Bequest Guide: An Act of Love That Will Bear Fruit for Eternity
In recent years, the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity has been receiving increasingly frequent inquiries from friends and supporters of its missionary work: “I want to leave something behind. How can I help, even after my departure from this life? “.
This question is not just about money or assets, but something deeper: The desire to give meaning to what one has accumulated, transforming it into something that will live on and create, even when one can no longer manage it. A church in Madagascar, a school in Uganda, a water well in Ghana, a clinic in Congo: these are the projects born from such decisions.
The Fraternity’s Experience
The Orthodox Missionary Fraternity already manages bequests with responsibility and transparency. A prominent example is the bequest of the late Asimou Kogiomi, whose generosity has covered a significant portion of the Fraternity’s annual operating expenses for over 50 years. Thanks to this, every euro offered as a regular donation by friends of the Mission goes entirely, one hundred percent, to its purpose: to missionary projects around the world. Sister Asimo no longer lives among us, but her love for the Mission continues to bear fruit daily.
This experience proves something important: a bequest is not just a financial act. It is an act of faith, a bridge between the donor and the thousands of people who will benefit in the years to come.
Two Paths, One Purpose
Depending on the donor’s wishes, the Fraternity can manage two types of bequests.
The first concerns general bequests: inheritances or real estate donations left without specific conditions. The income from these covers the Fraternity’s operating expenses and ensures that all regular donations are channeled entirely to missionary projects. This is the method Asimou Kogiomi chose, and it proves invaluable daily.
The second concerns special bequests, also known as independently managed funds. These are inheritances or lifetime donations left with a specific condition, related to the Fraternity’s missionary purpose. The Fraternity already manages two special bequests for hosting missionaries in Greece and for providing scholarships to students coming from mission countries. However, we have also managed dozens of other bequests with a one-time purpose, such as the construction of a holy temple or a clinic. The Fraternity manages these funds separately from its other assets, preparing a distinct budget and balance sheet, and accounts for them annually to the Directorate of Public Benefit Properties of the Ministry of Finance.
In both cases, the donor’s wish is respected with absolute precision.
A Solution for Missionary Outposts
Special bequests to the Fraternity are particularly useful for donors who wish to support a specific missionary outpost, a Holy Metropolis or Diocese of the Patriarchate of Alexandria or the Ecumenical Patriarchate abroad. The Fraternity can undertake the management of such bequests, whether for a continuous purpose (e.g., annual funding) or a one-time purpose (e.g., construction of a specific building).
This solution gains particular importance due to a legal loophole: Holy Metropolises and Dioceses abroad lack legal personality in Greece. This means that if someone leaves an inheritance directly to an external Metropolis, there is a risk of doubt regarding the beneficiary, leading to multi-year legal disputes over will interpretations and potential frustration of the donor’s wishes.
At this point, the smart solution is a special bequest to the Fraternity. The Orthodox Missionary Fraternity is a recognized charitable association, registered in the registry of the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance and supervised by public bodies. These guarantees ensure both the unhindered transfer of property and the faithful adherence to the donor’s will, in accordance with the strict provisions of the legislation on public benefit properties.
How Your Wish is Protected
In Greece, bequests enjoy special legal protection. Testamentary freedom is explicitly enshrined in the Constitution (Article 109), while legislation on public benefit properties (Law 4182/2013) sets strict conditions that ensure respect for the wishes of every testator or donor. This is not a mere declaration of good intentions, but legally binding guarantees.
Furthermore, the Fraternity is bound by the supervision of public authorities and accounts annually for the management of bequests. This means that, whatever changes in the future, the donor’s will remains binding and protected.
For Those Without Natural Heirs
There are friends of the Mission who do not have natural heirs. In these cases, the decision to establish a bequest becomes even more substantial, and urgent.
Experience shows that, unfortunately, the estates of elderly people without heirs often become targets of exploitation. Third-party schemes can intervene at the last moment, altering or overturning the owner’s will. To prevent this, there is a simple and safe solution: a lifetime donation. With a lifetime donation, you control exactly what you transfer and to whom, and, if you wish, you can retain the usufruct. In this way, the donor transfers the desired bequest to the Fraternity, but fully retains its use and management throughout their lifetime. Nothing changes in their daily life, but at the same time, it ensures that after their passing, the property will be utilized for the purpose they desire, without any risk of third-party interference.
In addition, the law also provides for the possibility of a donation mortis causa and a testamentary contract, a new tool that guarantees the donor’s will and prevents attempts at circumvention. Unlike a will, a testamentary contract cannot be challenged as easily afterwards, as it is signed before a notary and has increased validity.
What This Means in Practice
If you are considering leaving a bequest to the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, you don’t need to make a big decision immediately. A conversation is enough. You can contact the Fraternity’s Secretariat, speak openly about your thoughts and wishes, and learn about the available options. The Fraternity will guide you through the first steps, and, of course, every legal procedure is carried out with the assistance of a lawyer or notary of your choice.
Some donors know exactly what they want: a church to be built in a specific missionary outpost, a school to operate, a specific Metropolis to be supported. Others prefer to trust the Fraternity to allocate resources where the need is greatest. Both options are equally honored.
The Bequest as an Act of Love
Saint Chrysostom Papasarantopoulos, the spiritual founder of our Fraternity, dedicated his entire life to the Mission, leaving nothing material behind. And yet, his legacy is immense: Hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians in sub-Saharan Africa owe their acquaintance with Christ and the Church to his work.
A bequest to the Fraternity can follow the same path. It is not our end, but a new beginning: the beginning of a school, a church, a scholarship, a project that changes lives. It is a clear act of love that will follow us into the next life.
For more information, you can contact the Fraternity’s Secretariat at tel. 2310279910.
