Retirement and Philanthropy
Plus, ACNA chaplain becomes navy chief, billionaires, conservative journalism, and more
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Signs and Wonders” is a column that shares thoughts on news items that either do not rise to the level of a news story for MinistryWatch or are slightly (even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” My goal is to be punchy, opinionated, and not to worry much about being slightly off brand. If that is not for you, no hard feelings. But if it is…read on.
Retirees are Givers and Volunteers. Fidelity Charitable has released an interesting study. Among the findings: “Most pre-retiree and retiree givers (ages 50-80) are committed to giving and avidly supporting their favorite causes. Of the donors we surveyed, over half of pre-retirees (56%) and retirees (59%) gave $1,000 or more—and 17% of all donors gave $5,000 or more—to IRS-qualified charities in 2023.” More importantly, “More than three-quarters of these pre-retirees and retirees (78%) say that charitable giving plays a significant or pretty important role in their lives” and “almost one-quarter of pre-retirees and retirees (24%) say charitable giving is much more important than other financial priorities.” Retirees are also spending more time as volunteers. “In the last year, over two-thirds of pre-retirees (71%) and over half of retirees (55%) volunteered,” the report said. “Nearly 9 in 10 retired respondents who currently volunteer agree that volunteering is a way to remain active (88%) and connected (91%).”
ACNA Chaplain Becomes Navy Chief. Rear Adm. Carey H. Cash, a chaplain with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), is the new chief of chaplains for the United States Navy Chaplain Corps. Rear Adm. Cash will provide spiritual leadership and pastoral oversight for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel and their families, strengthening spiritual readiness, moral resilience, and compassionate care amid the unique challenges and demands of military service.
A Bazillion Billionaires. OK, not quite a bazillion, but the new annual list from Forbes says there are now 3,428 billionaires on Earth. In 1987, the year Forbes started keeping track, the list had 140 names. The list included more than 400 new entries to the list. The growth of the rich and super-rich motivated Washington Governor Bob Ferguson to sign into law the state’s first income tax of any kind — a 9.9% “millionaires’ tax” on income over $1 million. The Christian online journal Mere Orthodoxy has an interesting analysis of the list. Its conclusion: the current wealth inequality is unjust. I happen to disagree with most of the conclusions of this article. Most of the billionaires are rich because of their ownership in companies that create tens of millions of jobs. And the most important and overlooked fact of all in this conversation is that we all die, and none of us take it with us. Most if not all the billionaires on the Forbes list got there because they built companies and stewarded them over time. Their personal wealth is incidental to the wealth they have created for others. But, in a spirit of equanimity, here is the article. You can decide for yourself if its arguments hold water.
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Conservative Journalism News. A lot is changing in the conservative journalism space. The Daily Wire, after having its day in the sun, appears to be on the decline. The online magazine Puck recently reported a “sudden, precipitous decline of Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire,” with “sweeping layoffs and a steep drop-off in audience.” On the other hand, the more even-handed Dispatch is thriving. I was particularly pleased to hear The Dispatch had promoted my friend Michael Reneau to executive editor. According to a statement from The Dispatch, “Michael got his start in local journalism in East Tennessee, rising through the ranks to serve as editor of The Greeneville Sun before moving to national journalism, and eventually serving as editor of WORLD Magazine.”
Factoids From THINQ. I was stopped in my tracks by some recent factoids from my friends at THINQ, the Nashville-based ministry led by Gabe Lyons. Among their gleanings: 23.7% of all Christian clergy in the U.S. are women, up from 2.3% in 1960 (Axios). And almost a quarter of American women aged 60 and over (24.3%) are on antidepressants (CDC) You can sign up for THINQ’s email bulletins here.
Readers in Knoxville, Colorado Springs, and Denver. It was a delight to meet with about 25 MinistryWatch supporters in Dallas this week. It is always fun to tell our story, but to tell it to such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience is even more fun. We will be doing similar events in upcoming weeks in Knoxville, Denver, and Colorado Springs. Let me know if you would like to join us. My email is [email protected].
