Columbia International
University alumnus Ken Crabb
(’88) and his wife Susan served
for 10 years as missionaries
to Chile with the Presbyterian
Church in America (PCA).
Returning to the United States
in 2000, Ken became missions
pastor at Arden PCA near
Asheville, North Carolina for
13 years. Since the time they
left for the mission field, they
had been renting out their
home in West Columbia, South Carolina. After retiring in 2013,
they began to evaluate and consider the advantages and
disadvantages of keeping the home. That’s when Ken’s alma
mater entered the picture once again. Here is their testimony of
the benefits of estate and gift planning through CIU:
After praying and consulting with our children, we all agreed
that this was the time to relinquish the house. We wondered
how best we could be faithful stewards and looked for possible
recipients. Having been so wonderfully blessed, we thought
it best not to try and sell the house but to donate it to a good
ministry. The Lord then impressed on us both – what about
CIU? Would they consider receiving the gift of our home?
A simple call to the Estate and Gift Planning Department at
CIU began a relationship with Keith Marion, vice president of
the department. We had several discussions with Keith and he
asked to meet us in our home in Fletcher, North Carolina. He
introduced us to the Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT),
giving us a way to bless CIU by donating the house to the
university. Keith and his department made an assessment of
the house and put it on the market to sell. They assumed all the
details of the house – upkeep, bringing it to the market, and
finding a buyer.
In addition, CRUT allows us to bypass the issue of capital
gains on our property, provides us a Charitable Income Tax
deduction, and a stream of income for the next 20 years. It
also allows us to provide for two additional future ministry
beneficiaries: Mission to the World (PCA’s Sending Agency)
and Third Millennial, a ministry to train pastors around the
world. What a blessing! We were particularly blessed that CIU
graduates bought the house!
We had never anticipated such a win-win situation! We were
relieved of all the details of disposing of an asset needing
significant renovation that would have run into thousands
of dollars. We were enabled to honor and benefit CIU and
return the blessings received from graduate work there. The
Lord gave us joy in being able to donate an asset that would
continue to give – to our physical needs and the needs of
ministries for years. How great is our God!
Thank you, Keith and your associates for allowing us to be
better stewards. We highly recommend this designated giving
option and encourage others to contact these fine people. May
God be praised for His goodness!
Learn more about Estate and Gift Planning by contacting
Keith Marion at (803) 807-5011 or
kmarion@ciu.edu.The Benefits of Estate and Gift Planning
The Testimony of Ken & Susan Crabb
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