Walking with Giants: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man by Elmer L. Towns

Author:Elmer L. Towns [Towns, Elmer L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Baptists—United States—Clergy—Biography
ISBN: 9781441267337
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2012-09-03T00:00:00+00:00

Raising Money

On the college’s fortieth anniversary, I received a $25,000 challenge from the M-P Foundation in Toronto, Canada. (“M” and “P” were McClintock and Pitts, two men who were building a large expressway around the city of Toronto.) They promised $25,000 to WBC if we could raise an additional $25,000. That was more than twice the money ever raised for the college in one year.

“Students,” I said to the entire student body, “I am going to need every one of you to help me raise $50,000.” I explained that I wanted each of them to take a brochure to a donor who was already giving money to the college and describe the school’s planned building projects. I told them their purpose was to be a spiritual blessing to the donor, and then to give him or her a pledge card.

Then an ingenious thought crossed my mind: Maybe each donor would give his or her same gift the following year. I had a small box placed at the bottom of the pledge card: “I will donate the same amount next year to WBC.” That way WBC could have two years of financial stability.

All the students were taken to the college dining room. All the givers’ names were typed on 3x5 cards and spread out on dining room tables. Some students took the names of people they already knew; others volunteered to make a presentation to business people in the community.

Three older single college girls contacted Mrs. H. L. Hunt for an appointment. Mrs. Hunt’s husband was a multi-millionaire who owned the Winnipeg Free Press. Mrs. Hunt told the girls to wear gloves and hats, and to be prepared for English tea. They dressed accordingly and walked out the front of the college, prim and proper—dignity on parade.

Two hours later, they had lost all their dignity; they returned to the school and commenced screaming, stomping and yelling in the college foyer. When high heels stomp on wooden floors, the echo resounds all over the building. As all three jumped like cheerleaders, one of the girls waved in her hand a check for $5,000. Enthusiasm is infectious, and many other students were motivated to make their calls and bring their gifts back.

The money was used to build out our chapel (when the educational building was originally completed, the college ran out of money, so for years the chapel sat as a cold, isolated room without heat in the winter). In addition, two classrooms were built, and other modifications made around the school (such as installing overhead projectors in each classroom).

When I looked at all the pledge cards, I saw something I had never seen before. Enough people had checked the box at the bottom of the card, pledging the same gift for the following year, that I didn’t have to worry about next year’s budget. I immediately sent a letter to all pledgees thanking them for their commitments. I didn’t know it at the time, but God was orchestrating a convergence of several factors … because He was preparing for me to leave Canada.

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