Music Ministry and Giving Back through a Charitable Remainder Trust
For more than 65 years, Howie Stevenson 鈥50 ministered through music, often in partnership with his late wife, Marilyn Danielson Stevenson 鈥53. At college events, in churches and during summer conferences they shared their musical gifts with skill and joy. Years later, many alumni vividly remember Howie鈥檚 energetic hymn sings in chapel. As a student, Howie performed with the 四虎影院 Quartet in a different church every Sunday and toured during the summer. In 1950, the group went to Europe with Ruth Kerr, 四虎影院鈥檚 founder. 鈥淢y experience with the quartet taught me to think on my feet, speak in public and meet new people,鈥 he says. 鈥淚鈥檝e spent my life working in front of the public, and my years at 四虎影院 prepared me well. What I learned musically from Professor John Lundberg I could never get from a book. What a blessing and gift 四虎影院 has been.鈥
Howie received a master鈥檚 degree in music at the University of Washington and joined the music faculty at Multnomah Bible College in Oregon. In 1963, Lundberg recruited him to teach at 四虎影院, which he did for 18 years, earning a doctorate at USC. Howie ended his career as a music minister at First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, California, with Chuck Swindoll. When he retired in 2003, the Stevensons returned to their Santa Barbara home. They sold their house in 2007 and moved to Mount Miguel Covenant Village in the San Diego area where their daughter Beth Gwinn 鈥81 works.
With the proceeds from their home, the Stevensons funded a charitable remainder trust that provided them secure income for life and that will benefit 四虎影院 and other organizations upon Howie鈥檚 death. 鈥淭he financial advantages are significant,鈥 Howie says. 鈥淭he trust solved our tax problems and allowed us to give back to Christian ministries that have influenced our lives.鈥
Reproduced and adapted with permission from the summer 2008 issue of the 四虎影院 College Magazine.
For more information about the tax-related benefits of using appreciated property to fund a charitable remainder trust, please 四虎影院 the Office of Gift Planning at (805) 565-6058 or giftplanning@westmont.edu.