A Last Will and Testament (commonly called a “Will”) is the starting point and heart of any estate plan. A Will can simply be described as a legal document, prepared in accordance with legal requirements, by which a person explains who they want to receive their property after death, as well as exactly what they want each person to receive.

Giving to United Church of God using a Bequest in your Will

A Bequest is a gift of real or personal property. You can use a bequest in your Will to aid the work of the Church past your lifetime.

• You can choose to bequeath a particular dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, certain items or real property, or the residue of your estate (what is left over after all other bequests are satisfi­ed), to United Church of God, an International Association.
•  United Church of God, an International Association can be included along with other bequests in a new Will or added to an existing Will by an amendment called a codicil.
• With a restricted bequest you can name the specific cause(s) you wish to support within the Church.
• An unrestricted bequest provides the Church with flexibility to respond to changing needs as they arise.

Naming the Executor

An Executor (aka an Administrator) is the person you name in your Will to take charge of your affairs and assets after you die, and who is to follow the instructions of your Will in this order:

• First, an Executor will take charge of your possessions so as to preserve them and prevent their being destroyed or lost, and will see that all just debts are paid.
• Then, when authorized by the court (as part of a procedure called Probate), the executor will distribute your remaining assets to the persons you designated in your Will.

To help eliminate allegations of undue influence, Church pastors and others in the Church who may have served as your spiritual advisors or counselors should not be named as executors of a Will in which the Church is named as a benefi­ciary.

Here is the information needed to include the Church in your Will:

United Church of God, an International Association
555 Techne Center Drive, Milford OH 45150
Federal Tax ID #: 95-4529758