“This Is What She Wanted Our Legacy To Be”
A Legacy 26 Years in the Making
Meet Ralph Peterman, a lifelong member of the BIC and a BIC Foundation investor with nearly three decades of impact.
Ralph was born and raised in Carlisle, Pa., in a farming family. His parents owned a farm equipment store, and Ralph inherited their passion for farm and lawn equipment, eventually purchasing the store from his dad in the late 1970s. He ran Peterman Power Equipment with his wife Lois (who he married in 1959) and their kids until 2012, when they sold it to a local farm equipment dealership.
Ralph and Lois both grew up in BIC churches and attended A–Street BIC (now The Meeting House – Carlisle) for most of their adult lives. As Peterman Power Equipment became increasingly successful, Lois and Ralph found themselves in a position where their bills and payroll were more than covered – and they started to accumulate funds.
They quickly realized they needed to invest their funds somewhere stable, and Lois felt led to give back to the greater Church. She was the one who first offered the BIC Foundation as a suitable option. After finding the BIC Foundation met both their goals, the Petermans became investors in 1999.
They chose to invest in Ministry Term Certificates. Just like standard Term Certificates, invested funds support loans to BIC ministries and earn competitive interest rates. However, when choosing a Ministry Certificate, investors opt to donate a portion – or all – of the interest earned to a charity, non-profit, congregation, or organization of their choice.
The Petermans decided to donate the interest on their investment to BIC U.S. Common Ministry and World Missions, each receiving 50% of the funds.
In the 26 years since investing in Ministry Certificates, they have donated over $167,000.
Upon hearing that six-figure total, Ralph became emotional thinking of Lois, his beloved wife of 61 years, who passed away in 2020. “This is what she wanted,” he said with misty eyes.
Her vision for their family legacy lives far beyond her and continues to impact countless lives around the world through the ministries they support.
Decades-long ministry investment starts with a single act of generosity. If you’re interested in using Ministry Certificates to facilitate your charitable giving like the Petermans, please reach out to Sean Kleckner to learn more.
This is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the investments described herein. An offer with respect to Brethren in Christ Foundation investments can be made only by the prospectus. No offer or sale of investments is made in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not in compliance with applicable law. Offers and sales may be made only by an authorized officer of the Foundation. These products are uninsured debt obligations of the Foundation. These products are not savings or deposit or other obligations of a bank and are not insured by the FDIC, SIPC, any state insurance fund or any other governmental agency.