Purchasing an initial 7 ½ acres, two building projects and financing 85% of the cost of Mercy Maternity Home and the nearly 2 acres that went with it began to add up.  Although considerable monies had already been raised and paid toward these projects, the net result as of the fall of 2000 was a balance due of nearly $870,000.00.  The interest alone each year was a sobering total and it seemed only prudent to reduce our indebtedness as soon as possible.

The stewardship campaign of 2000 was the first in our history and a considerable amount of money was pledged to be paid in the following three years.  Each year we chipped away at the principal balance on our church facilities.  It was exciting to see the genuine sacrifice and generosity from so many common folks who simply wanted to do something special for our church.  As the concluding months approached in our third year, it was obvious our goal to pay off the church mortgage and Mercy Maternity Home mortgage was not going to happen.  Although a little disappointed, reducing the church mortgage debt was still a major accomplishment and everyone knew it.  The final Sunday of the campaign came and the nearly $20,000.00 given on that one day completely paid off the church debt.  Praise the Lord!

Believe me when I tell you I was truly grateful, and so was our church family.  Imagine, however, the feeling I got when someone emailed me the following week with one simple question, “How much is the total indebtedness at Mercy Maternity Home?”  I quickly responded, “The total debt is $98,000.00.”  The email response came in two days.  It read, “You will receive two checks in the mail, one for $80,000.00 and the other for $18,000.00.  Enjoy!”  I held my breath for about a week but sure enough both checks arrived and our entire indebtedness was eliminated.  All in all, when all of our properties are considered (13 acres, church facilities and 2 houses), over 1.2 million dollars in debt was paid off in about four years (1999 – 2003).  Once again, it was an amazing testimony of the power of vision, unity, sacrifice and generosity.

Vision sometimes stretches us beyond our limits and causes us to ask for grace from others and the benefit of the doubt from those you serve. Such was the case when we were given the opportunity to purchase our second home located on the church property.  We had just completed our first stewardship campaign with the goal of eliminating our mortgage debt (for the church buildings and Mercy Maternity Home).  The response had been very positive and we were on our way with our goal of getting completely out of debt at the end of the three year campaign.  This would require spending discipline as well as generosity and sacrifice from our congregation.  Then, from out of nowhere, came the opportunity to buy the home next to Mercy Maternity Home that we had eventually desired to use as a home for missionaries home on furlough or preparing to leave for the mission field.  We felt this opportunity would come several years down the road but not just after our stewardship campaign began!

The cost of the home and three acres of land was $325,000.00.   Our commitment to the congregation was that in the short-term we would take no additional financed indebtedness that incurred interest.  The owners agreed to $25,000.00 in upfront cash (which we did not have) and a $100,000.00 annual payment for the next three years, no interest or finance charges.  We had two $10,000.00 gifts in a matter of a week and the balance of $5,000.00 the next week.  It was a major step of faith but our congregation approved to move forward.

The remarkable part of this journey is that over the next three years no special offerings were requested at church to make the $100,000.00 yearly payment, not one.  Many designated gifts were given by individuals during that three year period that literally overlapped our stewardship campaign.  These designated gifts were added to the transfer of mission funds and an occasional allotment from our general fund.  In the end, no interest payment was made and the entire balance was paid off in the three year period.  Today, in addition to the various missionary families that have used the home, much of the property from this purchase is now a baseball/soccer/football field used by local recreational teams and hundreds of children in our community.

Tags: Terry Crigger, Christ's Chapel, Mercy Maternity Home