“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3: 16-18 NIV
Rev. Roy Ryan and his wife, Doris, are more familiar than most with the history of Methodist Senior Services (MSS).
In 1961, Roy was one of four North Mississippi Annual Conference members who introduced a resolution to establish non-profit, and when possible charitable, facilities and services for older persons in North Mississippi without regard to religious affiliation, race, national background or economic circumstance.
“We never dreamed it would turn into an organization that covered the entire state,” Roy said.
He served on the initial exploration committee and later the site selection committee. While he left Mississippi to pursue a master’s degree in adult Christian education, specifically for older adults in retirement communities, and then served at the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, he remained involved as an MSS board member.
Throughout, Roy and Doris also supported MSS financially however they could. When their daughters were young, and money was tight, they gave what they could afford.
“There were times we did not have much to give, until we got the girls through college and married,” Roy said. “We were not able to save much money because our careers didn’t pay much, but because of careful management, we are better off financially now than we ever have been.”
“I tell others when they contribute to the Sunday Fund, it goes directly to helping older people with financial needs,” Roy said. “A lot of times people run out of money before they run out of time.”
The couple is passionate about supporting the MSS Sunday Fund because it directly supports seniors who have run out of financial resources through no fault of their own. During the lean years, the couple contributed what they could, and still support the Sunday Fund today.
When the now 93-year-olds retired, they discovered that they had more discretionary income and began to give larger amounts of money to MSS and other charitable organizations.
Because of their ties to MSS and Mississippi, they always knew they wanted to spend their retirement years at Traceway Retirement Community, one of what grew to 12 MSS communities across the state.
“Doris grew up in Lee County, and I grew up in Itawamba,” Roy said. “We met at Itawamba Community College, and we were recently honored as two of the four remaining graduates from the first class.”
The couple moved into their cottage at Traceway in 2002, where they still reside today.
After moving in, the couple reviewed their financial needs and their new living situation. They wanted to continue to support MSS and decided to establish a charitable gift annuity.
A charitable gift annuity is a contract between a donor and a charitable organization. Through the contract, the donor makes a sizable contribution to the charity using cash, securities or other assets. In return, the donor is eligible to take a partial tax deduction for the donation and receives a fixed stream of income from the charity for the rest of the donor’s life.
Recently, the couple took another look at their net worth and determined that they had more financial resources than they could ever need.
“We have looked upon the charitable gift annuity as a wonderful investment, not only providing capital funds to MSS, but providing us an income,” Roy said. “It’s very comparable to any other income in our portfolio.”
“Doris and I have the attitude that we need to leave this world better off than we found it,” Roy said. “Our estate had grown to a point that we felt we ought to give a larger gift because we would like to see the MSS Endowment grow. We were glad to make the gift to the MSS Endowment fund because we know it’s going to continue to give long after we’re gone. That was a factor in us making the gift.”
Roy and Doris chose to use some of their stock investments to make the gift to the Endowment because a direct gift of stock helps them avoid capital gains taxes on those investments.
“We feel that for people like us, who support MSS, making a substantial gift to the Endowment is a way that they can continue to give for years to come,” Roy said. “If they have the resources, it’s one of the best places to invest.”
Brittany Cuevas, Vice President for Philanthropy at MSS, said getting to know residents and donors across the state enriches her life.
“Roy and Doris have amazed me with their unique involvement in the birthing of Methodist Senior Services and by their generous support for the Sunday Fund and the Endowment,” Cuevas said. “They truly believe in the heart of this ministry. They have given their time, passion, and resources as volunteers, donors and residents of Traceway. The powerful impact of living in community, living a legacy, and living by giving your life away is exemplified by these two.”
For more information on how you can make a planned gift to Methodist Senior Services or one of MSS’ 12 communities, contact Brittany Cuevas at (662)-844-8977.