George
F. O'Pray
Legacy
Society
To
find out more or to become a member, contact:
Donna
Vanstrom, Planned Giving
The
Rev. Eric Williams, Rector
The Rev. George F. O'Pray
A
Message from the Rector:
I
recently read a wonderful article on parish ministry entitled, “Polishing the
Silver.” The author focused on the
heritage that current members and clergy receive as a gift from previous
generations. One of our duties, he
said, is to make sure that we keep the silver polished for current members and
future generations as well.
At St. Luke’s we have been
blessed abundantly with a rich heritage and tradition.
Through the efforts of past clergy and lay leaders we have magnificent
buildings and a proud tradition of leadership and service in our community.
All of these came to us purely as gift.
We did not earn or create them.
But this great heritage needs to be
maintained. We cannot allow our
silver to become tarnished through neglect.
Now it is our turn to make sure that future generations enjoy an even
stronger and more secure St. Luke’s.
Therefore I urge all members of St.
Luke’s to do the following things:
1)
Prayerfully consider the people and institutions that are precious
to you: family, charities, church, civic groups, etc.
2)
Make sure that those priorities, including St. Luke’s, are
included in your will.
I would be more than happy to
discuss specific gift vehicles with you at any time.
I would also be delighted to answer any questions you may have regarding
planned giving at St. Luke’s.
Faithfully,
Eric M. Williams,
Rector
Purpose:
The St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Legacy Society is being formed to recognize those persons who have made a
documented planned gift to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church or the Diocese of
Western New York.
Benefits:
Members of the Legacy Society know
that they have looked beyond this life and made provisions for the continuing
financial support of their Christian community.
How
to
Become a Member:
You become a member of the Legacy
Society when you:
1)
make provision for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church or the Diocese of
Western New York through some form of planned gift, and
2)
inform St. Luke’s in writing of this gift.
How
to Make a Gift to the Endowment Fund:
The choice of an appropriate
planned gift vehicle usually provides significant tax advantages to the donor.
Some of the most common are:
Gift in Life:
a gift of cash, securities, or other assets.
Bequest:
provides for loved ones, the church and others through a provision in the
donor’s Will.
Life Insurance:
allows a large gift at small cost by giving a new or existing policy or
by designating the church as beneficiary of the policy.
Charitable
Remainder Trust:
allows a donor to receive income for life while making a major gift to
the church; the Pooled Income Fund and Charitable Gift Annuity are similar
vehicles for smaller gifts.
Questions?
For more information about planned giving at St. Luke’s, please contact
the rector at 483-6405. For specific
information about the type of gift that is appropriate for you, speak to your
attorney or financial advisor.
George
F. O’Pray
The Reverend George F. O’Pray
became Rector of St. Luke’s on
November 12, 1951
. He came to us from St. Clement’s
Church in
Buffalo
. Upon his arrival, Father George
was faced with many things that needed immediate attention. In very short order,
a Loyalty Sunday Campaign was organized to raise needed funds.
In 1953, Mrs. Kate Vanderburgh
Ashwell, long-time member of St. Luke’s died.
In her will, a most generous bequest was made to the Church with the
request that it be invested in a trust fund, the income of which was to be used
to insure the future of St. Luke’s. This
was the beginning of what we now know as our Endowment Fund.
Throughout the twenty five years
St. Luke’s was blessed to have Father George as our Rector, the Church grew
and flourished. He was committed to
protecting the future of the Church through an aggressive endowment campaign.
This is one of the many gifts Father George gave to St. Luke’s.
Won’t you join us in continuing
his work to advance the mission of St. Luke’s by strengthening the church for
years to come?
