We’re excited to announce that $19,300 in grants will be distributed to 14 organizations and individuals doing meaningful work in our community and world through the Brook Hill Endowment Fund.
2026 Grant Recipients
We’re thrilled to announce this year’s recipients:
- BACA International – MD Chesapeake Bay Region
- Brook Hill Weekday Preschool
- BHUMC Upward Sports
- BHUMC Volunteers in Mission
- BHUMC Youth ASP
- Frederick 24-7 prayer room
- Mabe Family Missions – Opportunity Missions Ministry for Transformation
- Maryland Cool Kids Inc.
- Missionaries with DiscipleMakers ministry at Shippensburg University
- New International in Thailand
- Overland Missions – Zambia
- Youth With a Mission
- Sebastian Guizado Rivera
- The Angel Fund
Some of these requests were fully funded, while others were only partially funded, but we are grateful to provide funding for the first time in a few years.
Many in our congregation may not be aware of this special fund and its remarkable history, so we wanted to share the story with you.
A Legacy of Generosity
In 1999, Brook Hill was blessed with a generous gift of nearly $250,000 from Ms. Tommie Lee Barnes, a devoted member of our church. In her will, Tommie Lee established an endowment with clear instructions: the principal would remain invested, but the interest and income would be used “for church outreach purposes, including local, home and foreign missions, and assistance to persons in the community who are in need.”
Her gift not only created this endowment but also paid off the church’s remaining mortgage at the time.
Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Conrad Link, a committee was formed to establish the endowment, which was a substantial task requiring extensive research, countless meetings, and careful planning.
The committee had to determine which investments to keep (the gift included stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and rare coins), select an investment manager, and create a distribution process that would honor Tommie Lee’s wishes for generations to come.
How the Endowment Works Today
The Endowment is overseen by a subcommittee of our Finance Committee. Each year, the Endowment Committee assesses the investment performance and determines if a distribution can be made. When the assessment is favorable, applications are accepted and reviewed, and the committee distributes grants from the fund’s growth while preserving the principal, ensuring this legacy continues indefinitely. The grants support missions, ministries, and individuals in need just as Tommie Lee envisioned.
How You Can Be Part of This Legacy
If you’d like to learn how to include Brook Hill in your estate planning, please contact the front office to speak with the treasurer Wayne Gooding or with either Pastors Dana Werts or Kathy Altman.
If you have any questions regarding this fund, please feel free to contact the Endowment committee chair at BHUMCEndowment@gmail.com.
Thank you for celebrating this wonderful legacy with us. Tommie Lee’s faithfulness continues to bear fruit in our community and world today.