Endowed funds come about when God stirs the hearts of His people to participate in Kingdom work that will continue even beyond their lifetimes! Learn how God has inspired others through their giving stories, by clicking the tabs….

“Mama always says, ‘The more you share, the more yours will grow!’’’

Joyce Crider’s philosophy about giving away cuttings from her beautiful plants is also her philosophy about life. Joyce has spent most of her 93 years selflessly sharing from a heart focused on Christ, and through her sharing, her love of serving Christ and His mission have grown!

Being actively involved at First Baptist Church in West Columbia, Joyce was always on mission. Known as “Mama Crider,” Joyce and her husband, Cramer, worked with youth for 16 years and then transitioned to working with the young adult class. They shared their home freely for young people to enjoy. Joyce later began leading in WMU and church missions projects. Over the years, she made Biblical costumes, pillowcase dresses for missions, lap quilts for hospice, food for many needs, and she shared cuttings from her plants. Joyce is also known as a prayer warrior. If someone calls Joyce with a need, her response is, “Let’s pray right now!” People still call Joyce today because they know that she is going to pray with them and will continue to pray.

When Joyce called the Baptist Foundation in 2019, she wanted to know how to financially support missions through a gift she was given in the 1980s. Her mother had given her $50,000, but she never had peace about how to use the money. Then one day, she just knew the money was to be used for missions. Over the years, her heart for missions has grown through working in missions groups and reading the Mosaic magazine. Now, she knows that God allowed her to receive this gift many years ago so that she could give it to touch lives for Him. HE provided the gift and her heart grew.

Joyce had invested her money in a CD that would not mature until 2021, but she wanted everything in order so that her children, Diane and Mark, could give the money if she passed away before that time. So she established an endowment to missions to be funded when the CD matured.

In the fall of 2020, Joyce fractured her shoulder. Due to the trauma, Joyce faced some difficult days and needed to stay with her daughter, Diane. During that time, Diane shared that they read her Mosaic magazine together and prayed each morning. Many days Joyce would share, “I know you’ll take care of the money if I pass away, but I sure hope I live to be able to give that money myself.”

God honored Joyce’s prayer to see her gift to be given, one that has now grown to $90,000, so that missionaries locally and around the world will receive annual support from Joyce Crider. Joyce waited on God, and at the right time, He showed her how His gift could be shared for others to know Him!

As Joyce gave her gift, Diane shared with tears in her eyes, “My desire is to have a heart like my mother’s: a heart that is genuine and pure, a heart that loves the unlovable, a heart that grows as she shares with others–a heart that reflects Jesus!” Joyce’s gift will now be used to spread the Gospel message around the world to plant seeds of faith in those who need to know the love of Christ. Joyce has spent a lifetime sharing with others and now her legacy of sharing will live on through missions for years to come. What a blessing!

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…”  Matthew 28:19a

A love for the Lord and a passion for sharing His love to all people groups was evident in the lives of Tom and Betty Aldridge.  They shared Jesus’ love wherever they lived and worked, and continued to be faithful servants even in their retirement years.  To the Aldridge’s, giving was an active process that involved helping others through deeds that make a difference in lives. 

If you had visited the Aldridge’s in the small town of Johnston, SC, you would have found them working in their garden.  It’s a hobby they enjoyed and provided a way for them to share God’s love with others.  They loved to share their vegetables with elderly friends and neighbors, as well as with Hispanic families that have moved into the community.  In fact, Mr. Aldridge, at age 84, completed a Spanish course at a local

so that he could better communicate with these families.  He helped them learn the English language and would take their children to church as well as paying to send many to Camp La Vida.  Their comment… “(we are) happy and thank God that we have been able to!”

Sharing God’s love with other people groups was always a passion of the Aldridge’s.  After serving in the military – Tom was both an infantry officer and an Air Force pilot in World War II and Korea, and Betty was in the NAVY-WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) – the Aldridge’s began work with JAARS (originally named Jungle Aviation And Radio Service), the support organization that provides technical support services and resources for Wycliffe Bible Translators.  Wycliffe has been responsible for translating the Bible into over 600 languages and has committed to translating the Bible into every known language group by the year 2025!  Tom and Betty gave many years of their lives to this organization because they believe in the power of God’s Word and the importance of sharing it with “all nations.”

Raised in Christian homes, the Aldridge’s learned early about God’s love and both agreed that their parents and family members greatly influenced their desire to follow God’s direction in their lives.  They had witnessed the great power of His guidance and love throughout their lives…from Betty’s teaching in small country schools, to Tom’s life being spared in war times, to God’s protection for their son and grandson during their active military service, to experiencing the joy of starting a children’s Sunday School class on an Air Force base, to seeing lives changed when people had the opportunity to read and hear God’s Word in their native language, to sharing vegetables with new neighbors from another country.  God had always been faithful.

The Aldridge’s expressed that they owed everything to the Lord and His work.  Because of their commitment to His work, they wanted to continue to share God’s love and “teach all nations,” even after they had gone on to be with Him.  Through the endowment established in their names in 2006, both their church and JAARS have received annual gifts from George and Betty! Both are enjoying heaven today and, from heaven, they are still providing funding to “teach all nations!”

Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.  Ecclesiastes 11:1

One of Miss Sara Frances Taylor’s favorite verses, Ecclesiastes 11:1, is a statement of her faith and dependence on God’s provision during her many years of service as a missionary in Argentina.  “The Lord provided everything that I needed on the mission field (equipment allowance, trips, savings)…just everything was provided for me and I had nothing in the beginning,” said Miss Taylor.

Miss Taylor was born and raised in a Christian home in Columbia.  God began preparing her for a life of service from the time she was very young.  After graduating from USC with a degree in social work, she worked for the Department of Social Services for two years and then attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (then known as the “training school”) in Louisville, Kentucky and received a Master of Religious Education degree. 

In 1945, Miss Taylor felt God’s call to the mission field.  She heeded that call and spent the rest of her career in service to God as she helped spread the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ to the people of Buenos Aires and Rosario.  “Sara T,” as she was affectionately called, would serve for a total of 51 years!!  43 of those years were in service as an IMB staff missionary and 8 additional years were spent as a volunteer!

Miss Taylor retired in Columbia and spent an active life, often walking from her apartment to First Baptist Church to do volunteer work during the week.  She loved to walk, read, and do crossword puzzles to help her keep up with her English.  Her home was filled with memorabilia from her days in Argentina, ever-present reminders of many wonderful years in which she “cast her bread upon the waters” and God met every need.

Miss Taylor came to the Foundation in 2000 because she wanted to find a way to provide for her sister and provide for the Lord’s work. The Foundation helped her establish a trust that would provide for her sister if a need arose. Miss Taylor outlived her sister and, after her death in 2007, remaining funds in the trust were transferred to an endowment that has supported ministry needs at the Foundation and evangelistic grants ever since! Because of her commitment to serve God faithfully both in this life and beyond, she is now “giving from heaven” and will continue to do so until our Lord returns! 

Miss Taylor lived a life of casting her bread upon the waters and, even after her lifetime, God has shown that she would indeed find it after many days.

Romans 8:28 – “All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”

Even when a church closes its doors, ministry can continue. A few years ago, Garden City Baptist Church of Orangeburg, after prayerful consideration, had voted to close its doors after 43 years of ministry in the community. When Foundation staff met with members of this church, it was evident that they had warm hearts for their church and for the Lord, proudly reviewing its history and recounting ways the church had ministered in the community over the years. And, even in closing, they had a strong desire to continue ministry with what remained of their church.

Could a church provide ministry when their services had ceased? Could the legacy of their ministry continue when their doors had been shut and the facilities sold? The church sought God’s guidance in helping them find a window.

Through their vision and desire to maintain the legacy of Garden City Baptist Church, the church sought out a way to provide perpetual missions funding in the name of Garden City Baptist Church. Through the proceeds from the sale of the church (a little over $38,000) in 2001, the Foundation was able to establish an endowment in the name of Garden City Baptist Church. As of 2020, over $31,000 has been given to the Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong, and Janie Chapman offerings through annual gifts in the name of Garden City Baptist Church. And the best part is that the original $38,000 is still in the fund! Garden City Baptist Church will keep on giving to missions until Jesus returns!

In some of the historical materials provided by the church was a fitting quote – “Where does a church come from? It is born in the hearts of a people, who have a mutual love for the Lord and a companion desire to serve Him.” The name of Garden City Baptist Church will forever be attached to yearly offerings to provide for missions causes in our state, our continent, and around the world! What a joy it is to provide the vehicle that opened a window when doors were closed!