Eric and Kris: Building a Legacy of Welcome

Including Global Refuge in their estate plans was  a decision that was 50 years in the making for Eric and Kris. 

In 1976, Eric was a new pastor serving his first congregation in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. One day, a local Global Refuge (then Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service) affiliate reached out to ask if his congregation would be willing to sponsor a refugee family from Vietnam.

The family had recently resettled nearby and had found housing in the community, but they were too far away from the church that had originally agreed to sponsor them.

Eric prayed about the request and talked it over with Kris and the church’s leadership. Around the same time, he called his older brother for advice.

“My brother asked me, ‘What will you tell your grandchildren about this global refugee crisis and how you responded?’” Eric said, referencing the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees who fled the aftermath of the Vietnam War and came to the U.S. in the late 1970s in search of safety.

“We took on the family’s sponsorship, and it was a life-changing experience for our entire congregation,” Eric says.

The church eventually sponsored not only the Vietnamese family, but two additional refugee families from Cambodia. Many of those newcomers became active members of the congregation and the community, Eric says.

Those experiences were the start of Eric and Kris’ lifelong commitment to welcoming refugees and immigrants.

“Putting Global Refuge in our estate plans just made sense,” Eric says. “Kris and I both believe that our God is a God for everyone. It just makes sense to include refugees and immigrants in our ‘everyone.’”

Their hope is that their legacy will help future newcomers build stable, secure, and successful lives in the United States.

“We pray that our legacy gift will help a new generation of new citizens settle in this country,” Eric says, adding that Global Refuge is an organization they know will be faithful stewards of their gift.

“We look for where our donations can help the most, and Global Refuge is a natural choice,” he says. “Where else can you literally help save lives by helping people resettle in a new, safe country?”

Eric currently serves as Lutheran Pastor in Residence at Global Refuge, where he works alongside likeminded people who share his commitment to welcome the stranger and protect the most vulnerable among us.

“Our gift is also influenced by the amazing folks with whom I work at Global Refuge,” he says. “Our team is inspiring, they’re authentic, and they’re so passionate about our work—that’s no small thing.”

Through their generosity, Eric and Kris are leaving a legacy that will continue to welcome families for generations to come.

Learn more about including Global Refuge in your estate plans this Make-a-Will Month.