Still Sharing the Story

THE CALL: 2026–2027    |    4 MINUTE READ
KEVIN PHILLIPS, MAJOR GIFT OFFICER

As a young woman in Chicago, Florence attended church with WGM president Rev. Dr. George Warner and his wife, Bertha. She remembers the couple participating in Christmas programs and regularly opening their home to missionaries. “WGM didn't have a lot,” she recalled, “but they were good stewards of what they did have.”

When I recently spoke with Florence, now 97, it was clear that her heart for missions remains strong. Though her connection to WGM stretches back more than 70 years, what struck me most was that she is still finding ways to be involved. Her call to WGM wasn't about her own estate plans, which already included the mission, but about helping a friend learn how to leave a legacy gift.

I asked what led her to include WGM in her estate plans, and her answer kept coming back to one word: trust. For Florence, that trust was built through decades of watching WGM leaders and missionaries serve with integrity and compassion.

“It is important to invest in God's kingdom because things are changing, and we need to talk about God for future generations,” she said.

Florence regularly reads stories from WGM's book The Best of the Story: Miraculous Answers to Prayer to neighbors in her retirement community. Written by WGM retiree Dr. Burnis Bushong, the book shares stories of God answering prayer through missionaries, supporters, and prayer partners. “They find these stories amazing,” Florence said of her neighbors. “They don't often hear stories of answered prayers.”

Prayer continues to shape Florence's life as well. She consistently prays and reads scripture over the phone with her daughter, and stories in The Call help guide her prayers for missionaries serving around the world.

At the end of our conversation, Florence prayed for me over the phone. I hung up encouraged not only by her generosity but by her enduring faithfulness. For decades, she has found ways to participate in what God is doing around the world and now, through her legacy gift, she is helping carry that story forward.

ACTION STEP

GIVE: Florence’s story reminds us that faithful giving can bear fruit both now and for generations to come. When you give today, you help missionaries and ministries share the hope of Christ in real time. When you include WGM in your estate plans, you help carry that same mission forward for the people and places God is preparing us to reach tomorrow.

Meet the Author

Kevin Phillips

Kevin serves in the Advancement Department. Along with his wife and two daughters, Kevin previously served as a missionary in Hungary for 10 years. Today, he has the privilege of connecting with many of WGM’s faithful mission partners. He enjoys spending time with his family, including his two very active grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys watching sports and pursuing landscape photography.