When I was serving with The Foundation for Evangelism we sent out a quarterly magazine, called “Forward.” One group  of persons to receive our magazine were those whom the local churches elected as chairpersons of evangelism. The late George Matthews was a new member on that list. After reading”Forward” George sent a donation for $500. I immediately wrote a letter of appreciation. Toward the end of the following year I asked the Development Office to provide a list of persons who had contributed the year before, but who had not yet donated in the new year. George Matthews name was on that list. I called him to again express appreciation for the gift given the year before. He asked me, “What did you do with that $500?” I told him we had used his gift to support the salary of our professor of evangelism at Garret-Evangelical Seminary. He was pleased. He said, “My pastor is a graduate of Garret-Evangelical.” Then I shared with him our goal to be able to endow the salary of the evangelism professor at the seminary. He asked, “How much endowment do you now have for that position?” I replied, “Less than a hundred thousand dollars.” Then he said, “I will send you $25,000 before the end of the year. Use most of it to pay for the cost of administration. Put some on the professor’s support.”  

      In a few days his donation arrived. I called him immediately to express appreciation. Then I asked him if I could come to Michigan to see him after the new year. He was pleased. In January I met him and his young pastor at the airport near his home. We shared our vision for increasing our support for evangelism in our Church. While we were talking, George asked, “How much will it take to endow the professorship at the seminary?” “One million dollars.” When George and his pastor saw me off on the flight home, he put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Curt, if someone does not beat me to it, I will fund the million dollars to endow the professorship of evangelism at Garret-Evangelical Seminary.” Soon after that our president, Bishop Hunt and I, visited him and his family in their home. He proudly showed us around his one thousand acre farm. His primary crop was corn. He was most proud to show us his church. Soon after, George sent $500,000 in stock, and added to his will that his estate was to designate an additional half million dollars to the endowment fund of The  Foundation for Evangelism.