[1]Mission:Dignity gifts matched up to $400K on #GivingTuesday
By Roy Hayhurst
DALLAS (BP) – Gifts to Mission:Dignity will be matched for those giving during the annual #GivingTuesday emphasis Dec. 1. The first $400,000 raised on the #GivingTuesday, which falls the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving each year, will be matched thanks to the generosity of donors.
The fundraising emphasis comes on the heels of a successful Mission:Dignity Sunday in August, when, for the first time, gifts exceeded $1 million.
Mission:Dignity – the GuideStone ministry that provides financial support for retired Southern Baptist pastors, workers and their widows – serves as a tangible expression of the vision of GuideStone founder William Lunsford, who led the ministry from its inception in 1918.
“We are thankful for the donors who understand the importance of the God-birthed and God-honoring ministry of Mission:Dignity and are willing to help double the impact for our recipients,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said. “We would encourage anyone who is interested in giving this year to consider multiplying the effectiveness of their gift by giving it on Tuesday, Dec. 1.”
Mission:Dignity receives no Cooperative Program gifts; it is funded entirely by the gifts of individuals, Sunday school classes and local churches. One hundred percent of gifts goes to help retired pastors, workers or widows in need. Administrative costs are provided for by an endowment established many years ago for that purpose.
[2]Mission:Dignity director Aaron Meraz said he constantly hears from recipients about just how much these financial gifts mean to them, especially in a year of such uncertainty.
“For some, it means being able to stay in the familiar surroundings of their own home,” Meraz said. “For others, it covers the cost of groceries, utilities, prescriptions and other necessities. But for each of them, it’s an expression of the love and care of their Southern Baptist family.”
Marvin Jones elected president of Yellowstone Christian College
By Norm Miller
BILLINGS, Mont. — By unanimous vote, the Yellowstone Christian College Board of Directors elected Marvin Jones Oct. 31 as the school’s eighth president. He will begin his new role on December 7.
Jones will take the YCC helm as he leaves Louisiana College (SBC) in Pineville. During his tenure there since 2013, Jones served as chair of the Christian Studies Department and assistant professor of theology and church history.
“Dr. Marvin Jones is a man of great stature, and we are excited for him to lead Yellowstone Christian College,” said Lee Merck, YCC’s presidential search committee chairman and chairman of the board. “I believe God has prepared him for such a time as this. As we move forward with the mission of the college, his skill set will be invaluable.
“Dr. Jones is a tremendous scholar and a proven administrator. He is a tested leader ready to face the challenges of a new era that is consistently being shaped by an ever-changing culture. Bringing strength to the Baptist work in Montana, he will be a great president of the college.”
Barrett Duke, executive director of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention, said, “Yellowstone Christian College is a crucial part of what the church needs to do in Montana and in this region. The college provides a way to train our pastors and laypeople right here at home.
“We don’t have to send students to another state to get a superb education grounded in a biblical worldview. God will raise them up here and keep them here to strengthen the work of the gospel in our region.”
Jones has served the Southern Baptist Convention at the national, state and associational levels. Since 1991, he has served local churches as senior pastor and interim pastor, traveled nationally and internationally for academic and missions purposes and earned significant academic credentials.