Grateful

A Report of the 125th Anniversary Campaign

For a three-story building on the south side of Chicago with a full-time staff that you can count on one hand, the Disciples Divinity House has had, on a relative basis, a super-sized impact on the  university, the denomination, the ministry, the world. That is worth celebrating. However, no one wants to describe DDH solely in terms of what has been done in the past. When Larry Bouchard coined the phrase, “grateful for what is to come,” we knew that captured what we wanted to focus on for the 125th anniversary.

The 125th anniversary capital campaign will equip the House for mission, funding scholarships and internships and ensuring the house is a welcoming place for the next 125 years. We have seen the benefit to our students and the wider community and church that comes from residential and immersive learning, and we have been intentional about securing $1.7 million in cash and pledges to undergird scholarships and immersive learning.

One of the most unique things about the House is that it remains a “house” – a physical place for students, staff, and community to interact. We have raised $750,000 to ensure the House is a place of welcome. Addressing first floor accessibility takes us in the right direction for the next 125 years.

The overall goal was to raise $4 million, roughly divided between cash pledges and estate commitments. The level of generosity overflowed the goal, bringing us to $5,045,800, with $2 million already having been received.

As a CFO, I speak MBA, not MDiv or PhD. I understand return on investment – and I know that these gifts will pay a dividend of future leaders and scholars, pastors and professors, that will sustain and enrich the work of the church.

While we can count the success in dollars and donors, the real goal has always been to ensure that the next 125 years are as fruitful and generative as the first 125 have been. We are grateful – for what is to come.

CHAD H. MARTIN
Chair, 125th Anniversary Celebration and Campaign