BCF seeks retired ministers to reside in newly completed Shepherds’ Cottages

BCF photo

The Shepherds’ Cottages at BCF are located adjacent to the college’s Heritage Village, a collection of buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each Shepherds’ Cottage unit features a comfortable southern cottage architecture with all of the amenities that quietly say, “Welcome Home.” Four cottages are now complete, with two more under construction.

GRACEVILLE (BCF)—The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) in Graceville is celebrating the completion of the first four of its long awaited Shepherds’ Cottages by seeking the community’s first residents.

The Shepherds’ Cottages are individual residences for independent living on the campus of BCF, designed to serve as affordable retirement homes for retired ministers. The brainchild of college President Thomas A. Kinchen, construction began on the community in the summer of 2003 with a vision to provide assistance for retired ministers who cannot afford adequate housing.

“The Lord told me that I had no real business training another generation of ministers if I were willing to sit back and let the generation before me have members thrown away,” recounted Kinchen nearly two years ago as groundbreaking took place on the cottages.

“Too many individuals have served our Lord and His church only to come to the last years of their lives with no suitable place to live and less than a subsistence income,” Kinchen said.

Now four cottages are complete, built entirely through donations and volunteer labor in a similar fashion as the Habitat-For-Humanity model. Much of this labor has come from church volunteer groups from across Florida and several other states explains Kinchen. “We’re grateful for the outpouring of support for the cottages. This project has truly crossed geographic, time and age lines,” he said.

“We have had folks from numerous states. They have come from the senior adult age group as well as programs for youth and children,” Kinchen said. “Some of the groups have come for a day, while others have come for up to three months. Gifts have ranged from a very few dollars to thousands.”

As construction moves ahead on two additional cottages, BCF is already seeking residents for the four completed cottages. “Residents will have a wonderful opportunity to participate in the life of the college community,” states Kinchen of the cottage’s future inhabitants.

The cottages are conveniently located right on the BCF campus, adjacent to the picturesque Heritage Village, a collection of buildings from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that are host to college classes and numerous events throughout the year.

“The faithful servants who live here will be blessed,” said Kinchen, “and they will be a blessing as they serve as mentors and encouragement to so many individuals who are preparing for lifetime Christian service.”

In selecting qualified residents, BCF will utilize the same guidelines as set forth by GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention in the Adopt An Annuitant program as follows:

Assistance from the program is not limited to pastors or their widows. Any retiree age 65 or older with 10 or more years of paid Southern Baptist ministerial service is eligible to apply. Other eligibility guidelines include an income of less than $1,250 per month for single applicants and less than $1,665 per month for married applicants. Applicants must have less than $30,000 in assets, excluding their home.

“There is no way that we at the college can know of all of those who are in need of this program, and there is no way in which we can help all of those who are deserving of help. But the desire of our heart is to help all that we can,” said Kinchen.

Encouraging the public to assist BCF in seeking deserving individuals he continues, “We need the help of each of the people who know these great servants in the various communities. People have responded with help to build the units. Now we truly need your help in finding the folks who will live in them.”

“Please take the time to contact me,” Kinchen implores. “This will be a great service to some of our Lord’s choice servants.”

To obtain an application for residence or to recommend a retired minister who could benefit from this program, contact the President’s Office toll free at 800-328-2660, ext. 446 or e-mail lltice@baptistcollege.edu.