The Legacy Program is an endowment program initially established in 2002 to serve the current and future needs of our church and our community. The Legacy Program is administered by the Legacy Committee established by church leadership. The Legacy Program needs your support ... today!

As a member or friend of SMUMC, you likely have a favorite program or activity at the church that is especially meaningful to you. It may be a music program, youth activity, mission or other outreach program, or one of the many other areas at SMUMC that serve our congregation and community and bring the love of God closer to the lives of our friends and neighbors The Legacy Committee established this website in the hope that it will provide you with useful information on the Legacy Program.

The Committee encourages all adult members of SMUMC, as a part of their long-range financial and estate planning, to consider establishing a legacy that will endure for generations to come by supporting the mission and ministry of SMUMC through a perpetual gift to the St. Matthew’s Legacy Program.

We believe the information and documents included in this webpage will be helpful in deciding how your support for the Legacy Program might play a role in such planning. After reviewing this information, if unanswered questions remain, please contact a member of the Legacy Committee. If you are interested in considering a gift to the Legacy Program, we would be glad to visit with you at your convenience.

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Legacy Program is two-fold. First, to encourage all adult members to establish a long-term financial plan, to consider the value that “planned giving” can provide to your estate, and to understand the role that “planned giving” can also play in sustaining the future of SMUMC. Second, to establish permanent and meaningful financial support through the Legacy Program that can strengthen, expand, and preserve the ministry and mission of SMUMC and provide a permanent, living memorial to the donor and/or their designee.

The current members of our Legacy Committee are:

• Herb Hopwood-Chairman

  703-938-2040

• Elaine Steele - At Large

• Steve Lingle - At Large

• Steve Delvecchio - At Large

• Jim Godlove- Treasurer

OUR HISTORY

St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church was chartered in 1957.  On April 17, 2002, a Charge Conference of SMUMC approved the original charter of the “Endowment Program.”  The program was revised in 2010 based upon newly established guidance from the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Subsequently, in 2011, a Charge Conference of SMUMC approved significant changes to the program charter including a new investment policy guideline and a new gift acceptance guideline for the program.  These changes did not alter the principal mission of the Endowment Program, but they provided greater detail on the management of its assets, the various program funds established within the program, and the distribution of assets from those funds to support the mission and ministry of SMUMC.  Since that date, the program has received gifts in support of scholarships, missions, property improvements, and other memorials and has benefited from a market-based investment strategy.  In 2016, the name of the program was changed to the Legacy Program. 

YOUR PERSONAL LEGACY

When you provide a charitable gift to the Legacy Program, you are taking a bold step toward establishing a personal legacy that will affect the lives of those you may never meet.  You have joined a fellowship of stewards within St. Matthew’s that dates from 1957 and even earlier in those churches that had the foresight to support the establishment of new Methodist churches, including St. Matthew’s. 

• Your gift will become a permanent legacy to benefit many programs, missions and ministries of SMUMC and ensure that they will continue to serve those who come after us in perpetuity. 

• Your generosity of spirit will enrich all who will benefit from your gift for generations to come. 

• Your gift to the Legacy Program, whether immediate or deferred, will be carefully managed and used strictly as you specify to ensure that the legacy you wish to create becomes a reality … in perpetuity. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF ST. MATTHEW’S LEGACY PROGRAM

• “Your Gift; Your Way” ... gifts to the Legacy Program are used as directed by the donor.

• Gifts are subject to established “Gift Acceptance Guidelines” to ensure that they will serve the best interests of both the donor and the Church.

•  Gifts can be immediate (e.g., cash, securities, or real estate), deferred (e.g., life insurance policies or wills), or lifetime (e.g., charitable remainder trust, or annuities) based upon the long-term financial interests and planned giving needs of the donor.

• “Designated” or “undesignated” gifts in any amount may be given to the General Legacy Fund to support missions, scholarships, or facility expansion and improvements that are not included in St. Matthew’s annual budget.

• “Designated gifts” of at least $25,000 may be given to establish a newNamed Permanent Legacy Fund to support the purpose identified by the donor. 

• Gifts in any amount may be made to supplement any existing general or Named Permanent Legacy Fund.

• Assets within the Legacy Program are subject to approved “Investment Policy Guidelines” which provide detailed procedures on asset management and annual asset distributions.

 THREE STEPS TO GET STARTED

 1. Set aside time to consider your long-term financial interests and how on-target you are in achieving these long-range goals for your family and your retirement and in creating a permanent legacy within the St. Matthew’s community.  

• Visit a financial planning professional to investigate the many ways a well-designed giving approach may contribute to your long-term financial interests.  

• Participate in workshops that the Legacy Program sponsors from time-to-time to help connect the dots between financial and estate planning and long-term planned giving.

2.   Consider those mission and ministries of St. Matthews that are most closely aligned with your personal and your family’s interests and reflect the personal legacy you wish to create for that mission or ministry.  

•  Are there programs (such as music, youth, missions or outreach, just to name a few) which you believe may benefit over the long-term from targeted giving through the Legacy Program. 

• Do you have a particular interest in establishing or supporting a scholarship to fund a special type of youth or education program that is beyond the scope of our annual budget?  

• Are there particular areas or groups of individuals in our church community or beyond that you would like to serve or support?   

Any of these may provide the inspiration to establish a unique Legacy fund or to provide additional support to an existing general or named Legacy fund.  Visit with one of our Pastors or a person in the specific program area at SMUMC or a member of the Legacy Committee to help you better understand where your gift might best accomplish your wishes.  Then contact the Legacy Committee to assist you in making that happen.  If you have an interest, we can help create a way forward to achieve the outcome you desire.

3.      The Legacy Committee is available to assist you in identifying a variety of options that may be of value in your planned giving decisions.  However, only your financial, tax or legal advisor can provide the expert advice you need to make decisions that are in your best interest.  They can help you realize the maximum tax and legal advantages allowed for your gift.

LINKS TO KEY LEGACY PROGRAM DOCUMENTS AND OTHER RESOURCES