Discover Barnabas
Ministry History
It was early spring of 1986 when Lareau and Evie Lindquist had a two week assignment with the Wycliffe Bible Translators in Colombia, South America. They were
unexpectedly detained in a remote area of the jungle, Cona Colorado. During the evening and late into the night as they were walking the small airstrip, the concept
of Barnabas was born.
Lareau and Evie had had many opportunities for service over their years together but the Lord was moving in their hearts to consider a ministry of encouragement to
God's servants overseas. After much prayer Barnabas International became a reality on July 7, 1986.
The Lord pulled together a supportive Board of Directors and the ministry of encouragement, enrichment, and edification was put into action. The ministry targeted
missionaries, national church leaders overseas, workers in the States, and Christians.
The organization was started as a "Ma and Pa" ministry with no intention of being more than that, but the Lord has allowed the ministry of Barnabas to grow and
expand. Yet throughout this growth the organization has stayed focused on the ministry of encouragement.
Barnabas Founders and Friends Fund
Creative Giving
Matthew 6:21 says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The heart of Barnabas is to care for the spiritual and
emotional needs of missionaries around the world. When Lareau and Evie Lindquist, the founders of Barnabas International, began this ministry,
their hope was that God would provide the needed funds to accomplish the task, and He has. It is our desire to see that this ministry of
encouragement continues well into the future, so a fund has been established to guarantee that the ministry goes forth.
How can I help?
Charitable gift annuities offer attractive quarantined returns for your lifetime. Since a gift annuity is irrevocable, a portion of the annuity
amount is tax deductible. The rates of return and the deductible portion vary according to your age. We can provide the specific rate and
tax information to help you determine if this would be a good stewardship decision for you.
Gifts of appreciated stock or real estate can be mutually beneficial to your tax planning and the Great Commission. You
receive full, current market value and avoid the capital gains tax on the appreciated asset. As a tax-exempt organization we sell the
holding without capital gains, and use the full proceeds for ministry. Publicly traded stocks or mutual funds are easy to transfer.
We can work directly with your broker once you have given instructions. The gift must always precede the sale to avoid the negative tax
consequences and maximize the benefit. Privately held stock and real estate can be more complex. Most of the time, however, gifts
can be accomplished with careful planning and some research.
Charitable trusts allow you to take full tax advantage of appreciated stock or real estate while retaining income from the
assets. This deduction can be used to reduce your tax burden for up to five years after the initial establishment of the trust. A portion
of the income is also tax-free. The income can be fixed or tied to the market value of the trust each year. At the termination of the trust,
Barnabas would receive the remainder of the principle. This can be an excellent planning vehicle that works for many who want to give, but
need lifetime income from their assets.
A bequest in your will can provide a legacy to our work while retaining resources in your lifetime that may be needed for
medical or other needs. Let us know if we can provide your attorney with the necessary legal and tax information to leave a gift to
Barnabas as part of your will.
If you are interested in these or other creative giving options, please contact our founder, Lareau Lindquist directly at 815-395-1335 or send
us an e-mail to barnabas@barnabas.org.
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