Who We Are
HISTORY
Lutheran Planned Giving Services was founded on April 14th, 1981. Bishop Dennis Anderson convened the leadership of the Nebraska Synod Agencies and Institutions to establish a “combined and united effort” in the area of planned giving. These agencies and institutions agreed to share the cost of the effort. Prior to this collaboration, the Nebraska Synod, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Reuben Swanson, had established a position on the Synod Staff for planned giving.
The ELCA Foundation was accepted into the Lutheran Planned Giving Services membership on April 19, 1988. This action equipped Lutheran Planned Giving Services with many additional
tools and resources. The Lutheran Planned Giving Services model originally developed in the Nebraska Synod has been duplicated throughout the ELCA.
Lutheran Giving is proud to serve on behalf of the 13 Agencies and Institutions of the ELCA listed on the partner ministry page. To this day, Lutheran Giving helps all people who wish to leave a legacy, regardless of the size of their gift.
WILLING WITNESS SOCIETY
A legacy gift serves as a profound faith statement and expression of personal values. Those that make legacy gifts are invited to be a Willing Witness.
A Willing Witness is a person who has included an ELCA Ministry and/or congregation in their estate plan. Over its history, Lutheran Giving has helped over 1000 Willing Witnesses develop planned & outright gifts to benefit hundreds of ministries of the church. Additionally, there are over 300 members of our Honor Roll, those saints who have passed to life immemorial having included ministry in their estate plan.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SARAH JANK CALLAHAN
As Executive Director, Sarah provides charitable gift planning services to anyone wishing to support Nebraska Synod congregations and its agencies and institutions as well as any Synodical or Churchwide ministry. Sarah provides legacy presentations across Nebraska and consultation services to congregations wishing to form or build up an endowment fund. She also serves as the local representative of the ELCA Foundation’s Ministry Growth Fund.
Before joining Lutheran Giving in 2018, Sarah built a financial advising practice where she worked with families in Nebraska and Iowa with generational transition and estate planning. In her early career, she worked in fundraising and development. She holds a bachelor of arts in music and a master’s in business administration from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. Sarah earned the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®) and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) professional designations from The American College of Financial Services.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jason Gerdes, president
Executive Director,
NE Lutheran Outdoor Ministries
Chris Tonniges, treasurer
President – CEO,
Lutheran Family Services
Jody Horner, secretary
President,
Midland University
Brian Shank
President – CEO,
Tabitha
Dan Cooper
Executive Director,
Oaks Indian Mission
Jon Fredricks
Executive Director,
NE Lutheran Campus Ministry
Eric Gurley
CEO,
Immanuel
michael johnson
VP for Development,
Wartburg Theological Seminary
Linda Timmons
President – CEO,
Mosaic
Rev. scott johnson
Bishop,
Nebraska Synod ELCA
Annette Shoemaker
Exec. Vice President,
ELCA Foundation
