Mentor Tributes

By: Barry G. Allen- President & CEO


A mentor is a trusted counselor, tutor and coach. Throughout our lives we all have one or more mentors both in our personal lives and in our vocational lives. What we admire in our mentors may range from personal qualities to specific skills, from life-style habits to leadership abilities. Our mentors might include a parent, a grandparent, a friend, a sibling, a spouse, a teacher, an administrator, a church staff minister, an elected official, an employer, a co-worker or a fellow professional.

Oftentimes groups of individuals have the same mentor. For example, a beloved college professor may be the mentor of hundreds of students. A beloved pastor may be the mentor of hundreds of church members. A parent or grandparent may be the mentor of more than one generation of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A group of physicians, who were former residents at a hospital, decided to honor the surgeon who had trained them. They formed a society in the surgeon’s name, which was designed to continue the tradition of excellence in surgery taught and practiced by this beloved surgeon-teacher. They established an endowment named after their mentor to attract funds to assure the future of the chair of surgery at the hospital-related university. The testimonials of some of his former students were inspiring.

I wish more Kentucky Baptists, individually and in groups, would get serious and be more intentional about establishing endowments in honor of our beloved mentors. Not only would it provide a means of paying tribute to those who have made a difference in our lives, but also a means by which the influence of that special mentor can live on and enrich the lives of countless others.

We Kentucky Baptists are fortunate to have a variety of worthy and deserving missionary, educational and benevolent ministries, through which our mentors’ influences can be perpetuated.

Call Laurie Valentine or me for information and assistance on how you or your group can establish a lasting tribute to that special mentor in your life.

(502) 489-3533 or toll free in KY at 1-(866) 489-3533

The information in this article is provided as general information and is not intended as legal or tax advice. For advice and assistance in specific cases, you should seek the advice of an attorney or other professional adviser.