How your IRA can Strengthen the Global Church—Now and Later

“For all things come from you, and from your hand we have given you.”
1 Chronicles 29:14b

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We thank God for you and your heart to train pastors and leaders for the church in places of poverty, pressure, and potential. On behalf of Langham scholars, pastors, and authors around the world, we are so grateful!

As a kingdom steward with a heart for God’s global church, have you considered that your retirement fund might be your greatest resource for generous giving?

Did you know that your children or other heirs will likely pay significant taxes if they inherit your tax-deferred retirement funds? This is just one of the reasons many of our faithful ministry partners have chosen to give from their retirement funds both now and with a future legacy gift.

Here are four reasons why your retirement fund could be the best way to give generously and make an incredible Kingdom Impact:

Your retirement fund is likely one of your greatest assets

For many, the impact of making retirement contributions over decades and the growth in investment value means that most of their assets are held within a tax-deferred retirement fund. What a blessing to think of these funds as Kingdom resources, and to imagine how they could be used to train pastors and strengthen the church in the Majority World!

Current gifts from your IRA can reduce your taxes

Once you reach 73 years of age, you must begin to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your IRA. These RMD’s increase your income and therefore your taxes. But…if you are over age 70 ½, tax law allows you to gift up to $100,000 each year from your IRA directly to charity and exclude that amount from your annual taxable income. This is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) and is becoming a favorite way for retirees to give generously. With the higher standard deduction in recent years, many individuals no longer deduct their charitable contributions. Giving from your IRA reduces your income and still allows you to benefit from the higher standard deduction.

A legacy gift from your retirement fund can be a transformative gift that also reduces taxes for your heirs

Many Langham donors have found that they will make their largest gift ever by naming Langham as a beneficiary of a portion or all of their retirement fund.

• This gift costs nothing during your lifetime, but it can have a powerful impact on the global church in the future. 
  
• These gift arrangements only require naming Langham Partnership as a beneficiary, and they can reduce taxes for your heirs since most non-spouse beneficiaries will pay taxes when they inherit money from a tax-deferred retirement account.
  
• If you choose to name Langham as a beneficiary of your retirement funds, please include our name, address, and tax ID number on your beneficiary designation form: 
  
  Langham Partnership
  P.O. Box 189
  Cave Creek, AZ 85327
  Tax ID: 23-7417198
  
• When you include Langham in your legacy giving plans, please let us know. We would love to welcome you to our growing community of friends who are part of our Cross of Christ Legacy Fellowship.

A gift from your retirement fund can be an expression of what you love and value

As retirement funds grow over the years, they remind us of God’s provision and His generosity toward us. When we give we demonstrate our gratitude to God, and we declare our trust in Him to provide. In our giving, we also align our hearts with God’s purposes. As our founder John Stott has said, “Our Christian giving can express our theology. When we give to the maturing of the church, we acknowledge its centrality in God’s purposes and His desire for its maturity.”

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A Free Offer for You 

Our friends at the Barnabas Foundation have recently recorded a helpful video to detail the benefits of giving from your retirement fund along with the process for making these gifts. Additionally, because so many of our friends can benefit from charitable planning, we have entered into partnership with a network of Christian charitable planners (including attorneys and philanthropic advisors) who can help you with your charitable planning. Like you, these planners love the Lord, the global church, and wise stewardship.

At no cost to you and with no obligation, a planner will answer your questions with clarity, integrity, and the utmost confidentiality. They can help you make important, God-honoring decisions in an atmosphere of complete confidence and trust. Planners are located in different regions of the country and are available to meet by phone, over Zoom, or in person. To get introduced, simply reach out to Kevin VandenBrink at kevin.vandenbrink@langham.org or 314-488-0256.

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