Organizations that prosper over 100 years succeed because they stay true to their enduring values. So it is with MMBB. Three principles are at the heart of MMBB’s longevity— generosity, justice and passion. Bringing these values to bear in good times and bad has enabled MMBB to secure the future of thousands of churches and church staff.
Generosity
Without generosity, MMBB would not exist. The generosity of wealthy men like Milo C. Treat and John D. Rockefeller is well known. But many with far fewer resources also contributed generously. For example, Henry L. Morehouse offered to contribute $10,000 of his own money—a very large portion of his savings—to see that MMBB met Treat’s Christmas Day challenge.
MMBB’s $150 million endowment allows us to keep that spirit of generosity alive today. Last year MMBB provided support to nearly 2,500 people. This included emergency assistance for those hard-hit by the recession and help with medical costs.
As MMBB’s growth strategy takes hold and our membership expands, our need to show generosity will also grow. The endowment—that unique resource created by our founders and nurtured by our Investment Committee—gives us the ability to continue to share generously.
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Justice
Justice is at the heart of MMBB’s mission.
We exist to support fair and just compensation to those who dedicate their lives to doing the Lord’s work. We believe that those serving Christ should receive salary and benefits comparable to those with similar levels of education and experience. This is economic justice.
Our definition of justice goes further. During the 1960s, Dean Wright wrote a letter expressing solidarity with pastors taking a stand in support of civil rights. He also used MMBB resources to assist them in finding new jobs or to provide financial assistance. This is social justice.
Entering our second century, MMBB will continue to support economic and social justice by reaching out and extending benefits to all who are eligible.
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Passion
“To promote interest in the better maintenance of the ministry” is our passion. It is the evangelical theme that runs through MMBB’s history.
In 1941 MMBB embarked on a two-year Retiring Pension Fund Crusade to extend MMBB benefits to the many eligible pastors who did not have them. This grassroots campaign engaged state and local conventions, the National Council of Northern Baptist Men and the National Committee of Women’s Work among others. The all-out effort achieved its objective; MMBB’s membership grew by 70%.
That evangelical passion persists today. We have the ability to offer the world-class benefits with which the ABC/USA is familiar to thousands of churches sharing the ABCs congregational structure. It is our mission—which we will pursue with passion—to reach out to those without the benefit of MMBB membership.
Nobody knows what the future may bring. We stand at the end of our first century ready to enter the second. We have a clear strategy guided by our founding values of generosity, justice and passion. We also understand that the reality in which we work will change. We will have to adapt. The ability to see the world for what it is—and to respond effectively—is another of MMBB’s enduring vallues that we proudly carry into our second century.
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