As the members of Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church in metro Atlanta began to plan the celebration of the church’s 70^th anniversary in the spring of 2024, it became clear that one element of its past was also crucial to its future: The Mount Vernon Presbyterian Foundation.

Established in 1998 and now holding some $1.5 million in managed investment accounts, the Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Foundation was created to provide financial support for “church-related and outreach projects beyond funds provided by the church itself.” According to John Allen, chair, it uses “returns on investments to support additional outreach that our church is interested in” but cannot pay for out of its annual budget. The church’s foundation also provides funding for necessary repairs and maintenance of the sanctuary, Sunday School rooms, administrative suite, and campus.

Allen and others are quick to cite the Presbyterian Foundation resources that he and other church foundation board members have used to manage the funds and communicate with the congregation.

“The Presbyterian Foundation’s sources of information have been invaluable to us,” he said, citing in particular “Legacy Planning for Individuals” and “Legacy Planning for Church Leaders,” the Foundation’s guides to individual estate planning for church members and legacy giving for sessions and pastors. “We used these materials to communicate with our congregation about wills and estate planning.”

The Rev. Barrett Abernethy, Pastor/Head of Staff at Mt. Vernon, echoed Allen’s sentiments.

“I serve as an Ex-Officio Member of the MVP Foundation Board and I have looked to Presbyterian Foundation resources and to Ministry Relations Officers to help me understand how best to use these resources and to create alignment between a Foundation and the church,” he said. “The PCUSA is blessed with so many vital entities that clergy like me can go to when we need support and further knowledge, and the Presbyterian Foundation is truly one of those cornerstones.”

Rev. Dana Waters, the Presbyterian Foundation’s Ministry Relations Officer who serves the Southeast, says the church’s commitment to ministry is remarkable. “Mount Vernon is truly using the gifts entrusted to them in faithful ways,” Waters said. “The church has been thoughtful and practiced wonderful stewardship. This effort showcases what congregations can do with the materials we provide at the Foundation, and it is a joy to hear that our work is meaningful and helpful. Barrett is a gifted pastor and a friend, and I know that Mount Vernon is blessed by his faithful leadership.”

Board members also used the Presbyterian Foundation’s online resources to create a slide presentation on legacy giving, including a link to a video.

“The Presbyterian Foundation materials add legitimacy and credibility to what we are saying about gifts to the MVP Foundation,” said Mt. Vernon congregant Charlie Gray. “On a regular basis during my time on the board we used Presbyterian Foundation materials to communicate with the congregation about estate planning and lifetime giving. In my time as a member of this congregation, I remember receiving Presbyterian Foundation materials regularly.”

During the worship service celebrating the 70^th anniversary of the founding of Mt. Vernon, Allen and other members of the Foundation board announced the “70 for 70” campaign. The Foundation pledged to match $70,000 if members and friends of Mt. Vernon contributed $70,000. Those funds will be used for “building and campus improvements,” said board member Gloria Gillespie, noting that the aging facilities need regular preventive maintenance to guarantee functionality for decades to come.

In a little more than a quarter-century, the board of the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Foundation has distributed more than $700,000 to support the youth ministry at the church, the Mount Vernon School, Alliance for Children Everywhere, Community Assistance Center, Los Niños Primero, Family Promise, Clifton Sanctuary Ministries, Stirred Up Ministries, and Faith Works Schools. While the church proper also supports many of these organizations, Allen said, the Foundation has the financial resources and the operational flexibility to support “additional outreach programs that our church is interested in. Our church is filled with generous donors who, thanks to support from the Presbyterian Foundation, understand what our Foundation is and how it operates.”