Member Spotlight
The Body of Christ Gets Energized
Three of the ways that the American Baptist Foundation (ABF) serves the Body of Christ, include: 1) being a trusted institution for managing endowments and providing sensitive advice, 2) providing financial empowerment for new ministries through overseeing The Virginia and Gordon Palmer Trust Grant program, and 3) walking alongside congregations when they feel it is time to close.
Each of these is clearly illustrated by ABF’s relationship with the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin. The Body of Christ is manifested in our age by the existence of churches. Like every living organism, churches have a lifespan. It is not easy for a church to acknowledge the fact that its mission has been fulfilled and can close. But with ABF’s help it can be an energizing step both for that church and for other ministries. The Memorial Baptist Church of Fond du Lac, for instance, was started as a new church plant in the 1950s, but it had struggled to grow. While the church was effectively serving its members and the community, it had been in decline for many years. With the pastoral counsel of Mindi Welton-Mitchell along with help of the Foundation, church members decided it was time to close. And with a focus on the future, they decided to use the church’s remaining financial resources and the sale of its building to create the Memorial Baptist Legacy Fund. This fund is to be used to energize new mission and worshiping communities, particularly in the Fox Valley area. The decision led to a celebration worship service on August 11, 2024, where former and present members gathered to give thanks for the past and anticipate hope for the future. The Wisconsin region, composed of 54 congregations in the state, devel- oped a successful proposal that led to a grant from the Palmer Trust. The Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell, Regional Executive Minister, explains how those funds have already energized regional ministry:
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