Church "rich in good works"

When a small church received an overwhelming, unexpected windfall, it turned to the Bible to figure out what to do next.

...The result is that the United Methodist Church in St. Marys, Ga., is giving away most of the money, a gift left by a wealthy benefactor.

...St. Marys was notified last summer that it was about to have a big gift dropped in its lap. But members were flabbergasted when they learned in the fall that the late Walter Bailey, a reclusive telephone company heir and member of the congregation who had not set foot in the church in years, had left them $60 million. It is one of the largest one-time gifts ever donated to an individual congregation.

...Members realized that it would be a tremendous responsibility to be good stewards of the money. They talked to members of other churches that had received large bequests, received professional advice, attended a conference on nonprofit foundations, and held congregational meetings.

...Pastor Derek McAleer warned his congregation of the pitfalls of such a gift to a little church. That included possible divisiveness in the congregation over how to spend the money and spiritual laziness, he said, according to United Methodist News Service.

..."We saw the need of pointing out where the land mines are," McAleer told the news service. He "made an effort to say, 'there's danger here.' "

...The congregation turned to Scripture as its guide. It referred to 1 Timothy chapter 6, which warns against the love of money. It cautions against putting one's "hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment," and also admonishes people who are rich in resources to "be rich in good works, generous and ready to share."

...The congregation voted to spend the money almost entirely on others. The bulk of the funds, $40 million, will be administered by the newly incorporated St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation to support nonprofit causes. The first grants probably will be made next summer, McAleer said. The church already has received 200 requests for help from churches, ministries, and individuals.

...A second amount, about $16 million, will be donated in February or March, probably to educational efforts, the children's home of the South Georgia Conference, general youth programs, and other mission projects. The church also will give $500,000 to Magnolia Manor, a complex of residential facilities for older adults related to the church's South Georgia Conference that is being built in the town of St. Marys. Bailey had promised the money to Magnolia Manor before he died.

...The congregation voted down a recommendation from its advisory board to set aside $4 million for a future building program or capital funds campaign for itself. Instead, members added the $4 million to the original proposal to give away $12 million up front, making it $16 million. McAleer called that action more than "a double tithe."

...The church put $2.8 million into the Warren Bailey Memorial Endowment Fund that will generate about $100,000 a year in income for the church, the amount Bailey had given the 352-member congregation annually over the past several years, McAleer said. The money will be used for missions and special projects. Page Source (url): http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religion-today/church-andquotrich-in-good-worksandquot-524584.html