A Legacy of Love and Service
Paul (wearing black glasses) with classmate Roger Haugland at the Carl B. Ylvisaker Library on campus.
"...Paul likes to say, 'You can't outgive God.' One of the tools they have appreciated the most is giving from their IRA through required minimum distributions (RMDs). They avoid taxable income by making qualified charitable distributions to organizations that mean the most to them, including Concordia College.
Paul Harrington's memories of his four years at Concordia College are vivid and impactful despite the amount of time that has passed.
"He quotes his professors all the time!" laughs his wife, Margaret.
When Paul was a freshman he dove right in, developing relationships with classmates, faculty and staff. So much so, that even though he didn't join a society, he was invited to participate in a number of their annual events.
If you know the Reverend Paul Harrington, this wouldn't come as a surprise.
Warm, incredibly social and a spiritual leader for 50-plus years, Paul epitomizes the mission of the college.
Paul and Margaret at his ordination.
After graduating from Concordia in 1967 with a degree in English, he attended Luther Seminary. It was during this time of intense training and study that he married the love of his life, Margaret Bredberg. Margaret, who has become a Cobber "by osmosis" according to Paul, graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a degree in education. Her teaching career was in the field of early childhood education and included meaningful experiences in a therapeutic preschool working with children who were high-risk for abuse and neglect. Margaret shares Paul's deep faith and had even taken the Parish Worker's course after high school in case she should marry a pastor.
Paul's career in ministry has included serving as a chaplain at Fairview Riverside Hospital, working in the Chemical Dependency Unit at Abbott Northwest Hospital, and also serving his first parish in Pontiac, Michigan, for eight years.
For the next 28 years, his ministry has been with Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, Minnesota, as the Senior Pastor of a large and diverse congregation. Working alongside his "dream team" of pastors and staff, Paul helped the church grow from a congregation of three families to well over 9,000 baptized members with a typical annual budget of $3 million. His calm and gentle yet direct approach was key to this growth.
During one of his sermons, Pastor Paul shared a number that reflected the gross annual household income for his congregation (the median household income for their locale multiplied by the number of active households in the congregation). He explained that people are often shocked to discover just how wealthy many of our churches really are.
"I wasn't trying to make anyone feel guilty, but I did want to show the congregation our true potential for giving if we were serious about the Biblical admonition for tithing and growth giving. Almost immediately, our overall giving dramatically increased and we were able to also tithe our entire church budget for outreach, missions and a host of other caring and social justice ministries."
Giving seems to come naturally and easily to Paul and Margaret. It is who they are and as Paul likes to say, "You can't outgive God." One of the tools they have appreciated the most is giving from their IRA through required minimum distributions (RMDs). They avoid taxable income by making qualified charitable distributions to organizations that mean the most to them, including Concordia College.
"It is a real pleasure to be able to direct those funds where you want them to go while you're living and then see the impact they make on people's lives," shares Margaret.
The Harringtons have supported numerous projects at Concordia including scholarships, the Cobber Fund, and most recently, a special project in the Religion Department that is focused on compassionate justice (pg. 25). They also remember to include Concordia as a beneficiary of their estate plan.
"Lutherans often think of giving in terms of their income or current assets and forget about the importance of growing the endowment. Estate gifts are essential for securing the future of the college. It's important to remember that Christian giving can go far beyond Christian living."
Paul and Margaret have been married for 52 years and live in Rosemount, Minnesota, and Mesa, Arizona. They have three married children and 11 grandchildren. Paul is currently writing a book with a close colleague and fellow pastor reflecting on their 40-plus years of ministry. They are hoping the book will be published by the end of 2021.
"At my 50th class reunion a few years ago, it felt like we all just picked up right where we left off the day we graduated. It was an honor to speak at our reunion banquet and have Dr. Paul Dovre join us that evening. The C400 banquets, Homecoming events and dozens of Christmas concerts we have attended through the years all hold a special place in our hearts."
Making a gift through your IRA/RMD is a convenient way to support students and projects at the college.
Use RMDs to:
- Start your own endowed scholarship in your family name or in honor of a loved one, professor or mentor.
- Support or start a project you believe in such as an internship program or travel abroad-Concordia College gift planners are here to help you dream and plan.
- Make a gift to the Cobber Fund to support the greatest needs of our students and faculty.
- Use our Take Action! Give From Your IRA tool to connect to your retirement provider.
- Contact Trina Hall at 218.299.3445 or [email protected] to discuss using your IRA to support Concordia College and our mission.
- Seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor.
- To include Concordia College in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID. Please let us know of your gift (many retirement providers assume no responsibility for letting nonprofits know of your intention so your goals won't be honored).
Legal name: Concordia College
Legal address: 901 8th St. S., Moorhead, MN 56562
Federal tax ID number: 41-0693977
Make a lasting impact by making a planned gift through your estate. There are many ways to make a lasting impact by making a planned gift through your estate. Contact Trina Hall at 218.299.3445 or [email protected] today, to learn more.