Thursday, August 01, 2024

REMEMBERING

Donald L. Stern (99), who for more than 30 years served as stewardship and planned giving staff for the former Church of the Brethren General Board, died on June 26 in Lacey, Wash.

Born in Freeport, Ill., he married Betty Reeves of Albia, Iowa, in 1947. He graduated from McPherson (Kan.) College and Bethany Theological Seminary.

Stern’s service to the denomination began in 1956 as assistant secretary of the Brotherhood Fund and stewardship education. Beginning in 1963, he and his wife, Betty, served an eight-year term on the Nigerian mission field during a time of rapid growth of the church in Nigeria.

In 1970 Don returned to the US with his family to serve on the Stewardship Enlistment Team. He gave leadership to the Lafiya funding program that made it possible for the Rural Health Program to be launched in Nigeria. In the 1980’s he began to devote full-time attention to planned giving and organized an expanded planned giving program for the denomination. He was also a leader in the life of the National Council of Churches’ Commission on Stewardship. Don retired in 1990 after 33 years of service to the Church of the Brethren.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.