the new kids by John Brummitt       For more information about the Board of Retirement, call (877) 767-7738.

WHEN WE THINK OF "RETIREMENT" our minds turn to grandparents—those sweet men and women who putter around the house and love to tell their kids and grandkids stories about when they were young. Most of us don’t stop to realize that reaching that point takes work and planning. Financial advisors recommend that squirreling away at least 10-15% of your annual income to continue your current lifestyle into retirement years.

You shouldn’t just “scrape by” during retirement.

At the Board of Retirement, we want to get the word out about how important it is to start saving early and let compounding interest work for your financial stability. This article will highlight participants who understand the importance of planning early. They serve in various ministries throughout the denomination.

Cody Alley, 26, graduated from Arkansas State University and is currently attending Liberty University. He has been a pastor in Arkansas for two years. He began to invest in the Board of Retirement after his former pastor, Terry Pierce in Tupelo, MS, strongly encouraged him to start. Cody states, “I am thankful Terry was looking out for me.”

Cody and his wife Rebecca are currently contributing 6% of his salary into his retirement account. His church contributes an additional 5%. Cody’s goal is to contribute 10% personally. When asked about retirement goals, Cody answered, “To be financially safe. That will give me liberties to continue serving God in many different areas.”

“Fail to plan, and you’ll plan to fail.” Never think you are too young to start thinking about retirement. The biblical principal of stewardship involves planning.

Jonathan Blankenship, 25, has been employed at Southeastern FWB College for six years. Jonathan was saved in a Free Will Baptist pastor’s home at the age of five and surrendered to God’s call to preach/plant churches at 15. He attended Southeastern FWB College, and continued on as a staff member after graduating. He enrolled in the Board of Retirement in the Fall of 2006. “I have always been a financial planner and when it came to my retirement, the BOR had the best plan to suit my needs for the future. I was glad to contribute to something FWB is a part of.”

Jonathan and his wife Kathleen are contributing almost 2% to his retirement plan. When asked about his goals for retirement, Jonathan answered, “First and foremost to meet the needs of my family but also to continue serving the Lord in my retirement years without financial stress.”

April Bybee, 25, has been the development assistant at International Missions for the past three years. She graduated from Southern Nazarene University in 2004. “I’ve always been interested in investing money for the future. At the advice of [my] parents, professors, and colleagues, I was persuaded to start investing early.”

April contributes 12% of her salary and her employer contributes an additional 5%. When asked about retirement goals, April answered, “Aside from my desire to be financially sound for retirement years, I want to leave behind a legacy of generosity by giving to ministry, my community and family.”

“Start today! Even if you can only give a small percentage of your income, the money that you save will gain interest and your account will grow—FAST! It is advantageous to have it automatically deducted from your paycheck—what you don’t see, you don’t spend.”

Mary Ann Cook, 24, a graphic designer at Randall House Publications for two years, grew up on a farm in Ohio. She graduated from Pensacola Christian College in 2005. “With my father and grandfather drilling into me the importance of saving, coupled with my college economics teacher, who clearly illustrated to us that ‘time’ is the greatest factor in the interest equation, I was motivated to start saving and investing at an early age.” Mary Ann contributes 5% of her income to retirement; Randall House matches with an additional 5%. “I started saving early so I can travel, take mission trips, and enjoy my family during my retirement years.”

“If you think and plan ahead, life can be a lot easier.”

Andrew Horne, 23, an associate pastor at Union Chapel FWB Church since 2006, graduated from Southeastern FWB College. “All my life my parents have faithfully served in ministry work. After surrendering my life completely to the Lord, I felt as if He was leading me to be in His Ministry also.”

While at Southeastern, the Lord continued to work with Andrew leading him to his present full-time ministry in North Carolina. “I realized the best opportunity for financial stability was to begin investing as early as possible. My pastor told me about the Board of Retirement. After looking at the options they provide, even an Edward Joes financial advisor told me the BOR was the way to go. Most importantly, I like knowing God’s money is invested in nothing that conflicts with Biblical principles.”

Andrew and his wife Stephanie currently contribute just over 4% of his salary to retirement. “[I want] enough to take care of my needs and my family’s needs when I am no longer able to work for the Lord.”

“The earlier you start the better off you will be. Start now; there is no time like the present! Saving anything is better than nothing.”

Chris Todd, 24, pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church Greenwood, SC, has been in the pastorate for one year. He began participating in the retirement program in the spring of 2007. “[After the] information received at National and State [meetings] as well as a testimony of last year’s returns from a member at the local conference, [I decided to join].” Chris and his family, Misty (wife), Gloria (4), and Emmit(1), have been contributing 2% of his salary, and the church matches his contribution. Chris understands that it is important to sacrifice to prepare for the future.

THESE TESTIMONIALS SHOULD INSPIRE YOU TO GET STARTED in your own retirement planning. The Board of Retirement is here to serve those who serve others. Preacher, teacher, missionary, or lay worker, start as soon as possible. Remember, “Time is the greatest factor in the retirement

John Brummitt is the business manager for the Board of Retirement and Insurance. Find out more about the programs offered by the Board at (877) 767-7738.