By Staff
JEFFERSON CITY—The Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Executive Board has created, at the request of MBC Executive Director David Tolliver, the Vivian McCaughan Missional Living Endowment Fund.
Voted on July 13, it is named for the longtime MBC staffer and women’s missions and ministry leader who died April 18. Tolliver wants it to grow to be at least $1 million by Oct. 25. That should generate $40,000-$50,000 a year in interest income that could go to MBC staffers in the form of grants to satisfy ministry needs in four primary areas—church planting, partnership missions, leadership development, and multi-housing ministry.
“This will give us a way to continually honor Vivian,” Tolliver said.
Fed by three separate funds blended into one, the new endowment consists of approximately $790,000. The New Work Fund, which was a combination of the old Building Fund and Site Reserve Fund, is $589,505 of the total. The other two funding sources are from church planting and partnership missions endowments.
Board members also voted to authorize a special offering to be taken Oct. 26 at the MBC’s annual meeting in Springfield for the purpose of increasing the new endowment. Messengers will be asked to approve the same recommendation.
“Keep her vision alive,” a teary-eyed Jim McCaughan said to Executive Board members in an emotional tribute to his late wife. “I’m very happy with this endowment fund.” When he was finished speaking, board members rose to give him a standing ovation.
McCaughan was a 22-year state missionary who finished her race on earth as leader of the MBC’s Missions & Evangelism team.