It did not take long for God to shoot directly to Frances Yon’s heart. Attending a Baptist Foundation of South Carolina luncheon in October, Yon heard the stories of retired pastors and ministers’ widows who, despite their years of service in South Carolina, may be in financial need.
Gary Horton receives collected money from Wagener First Baptist RAs Joshua Sears, Ross Smith, Joel Griffith, Seth Hall and Blake Murphy, and their leader Frances Yon.?“It just got on my heart that these preachers should not be in that situation,” Yon said.
In her best attempts to dismiss the notion due to the busyness of the Christmas season and all the other seasonal offerings and service projects, Yon says the burden of the financially strapped retired pastors would not leave her thoughts.
“I wanted to let it go for another time, but God just wouldn’t let me!” she said.
So Yon, a 10-year veteran Royal Ambassador worker at Wagener First Baptist Church, challenged her class of boys to a project. On one Sunday in December, the RA class would stand at the door of the church with jars. As attendees exited, they would fill the jars with pennies. Yon contacted Johnny Mueller, director of missions for Edisto Association, and encouraged other churches to do the same. Pennies for Pastors became an association-wide initiative.
In just a few short weeks, Edisto Association churches collected more than $2,500.
Yon, who leads RAs with the help of another volunteer, Doug Busbee, said teaching the boys through experience is important. Busbee takes the boys camping, changes their bicycle chains and teaches them boating safety among other skills, while Yon teaches Bible stories to the group. Pennies for Pastors gives the boys an opportunity to tangibly serve someone in need.
“We try to teach our little boys to be missions-minded. – They loved it; it was something they could do.”
Gary Horton, director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention retirement and insurance services office, said the money has been placed in a fund with the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina, and as the convention is made aware of needs, the Foundation will send a check to the pastor or widow. Horton says the criteria used for the fund is similar to the qualifications of the need-based Adopt An Annuitant program. Examples of people assisted in the past range from widows struggling to pay funeral expenses to others who could not afford to fix a broken air conditioner.
“Most retired preachers can’t afford big things. They can buy grits and eggs on their Social Security checks, but they cannot put new tires on their cars,” said Yon, whose father was a pastor.
“You often hear stories of older people who have to choose between eating and taking their medications. Unfortunately, often times, this is a reality,” said Horton.
Yon hopes to do Pennies for Pastors again this year at her church and around Edisto Association, but is also asking God to spread the initiative throughout South Carolina churches.
“Just think of what all the pennies in South Carolina Baptist churches could do,” she said.
For more information on assisting retired ministers and widows in need, contact the SCBC retirement and insurance services office at (800) 723-7242, ext. 2400.