an estate plan.

National Estate Planning Awareness Week is an opportunity for us all to be reminded about the importance of an estate plan for ourselves and our loved ones. Our plans should accurately reflect our values and goals.

We continue the new series that lets us hear directly from individuals present and past who have volunteered their time and talents to promote gospel advancing efforts through the Foundation.

Marion Quinlen is highlighted this month. She is a current member of the Grants Committee, the Scholarships Committee, and is Chair of the Berl Olswanger Music Scholarship Committee. Over the years, she has served as Chairman of the Grants Committee and as a member of the Foundation Board of Directors. 

Her dedication and faithfulness to this work for over two decades can be gleaned from her own words. “When I leave a Grants Committee meeting, I marvel at what God has done with the funds we have been able to give to these ministries.  I also wonder who is going to give the Gospel to all those people that we at Second are not reaching.”

Tim Russell had a passion for the Word of God and the sharing of it. He dedicated his life to education at many levels. That life inspired many donors to continue that mission.

The fund established just over one year ago in Tim’s memory is already at work, the proceeds of which are supporting Bradley Morrow as he pursues a Master of Divinity.

A significant amount of grants were made during this last fiscal year.

Between undesignated funds, designated funds, and donor advised funds, more than $1 million was distributed to mission efforts in our city, country, and around the world.

Estate Planning — Now is the Time

WHY PLAN?

You should take the time to make sure you have a properly prepared and complete estate plan in place that accurately reflects your values and goals, including a will or trust; powers of attorney for financial and medical decisions; and a living will. 

Do not delay in updating your documents and beneficiary designations. Maybe set a deadline to get everything updated by the end of the year. Getting this done will give you peace of mind. If the opportunity arises as you update things, you might consider including our church – through its Foundation – in your final plans. There are favorable tax laws that support those who exercise charitable intent.

If you have older plans in place, you might consider that there have been recent tax law changes; if your named executors, trustees, and guardians are still appropriate; or if the number of your children or heirs have changed.

If you have newer plans in place, you might check to see if there are any gaps in your plan and if it accomplishes exactly what you intend.

For anyone with existing plans, you should confirm that your beneficiary designations on all life insurance and retirement accounts compliment your will and/or trust.  

NEED TO DISCUSS?

Always consult your professional, tax, and legal advisors about the suitability of any of these strategies on your personal situation and how to carry them out effectively.

If you would like to learn more about the Foundation or discuss ways in which you can participate, contact Vicki Simmons at (901) 507-7898 or vicki.simmons@2pc.org. 

2020-21 Grants

The following grants were made during this last fiscal year. They include grants from the undesignated fund and many designated funds. Additionally, grants were made to eligible ministries from donor advised funds.