Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary // Jimmy and Doris Blackwell

Jimmy and Doris Blackwell

Seminary supporters James (Jimmy) and Doris Blackwell can still remember what it was like in the years following the Korean conflict: Jimmy left the military and bought a tractor-trailer to haul produce up and down the East Coast; Doris worked as an administrative assistant at Goodwill Industries and graduated from Wake Forest to teach high school; their son was born and they all attended Centenary United Methodist Church.

This is how their story began, a story which has grown and flourished right into their golden years in Pine Knoll Shores, NC. The couple moved to Atlantic Beach, NC and worked in real estate. They looked for a church and intended to go to the closest Methodist church, which was only accessible to them by crossing an on-demand drawbridge. The drawbridge frequently backed up during tourist season on Sunday mornings so the couple decided to try the church within walking distance, Shepherd of the Sea Lutheran Church. They immediately fell in love with the Lutheran liturgy and have gone there ever since.

After a career in real estate, the couple began to plan for retirement. They owned a few rental properties, but wanted to sell them in years that minimized tax burdens. Jimmy and Doris sold their properties over the next few years, but had one property left for which the timing was never quite right to sell. That is when Jimmy decided that they should give a Unitrust Gift through the ELCA.

Doris knew of just the place to make that gift. She worked on the Board of Visitors of Southern Seminary and attended chapel on campus on multiple occasions. Having an education background, Doris understood the value of seminary-trained pastors to the church.

She and Jimmy reviewed the numbers and realized that in just 10 years, they would recoup all that they donated. In fact, now 13 years later, the Blackwells are bringing in a profit from their donation. “That income means a lot to us in retirement,” says Doris.

They continue to help the seminary, their church, and local organizations by what they term as “giving smart.” They speak from personal experience when they advise others that, “People of moderate income can make substantial gifts just by using what they have.”

Thanks to their ability to give smart, and with a little help from the long lines at the drawbridge on Sunday morning, the Blackwells have given the seminary and the Lutheran church a gift that will continue to make an impact for years to come.

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Jimmy and Doris Blackwell

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