A Legacy of Vision and Generosity
In the Gospel of John, Chapter 10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” These are stories of Canadian Presbyterians who truly lived their lives fully.
A bequest from Marion and Bruce Berry supported Presbyterians Sharing and PWS&D. Learn more.
Giollo Kelly became one of the first women elders in 1966 and one of the first Presbyterians to acquire a gift annuity in 1994. Learn more.
Colonel J.B. Maclean established Maclean Publishing, and bequeathed his beloved experimental farm to the PCC in 1950. It became Crieff Hills Conference Centre which hosts thousands of visitors each year. Learn more.
Dr. James Naismith graduated from Presbyterian College in Montreal, but then he decided he could have a greater impact through sports than in congregational ministry. While training to be a YMCA director, he invented basketball in 1891. The James Naismith Foundation maintains the Naismith Museum in Almonte, ON, and supports basketball programs in First Nations communities. Learn more.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (who wish to remain anonymous) gave $200,000 from their stock portfolio to help maintain their local church facility so that the light of God’s love will continue to shine through its stained glass windows for at least the next twenty years.
Lord Strathcona (Donald Smith) co-founded the Canadian Pacific Railroad and drove the last spike in 1885. His generous donations established the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and provided scholarships for the first women to study at McGill University. Learn more.
George van Beek gift of stock launched the Avondbloem Experimental Fund in 1981 which has provided grants for more than 120 creative ministry projects across Canada. Learn more.
Isabella Walton’s gift to the PCC of her farm in Scarborough, ON became Walton Place, which houses Westminster Church, a 104 unit apartment complex and the Isabella Walton Childcare Centre. Learn more.
Helen Watson’s bequest to St. David’s Church in Halifax established the Watson Endowment Fund, which has disbursed over $110,000 for a variety of ministries in Nova Scotia. Learn more.
Dr. Simon Wing’s gift of stock commissioned a communion table for Montreal Chinese Presbyterian Church in memory of his father, James Wing, and the thousands of Chinese immigrants who were forced to pay the Chinese head tax in Canada. Learn more.
What will your legacy be? All of these people and countless others are visionaries and we are the beneficiaries of their faith and generosity. But we don’t have to remain just beneficiaries; through our planned gifts we can also become benefactors and leave enduring legacies of our own.
The good news of planned giving is that we don’t have to be rich to have an enduring impact through our philanthropy. By using the tax benefits and by pooling our resources with other Presbyterians, we can leave larger gifts than we may have imagined possible and plant seeds of hope for generations to come. What will your legacy be?
“Therefore Jesus said again, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”.”
John 10:7a,10b
For More Information
The Stewardship & Planned Giving staff are available to help you turn your philanthropic wishes into reality.
To learn how a charitable bequest in your will, a gift annuity or another planned gift can leave a lasting legacy for generations to come, please contact us:
The Presbyterian Church in Canada strongly recommends that you seek professional advice so that your legacy gift is tailored to your circumstances.
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