BY STEPHANIE BURKE
ELCA Foundation, Regional Gift Planner
Greetings brothers and sisters in Christ in South Carolina. As one who has spent her entire life as a Lutheran in the Carolinas, serving for more than 20 years in both synodical and congregational settings, I now have the privilege of working with the ELCA Foundation as Regional Gift Planner for North and South Carolina. This role allows me to meet with churches across both NC and SC, the two states I’ve always called home, to discuss, establish and strengthen existing endowments with the ELCA Foundation. Simply put, it’s a way to join hands with a nationwide team of experts to create and sustain a strong financial base for current and future ministries. This process invites thoughtful and intentional discussion, and time is taken as Holy conversation at the foot of the cross. This position also allows me to meet with individual donors and discuss how they might gift particular ministries or their church in their legacy plan, but more on that later.
If you’d like to discuss how your congregation could start or strengthen an endowment, I’d be honored to talk with you. We are the church together, and together we can build a faithful and vibrant foundation to fuel the work of the Holy Spirit. Blessings on your ministry and peace to you in the new year.
