I strongly urge my fellow Southern Baptists to support the Mother’s Day Offering for South Carolina Baptist Ministries for the Aging. The offering this year will assist elderly pastors, missionaries and their spouses who do not have adequate funds to live at Bethea Baptist Retirement Community in Darlington or Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community in Laurens.
I served as director of missions for Welsh Neck Association for more than 19 years. I was at Bethea at least once a month, and saw the loving care given there.
After retiring, I felt led to move to Martha Franks in 1994 because it was located halfway between where my two children live. I have had many opportunities during the past 14 years as a resident to serve God in the facility and in the surrounding communities.
With the help of contributions from my churches and the association, combined with my personal savings, I was financially prepared for retirement. But many of my minister friends and their spouses are not as fortunate. Thus, I am making a heartfelt appeal to you to give generously to the Mother’s Day Offering so that ministers, missionaries and their spouses (or widows) who were unable to make adequate provisions for retirement can live in the healthy Christian atmosphere that residents experience at Bethea and Martha Franks in their senior years.
Christ told the story of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate the kind of unconditional love he had been teaching. The Samaritan came upon a needy man. Without questioning or judging that needy man, the Samaritan simply reached out in unconditional love to help another person who was in need. Christ expects the same kind of gracious attitude and obedient action from his people today.
I challenge you to give through the Mother’s Day Offering to those saints of God who have spent their lives serving our Savior, and now need your help in their senior years.
What do you think? Click here to send a letter to the editor addressing this or another subject.