Ministry Funding with Real Estate Gifts
The New Testament reports the birth of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. They are similar, yet report nuances to Jesus’ birth. For example, only Luke tells the story of the shepherds, while Matthew includes the visit of the Magi, called “Wise Men.”
Because the story is familiar, it does not need to be retold in detail. We know that the Magi, presumed to have had some background in astronomy, believed it to be a sign that a king had been born. They were moved to acknowledge this special birth and made travel arrangements to visit the newborn King and present gifts. Scholars believe that the Magi didn’t actually visit the baby in the manger in Bethlehem, but arrived at a later time where they knocked on the door of Joseph and Mary. Upon entering the room they presented the baby with three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, then began their return journey to the east. Can you imagine the conversation they must have shared?
What may be unfamiliar to this story is two fold. First, the Magi presented their gifts at the exact time that there was a direct need, for Herod was about to issue the edict that all male infants under the age of two be destroyed to eliminate a potential rival for his throne. This threat was the catalyst that caused Joseph and Mary to take their newborn to Egypt for safety. The gifts from the Magi are believed to have funded their flight to Egypt and sustained them in that foreign land until it was safe to return to Nazareth. The second seldomly mentioned observation is that the Magi presented non cash gifts from their assets to support and sustain Joseph, Mary and Jesus in this time of need.
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Roy and Carol had been lifelong members of their Church, and were deeply invested in its ministry. They served the ministry and generously shared their financial support. When their Pastor shared the vision for a new opportunity to meet the needs of people far from God, the faithful couple began to pray. They looked at their checkbook as well as their assets, and determined that the best way to support the church’s opportunity was to give the church a rental property that they no longer wanted or needed. They gave the property directly to the church, who in turn were able to convert the property into cash and direct those funds as the couple intended. By giving property instead of cash, Roy and Carol were able to avoid capital gains tax on the sale of the home, receive an immediate tax deduction for the full value of the home, remove a taxable asset from their estate, and most importantly, make a substantial gift to the Church.
Like Roy and Carol’s Church, your Church has made it possible for you to give appreciated non cash assets while honoring your intentions. Real estate, appreciated stock, business interests and personal property such as collectibles are examples of ways that you can give generously and reduce or eliminate your tax liability. After all, isn’t that what stewardship is?
Please take a moment to reflect on your Church’s mission, vision and values, and think about how you can marshall your appreciated non-cash assets to help fund the ministry and fuel the mission of the Church. You have been an important part of the Church’s ministry, and you understand the impact the Church is making in our community and around the world. Would you consider taking the time to schedule a conversation and possibly make a gift? The Church has provided resources for you to begin the prayerful conversation today, and become a modern day Magi!
