Testament_2011_2

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

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2011 Issue Number 2

When summing up the ministry of Ted Foote Jr. (MDiv’79) and his wife, Joanie, the word “all” is rather exhaustive. They have

Photograph by Jimmie Homburg

Lightning, Contraband, and Tithing—All to the Glory of God

Joanie and Ted Foote reveal Ted’s “contraband” piece of an Austin Seminary Chapel spire, collected after lightning struck it in 1976.

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raised two sons and three dogs. Ted has dedicated more than thirty years and counting to serve congregations in Oklahoma and Texas (currently senior pastor at First Presbyterian in Bryan, Texas). With Alex Thornburg (MDiv’90), Ted has written books to help “confused Presbyterians” better understand the Reformed faith.

He umpires youth baseball. Joanie teaches theater arts at Rudder High School in Bryan; she directs one-act plays and assists in other productions. She enjoys “infrequent

rounds of golf.” And in her free time she makes lanyards as a fund-raising project in memory of an elevenyear old church member who died of cancer (see www.erinbuenger. blogspot.com for more details).

Yet, Ted and Joanie find all that they do is for the glory of God, including their plannedgiving strategy. Ted sums up their philosophy, “If we give charitably with a minimal goal of a tenth while we are alive, isn’t it the essence of logic to plan to give from an estate some similar percentage (or greater) to mission efforts, including one like Austin Seminary? If we do, the future will include blessings for others similar to those we have already received in God’s grace.”

Thinking about his student days at Austin Seminary, Ted vividly remembers one moment. In the pre-dawn hours of Easter morning, 1976, lightning struck the southwest spire of the chapel. “The jolt rattled us from our beds,” he recalls. When students were asked to help gather the pieces of the shattered spire, Ted managed to salvage a few pieces. “I think we were supposed to return all the pieces, so I call it my little contraband. It sits on my desk to this very day as a reminder of that Continued on page three Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

An Expression of Faith‌

Giving Through Your Will

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Every year Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary receives bequests from the estates of deceased friends. Such bequests serve as an expression of faith, demonstrating lives dedicated to service of others. A bequest is a gift of property or assets given through your will. Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. A bequest in your will lets you pass an amount free of estate tax, as allowable by law.

Consider including Austin Seminary in your will. Your gift could help us fulfill our mission statement: for the glory of God, and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, a seminary of the Presbyterian Reformed tradition

10 Reasons to Have a Will Help make a very difficult time for your loved ones easier.

Decide and name who will take care of your children.

Prevent bitter family battles.

Simplify the legal process.

Name who will receive your assets.

Prevent confusion.

Protect the family home or business.

Minimize the legal costs to your heirs.

Consider your personal choices.

Continue your tradition of Christian Stewardship. whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership. You can be a part of ensuring the Glory of God! As you consider an estate gift to Austin Seminary, it may be useful to know some of the bequest options. For example, you can make your bequest as an unrestricted gift. This permits us to use your gift where needed most.

You may also designate or restrict your gift to a specific purpose. For example, a gift may be designated to an area that you feel strongly about or to capital improvements. You can even designate a bequest to establish an endowment.

It is important that if you restrict a gift, you understand that it can only be used for that specific purpose; which means if we do not have a programmatic need for that restriction, the money will sit in the bank and not be used. If you plan to restrict a gift, it is best to talk with someone in Institutional Advancement to make sure it is written in a way that honors your purpose and makes it possible for the Seminary to use.

For more information on how you might make a gift to Austin Seminary in your will, call Lisa Holleran at 512-404-4803.

Continued on the following page Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

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Sample language for an unrestricted gift:

I give to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, Texas, the sum of $_______________ (or _____% of my estate or real estate or securities or other property as described).

Sample language for a designated gift (please talk with a qualified member of Austin Seminary Institutional Advancement staff ): I give Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, Texas, the sum of $__________________ to be used to create a permanent endowed fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships to any deserving Seminary students based on need. Should the fulfillment of the purpose of my gift become obsolete, inappropriate, or impracticable, as determined by the Board of Trustees of Austin Seminary, then my gift should be used for the purpose most in keeping with my special interests as described above.

If you have included Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in your estate plan, we’d love for you to tell us so we can take the proper steps to thank you.

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As you proceed with your estate plans, we strongly encourage you to inform us about any bequest decisions affecting Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. This will help ensure that we can honor your requests.

It also helps our long-range planning efforts if we know where future resources are being directed. Most of all, it gives us the opportunity to thank and honor you in advance, and to share with you the many ways that you will be glorifying God. If you would like more information, please contact Lisa Holleran at 512404-4803 or lholleran@austinseminary.edu. Thank you for your faithful support of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

All to the Glory of God Continued from page one

Easter morning.”

In his day-to-day ministry, Ted is also reminded of how the Seminary prepared him to share the good news as he leads congregations.

“Austin Seminary provided me the experience of theological education in every way—in content, context, practice, and relationships—for which I am indebted to predecessors, donors, faculty, staff, fellow students, and ministry partners in constituent churches.”

Although they met and married after Ted finished at Austin, the Seminary played an important role in both Ted and Joanie’s life.

Joanie notes, “When Ted and I first wrote our wills, we included Austin Seminary as one of the institutions to receive a gift for three reasons.

First, generally, we figured that the ministry of our Lord was entitled to at least one tenth of a modest estate after death as much as before death.

Second, my dad and my brother are APTS graduates (H.B. Chadwick, Class of ’69, and J. Michael Chadwick, Class of ’76). Third, we would not have had a life in ministry together with so many others of the church of Jesus Christ if not for the mission and ministry of Austin Seminary.”

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

The Benefits of a Will An estate plan can increase your lifetime security and also achieve your goals for family, church, and charity.

Act of Faith. The Bible illustrates God’s ownership of all. “Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all” (1 Chronicles 29:11-12). An estate plan helps prepare the next steward and ensures your final act on earth is one of good stewardship.

Peace. An estate plan is designed to help you provide for those you love. An estate plan will protect both you and your family.

Intention. You have spent most of your lifetime gathering assets, now is the time to be intentional in making plans. With a good estate plan you can give loved ones, your church, and charities the property you have acquired in the right way, at the right time, and at minimum cost.

Security. A good plan will provide for you in your senior years. Consider a specific person to manage your property, help doctors and family with important medical decisions, and make certain you are receiving the best care.

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