Bill and Pat Williamson
The Williamson family has deep ties to the legacy that supports life at St. Peter’s today. Beginning with Bill’s grandparents in the 1920’s and including grandchildren who grew up in The Choir School, four generations have contributed their presence, care, and leadership to our faith community. Bill and Pat have worshiped at St. Peter’s for more than 30 years.
Bill and Pat Williamson
The Williamson family has deep ties to the legacy that supports life at St. Peter’s today. Beginning with Bill’s grandparents in the 1920’s and including grandchildren who grew up in The Choir School, four generations have contributed their presence, care, and leadership to our faith community. Bill and Pat have worshiped at St. Peter’s for more than 30 years.
“Planned Giving is important to the church because it creates financial stability for the future,” says Bill. “But it’s even more important for the person making the gift. Planned Giving is all about giving back to something you love and care about. It’s a way to share your life’s worth with the people who will come after you.”
Pat agrees. “The culture at St. Peter’s is to help others. That’s been true for many generations. From the hospital that became Carolinas Medical Center, to the soup kitchen that became the Urban Ministry Center, we’ve done so much good for the community. I want to help that tradition go forward – to be part of that history. To us, our planned gift is simply making a pledge in perpetuity.”
“God has been good to me all my life,” adds Bill. “He gave me the wherewithal to make a good life, and giving back to the church is just a thank you note to God for all that He’s given me.”
Pat and Bill Williamson have established the Williamson Family Charitable Fund at Foundation For The Carolinas and designated the St. Peter’s Endowment as a beneficiary. This planned gift will help ensure that areas of ministry they care deeply about, like outreach and music, will remain strong in future generations.
A financial advisor can tell you more about Charitable Funds, which are financial vehicles designed to distribute assets over time to designated people or charitable organizations.
Bottom Line:
You can help tell the story of our common legacy by sharing your own history at St. Peter’s and your intention to support its future with a planned gift. Please contact the church office to learn how you can add your voice to help inspire others.
Rob Smith and Maria Long
Maria Long came to St. Peter’s in 1991, just as she was beginning her law career. The community she found here quickly became her family. “On the first Sunday I worshiped at St. Peter’s I got a warm, beautiful reception,” she recalls. “I got to know people through a Disciple class, a Kanuga parish weekend, and through service on committees. More than 20 years later, those people are still the ones I would call first in an emergency. St. Peter’s is a big part of my community.”
Rob Smith’s first Sunday at St. Peter’s was the First Sunday of Advent, 1997. “I felt an instant connection,” he says. “I was completely taken with the beauty, the music, the sense of inclusivity. For me, this has always been a place where it is possible to really engage in something aspirational, and a place where even the homeless can feel at home.”
Rob Smith and Maria Long
Maria Long came to St. Peter’s in 1991, just as she was beginning her law career. The community she found here quickly became her family. “On the first Sunday I worshiped at St. Peter’s I got a warm, beautiful reception,” she recalls. “I got to know people through a Disciple class, a Kanuga parish weekend, and through service on committees. More than 20 years later, those people are still the ones I would call first in an emergency. St. Peter’s is a big part of my community.”
Rob Smith’s first Sunday at St. Peter’s was the First Sunday of Advent, 1997. “I felt an instant connection,” he says. “I was completely taken with the beauty, the music, the sense of inclusivity. For me, this has always been a place where it is possible to really engage in something aspirational, and a place where even the homeless can feel at home.”
Rob and Maria found each other at St. Peter’s as well, and were married here in 2001 . Together, they are devoted to a legacy of church leadership—both grandmothers helped found the churches where they grew up—and to the spirit of excellence and beauty that make St. Peter’s such a beacon in Center City Charlotte. Their planned gift is in the form of a bequest, which designates the St. Peter’s Endowment as the beneficiary of a percentage of their estate.
A bequest is simply property or money that you promise to a person or organization in your will. Bequests are the most common form of planned giving among St. Peter’s parishioners. Leaving a percentage of your estate, instead of a fixed amount, is a way to ensure that your assets will be distributed among your beneficiaries in a way that honors your giving priorities.
Bottom Line:
You can help tell the story of our common legacy by sharing your own history at St. Peter’s and your intention to support its future with a planned gift. Please contact the church office to learn how you can add your voice to help inspire others.