My husband and I moved to Bethea in April 2000 after many years of faithful service as pastor and evangelist. We served three churches in South Carolina during our early ministry. I have witnessed to many fellow believers in the state through Bible studies and mission studies with both the youth of the church and adults. We found too often there were Christian senior adults who needed a place to call home in their later years. We knew about the ministries offered at both Bethea and Martha Franks, but also knew that there was little help for those who needed benevolence. There needed to be a way to help these retired pastors, missionaries, and their spouses have a place to retire.
Since losing my husband in 2002, I have been blessed to have support from fellow churches that were affected by his evangelistic ministry. With that and my personal savings, I have been able to live at Bethea for eight years now. I have seen many other minister friends and their spouses who have not been able to do the same.
I was fortunate to serve on the board of directors for five years. It was at my last meeting that the proposal for this year’s Mother’s Day Offering was submitted. This was a concern that has weighed heavily on my heart for many years. It is something I have prayed about since the Ministries for the Aging began to profit again. I told the board at that meeting that this effort will allow us to be a “true ministry” to retired pastors, missionaries, and their spouses. Many of us as residents will outlive our monies, and this program will allow us the security to know that we will always have a place to call home.
For all of my adult life, I have turned to these verses from Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Fellow South Carolina Baptists, I am urging you to support this year’s 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.
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