What is the Vardry McBee Society? The Vardry McBee Society was established by Christ Church and the
Christ Church Endowment Corporation to honor those who include our
parish in their estate plans. Planned gifts of any amount qualify. All
it takes to become a member of the Vardry McBee Society is to inform the
church that you have made provision for Christ Church in your will or
estate planning.
Estate gifts are held in trust by the Christ Church Endowment Corporation. The Fund enables the parish to develop and enhance ministries and properties beyond what is possible through annual operating funds. The Endowment Fund provides assurance that the life and ministry of Christ Church will continue in perpetuity.
Gifts can be made in life, by bequest, or on a deferred basis. Many
of these gift opportunities offer significant financial benefits to the
donor.
If you'd like more information, please contact Kristin Bennett at 864.672.4148 or complete this legacy giving interest form.
Leave a Legacy:
Faithful Stewardship - Lasting Impact
There are simple steps that require little time, yet can be very beneficial in reducing your estate tax liability while making an enormous difference in the future of Christ Church. Although we do not provide legal or professional advice, we would be pleased to visit with you about basic bequest language or to engage in a deeper conversation about various additional planned giving options that might interest you. Want to know more? Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions
Vardry McBee Society Member Testimonial
"Continuing God’s presence, grace, and blessings"
We love Christ Church. It has been our family’s spiritual home for more than 40 years. It is where we have worshipped and learned, received pastoral care during challenging times, and worked as volunteers in many of its outreach programs that together serve thousands of poor and disenfranchised in our community and beyond each year.
Over its 200-year history, Christ Church has met the needs of its congregation and others through its ministries and programs. Traditionally, these have been funded by annual giving from its parishioners and, to a lesser extent, by income provided by proceeds from a modest endowment. In recent decades, the experience of our church, and churches everywhere, has been that the cost of developing and maintaining vital ministries has increased faster than contributions. This trend is expected to continue and has increased the urgency of building our endowment.
In recognition of this, we have arranged a gift to the church’s endowment in our will. It was easy to do with the help and input from the Rector and church staff, and we were able to designate the proceeds of our gift to two ministries of the church that were particularly important to us.
Knowing that our gift will help continue God’s presence, grace, and blessings in the lives of future generations of parishioners at Christ Church brings us true joy and peace.
We hope others will join us.
Learn more about different gift options:
About Vardry McBee
Vardry McBee has been called the Father of Greenville in recognition of his many contributions to our community. Referred to as “McBee’s Tithe,” his philanthropy included grants of land and lumber to build Greenville’s first churches. On September 2, 1825, Vardry McBee donated “four acres and twenty-three poles” for the establishment of an Episcopal Church, the first of Greenville’s original downtown churches. (Mr. McBee also later donated land for the first Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Catholic churches in Greenville.)
Because of this one individual’s generosity and vision, Christ Church thrives today as A Joyful Community Sharing Life in Jesus Christ. Like Vardry McBee, there are many faithful parishioners and friends of Christ Church, past and present, who have acknowledged their gratefulness to God and their love of this parish through planned giving. In addition to supporting the parish’s ministry and mission, a planned gift expresses your personal values and continues the stewardship of your life allowing you to have a lasting impact on the lives of others beyond your lifetime. Please consider including Christ Church in your estate plans.
