Feb 22, 2018
By Donald Graffius
On Sabbath January 27, 2018, the Shiloh Church recognized Dr. George Cruzan for his 42 years of service as Trustee and as President (12 years) of the SDB Memorial Fund.
On behalf of the Memorial Board, President Donald Graffius thanked the church for the many “seeds” planted with the Memorial Fund over the years. The church and its members have created endowments, contributed to matching programs designed to support Retired Pastors, scholarships, and the General Conference Budget. He also noted they have shared in the “harvest” as they have been the recipient of church outreach grants and loans to remodel/upgrade and expand facilities. The Jersey Oaks camp has also received grants from time to time from the Clarence Rogers camping endowment.
However, the church has also sown “seeds” of leadership by providing individuals of Christian character, raised in the Shiloh church, to serve at the denominational level. Graffius initially recalled “the servant leadership” modeled by Owen Probasco who was President when he and Dr. Cruzan joined the board. Probasco would calm, mentor, and encourage his “pups” as needed. On more than one occasion, Probasco’s words were “like apples of gold in pitchers of silver”.
Dr. Cruzan and Graffius joined the Board in the mid-70s, and they have seen many changes over the years. At that time, the Board met for only a few hours on Sunday morning and all of the men wore suits. Meeting times have now expanded and some members have been spotted wearing Seahawks and Steelers jerseys! Moreover, several women have joined the Board over the years and one of the current females was suggested by Cruzan. Technology has also brought changes and the board now meets once a year by televideo conference.
Graffius recalled that one of the first assignments from Probasco for he and Cruzan involved revising the scholarship program. The old program only provided scholarships of $250 per year to students who attended Salem College, Alfred University, and Milton College. Milton College was no longer in existence and the intent of the Board was to create a program that fostered denominational involvement and leadership development. Graffius noted they worked with the Summer Christian Service Corp committee. The ladies at that time were located at the Shiloh Church. The Leadership Development Scholarships have, over the years, touched many lives across the denomination. The “harvest” of future pastors, denominational and church workers has been bountiful!
Dr. Cruzan was involved in the creation of a loan program to assist churches in remodeling and repairing existing facilities. Grants and loans were also available to assist churches in acquiring or building new facilities. During his trusteeship and Presidency, the custodial church account program evolved. This program enabled local churches to invest funds with the Memorial Board and earn more interest than they could at a local bank. He was involved in the hiring of five different Financial Directors: Rev. Harmon Dickinson, John Vergeer, Esq., Calvin Babcock, Morgan Shepard, and Ron Ochs. In addition, 3 or 4 different companies have served as investment counsel.
Over his many years of service as trustee and President, Dr. Cruzan has been busy planting, mentoring, and harvesting for the Kingdom, a faithful steward. Graffius noted that when it comes to planting and harvesting, George has always carried a “big basket,” doing his fair share and more! Bill Probasco, a Memorial Board trustee and member of the Shiloh church, thanked George for his service by presenting a painting, “The Sower,” symbolic of the many “seeds” he has sown over the years.
Dr. Cruzan responded with appreciation and also encouraged the young people in the church to become involved in denominational service. He also reminded congregants that the assistant pastor of the church, Philip Lawton, is serving with the assistance of a Ministerial Development grant from the Memorial Board.
