Sending an Echo Into Eternity

by Douglas E. Griffin on May 24, 2021

A favorite line of mine from an Academy award-winning movie that captures the essence of estate planning is: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

Whether it’s when we leave our children for Heaven or the time for our church has run its course, our impact can continue.

Last year, a dear friend who was a widower went to be with the Lord.  Her wishes were

to both take care of her struggling daughter and to give to the Lord. As a lawyer, I strive to develop solutions, and for my friend, I had one: a charitable gift annuity or “CGA.”  The CGA accomplished three goals for her child:  (1) a lifetime stream of income for support no matter how long her daughter lived; (2) the source of the income is asset protected (neither her child nor anyone else could get to the source of the income); and (3) an income that is asset-backed – by the full faith and credit of The Baptist Foundation of California. One bonus for her daughter would be getting checks to remind her of her mother and her mother’s blessing for the rest of her days. Then, when her daughter passes, the balance remaining in the gift annuity will fund Southern Baptist ministry, echoing my friend’s legacy into eternal impact.

Similarly, what struck me as strikingly similar was a “church legacy plan” that recently came to fruition. A local church concluded that while their time as an independent body of Believers had passed, their ability to impact the Kingdom had not. The members of this small congregation faithfully served a community from a far different religious tradition. Their ministry needed to take a different form to continue to reach these people.  As is the case with nearly all churches, the church building was their most beneficial asset. So, to bring up the next generation and allow for strategic use of God’s provision, the church building was sold, and the proceeds were placed into a permanent endowment.  Endowments, which are effectively permanent trust funds for ministry, will generate income every year for targeted ministry objectives to achieve the highest Kingdom impact. In other words, to send an echo into eternity.

If you would like to create your legacy, The Foundation can offer you a free personal consultation or an estate planning seminar for your church. To learn more, contact us at or 909-738-4000.

About the Author
Douglas E. Griffin

Douglas E. Griffin serves as the Foundation’s General Counsel. A Certified Estate Planning Specialist, he oversees the Foundation’s work in estate and gift planning. Prior to coming to the Foundation, Griffin was a partner with the law firm of Lang, Richert, and Patch in Fresno where he specialized in estate and business planning, probate and trust administration, and litigation. Griffin was in private practice for 15 years. Prior to beginning his legal career, Griffin worked as a paralegal specialist for the Internal Revenue Service and in public relations for the Oakland Raiders. Griffin has remained active in his local church as a children’s Sunday School teacher, a trustee, and a small group leader. Griffin has also served on various other boards and committees for organizations in his community including the Clovis Unified School District, the American Cancer Society, and Leadership Fresno. Griffin received his Bachelor of Arts and Master in Business Administration degrees from San Jose State University and graduated with honors from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1993.

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