Holy Spirit Endowment Fund

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others lives forever.

The mission and ministry of Holy Spirit's Endowment Fund is to support the church's long term Christian ministry and growth in the Holy Spirit community by providing start-up capital for projects and programs within the parish. 

Donations from parishioners and friends of the church may include cash, appreciated stock, paid-up life insurance, bequests in wills, as beneficiary of a life insurance policy, IRAs and 401k plans.  These gifts are gratefully acknowledged with an engraved leaf on the Endowment Tree in the Church Narthex identifying the individual or individuals on whose behalf the gift was given.   Giving to the Endowment Fund is a wonderful opportunity to create a memorial for a loved one that will both honor them and provide long-lasting benefits for Holy Spirit Episcopal Church.

Current Endowment Fund board members are John Givens, Claire Martin, Sandy Knight, Jennie Perry, Wendy Mixon and Travis McDermott.  Please contact any one of these parishioners to hear more about Holy Spirit's Endowment story and the different ways to become a supporter or grant recipient.

The Endowment Tree:  A Letter from Jennie Perry

As a member of the Endowment Board I recently did an audit of the Endowment Tree in the Narthex.  This effort not only verified that each of the gifts received was properly recognized with a leaf, it gave me a chance to really look at the names and families represented.  I saw names of people who are gone now, some who have died and others who have moved away.  It gave me such pleasure to recall those faces and personalities.  I remembered Alice Jean Winters with her graciousness and beautiful soprano voice.  I remembered Jacque Nixon with her elegant style and how she played the tambourine in the folk choir.  Mary Ann Smith’s name was there and I smiled at remembering her lovely southern accent and incredible knowledge of the bible.   Anne Graham has a leaf, her joy of life  is a precious memory.    There is also a leaf for a lady whose real name was Eulla Mae Ricotelli, but we all knew her as Miss Pat.  Her leaf simply says “Miss Pat – She loved Jesus”.   To me she will always be the tall stately lady who could wear a hat better than anyone I know.

My late husband Emmet’s name is on a couple of leaves.  One I gave, one is from friends and one from the acolytes.  I can’t describe how special it is to see him remembered so well in a place he loved so much.

I also saw names of people I still see on Sundays. Carole Beerbower gave one in thanksgiving for this parish family.  I see names of children who I watched grow up at Holy Spirit, Jackson Hart, Trey and Scott Myer to name a few.  Some leaves are given by parents, some by children, one has been given in honor of a birthday.  There are leaves on our tree simply to the glory of God.

These names and so many others are part of the heart of Holy Spirit.  They represent the past and so much of the future of a special place with great roots and history but also of a place growing and expanding to reach new heights.   Their names are etched in our hearts but also at our church where they will always be recognized and well remembered.

I encourage you to stop every now and then and read these names, remember those special people, recall the children who you watched grow and those we can see no more.  Give thanks as you see names and recall their special presence.  Also give thanks for those who have given these leaves as a lasting gift of love and thanksgiving.  Your heart will smile as mine does at the memories. 

Very fondly and in His name,

Jennie Perry