About the Foundation

Our mission is to maintain and preserve in perpetuity the historic Hebron Lutheran Church property in Madison, Virginia, and make it available for uses consistent with the Christian faith.

The Hebron Lutheran Church Foundation was conceived in 2014 by members of the Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison, Virginia who were concerned that the challenge of maintaining a small rural congregation might leave the congregation of the Church unable to properly maintain, preserve and support the existing historic church building in the future.

These members proposed to the Council of the Church that a tax-exempt organization be created to establish an endowment fund for this purpose, and to solicit contributions from church members and others desiring to support the goals of the Foundation.

In the course of the discussion it was decided that the scope of the Foundation should be expanded to include establishment of an endowment fund to support the mission and outreach activities of the Church.

The congregation of the Church approved the proposal on March 20, 2016. Pursuant to that authority, the Foundation was created on August 4, 2016.

The Foundation was organized as a charitable organization exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code.

It is governed by a five-person board of directors, of which two directors are appointed by the Council of the Church, two directors are elected from the public at large, and one director is appointed by the Germanna Foundation.

The Foundation’s governing documents establish two separate and distinct perpetual endowment funds. Contributors may designate either or both of these funds to receive their gifts.

The Property Fund supports capital improvements, additions and extraordinary repair and maintenance needs of the Church property which are beyond the reasonable capabilities of the operating budget of the Church.

The Mission and Outreach Fund supports the extension and expansion of the mission and benevolence work of the Church.

Both funds are to be managed as perpetual endowment funds, with distributions limited accordingly. The terms of both funds provide that they are not to substitute for or fund existing programs or the operating budget of the Church; however, in the event of catastrophic emergencies requests for loans from the principal of the funds may be considered.

Contributors may designate which of the funds they wish to support; undesignated contributions are allocated 85% to the Property Fund and 15% to the Mission. Copies of the governing documents of the Foundation are available upon request.

The Foundation holds a reversionary interest in the Church real property, which provides that if the property ceases to be used as the regular place of meeting for the Church or any successor Christian congregation, ownership reverts to the Foundation.

In such event, the Foundation is directed to maintain and preserve the church real property, and to make it available for uses consistent with Christian principles, the objects of the Christian church, and the benefit of the local community.

To help preserve this historic church, please consider making a donation: