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Layfield Missions Fund

Quiet. Compassionate. Thoughtful. Caring.

This is how Judy Brown describes her parents, Wilda and Dennis Layfield. “If there was someone in need, Mother and Daddy were there to support them. They were always willing to help without any big fanfare or shouting about it. They were very respectful of the people they helped.”

Judy chose to honor her parents and their deep compassion by establishing the Layfield Missions Fund as part of the Buncombe Street Methodist Church Endowment Fund.

The Layfield Missions Fund will support initiatives, like Circles USA, at Buncombe Street UMC and throughout Greenville County, that seek to inspire and equip families and communities to resolve poverty and to thrive.

Judy herself is very involved in Buncombe Street’s Circles initiative to help families move out of poverty. Circles is a model that creates “Circles” of Allies (community volunteers) who want to be in a supportive, intentional, long-term relationship with a Circle Leader who is working to get—and stay—out of poverty.

Her father led Bible studies in a jail ministry and taught adult Sunday School classes at Seventh Street UMC in Parkersburg, WV, where she grew up. Judy has two big binders full of his Bible studies and she refers to them while doing the Disciples Bible study. She thinks he could have made a good minister.

Her mother was quiet and always helping someone. Each Christmas Wilda would buy new blankets for a local church to distribute. Once Judy mentioned how her own blanket might need replacing. Her mother replied, “Judy, you have gotten some new things during this year; but this might be the only new thing this person gets all year.” She thinks her parents would have been most proud about the fact that when she took the Buncombe Street’s Spiritual Gifts Survey, her top strength was Faith. She attributes that deep faith to her parent’s influence and the example they set in how they lived their life.

“My life has been richly blessed by their love and showing me from an early age the importance of giving back. My parents would have loved the concept of Circles and I can see both of them being active in this initiative. It is a privilege to establish this Endowment in their memory.”

If you would like to discuss including the Endowment Fund in your estate; or, if you would like to designate current giving, we would be delighted to meet with you. If your estate plan has been completed, simply notify us of your plans to leave a gift to the church through the BSUMC Endowment Fund.