John and Mary Ellen Kauffman
John and Mary Ellen Kauffman have lived a faithful life of hard work and deep commitment to stewardship. Married for over 63 years, the Kauffmans have spent their lives in rural Wisconsin, raising their three children, managing their farm, and faithfully serving Exeland Mennonite Church, where they both grew up attending. Through the ups and downs, their devotion to stewardship has remained.
For John and Mary Ellen, stewardship was instilled in them at a young age. Both grew up with families that valued ministry and giving to the church. John’s dad was a self-supporting pastor who worked as a farmer to support his family, teaching John the values of hard work and dedication to God. Mary Ellen’s grandpa was also a pastor and inspired her deeply. She recalls that her Grandpa Buchers had a profound influence on her convictions about stewardship. Though his only income came from the Mission Board and offerings, he faithfully gave 10% back to God. His example made a lasting impact on Mary Ellen and shaped the way she and John approach their own giving. This foundation in stewardship continued to guide the Kauffmans as they raised their family and built a legacy of God-honoring financial stewardship for future generations.
In their early farming years, despite their tough times, John and Mary Ellen started tithing 10% of their income. They made this decision a priority and set a goal to increase their tithe by 1% each year. As farmers, their income fluctuated with the seasons, but as their earnings went up, they began making year-end contributions.
“Our investment in farmland really paid off, but it isn’t so much what we did, but what God has done,” they said, expressing gratitude for how God has worked through their financial journey.
Later in life, the Kauffmans attended a seminar that focused on the importance of stewarding God’s resources. This experience deepened their understanding of financial stewardship, emphasized the importance of record-keeping, and inspired them to demonstrate generosity to the next generation.
John and Mary Ellen have lived their lives in a way that honors God, setting an inspiring example of stewardship for their family. “We want them to know that the joy of giving comes first,” they shared, reflecting on their desire to teach stewardship to their ten grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
In 2017, the Kauffmans were introduced to MB Foundation when their church joined the Mennonite Brethren Conference. Shortly after, they made arrangements for their Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) to be managed by MB Foundation. Since then, they have gifted additional land into their CRUT, which was then sold and the proceeds increased the value of their CRUT.
The CRUT provides income to the Kauffmans, and upon their death, the remaining value of the CRUT will be distributed to the ministries they have chosen. This legacy gift will not only support the ministries important to the Kauffmans, it will also leave a legacy of generosity.
Motivated by the desire to invest with a purpose and use their resources to build the Kingdom, John and Mary Ellen have also invested in several certificates with MB Foundation.
“We love what MB Foundation is doing,” said John and Mary Ellen. “We feel it’s a way to serve with our money that has come to us over the years of hard work.” They added, “Of our investment in church, family, and farming, what we’ve given to church and family were our best investments.”
As they continue their journey of stewardship, John and Mary Ellen often reflect on their paraphrase of Jesus’ teaching: “Store up treasures in Heaven where they are safe from inflation, uncertain economic trends, and business changes.”
For John and Mary Ellen, stewardship is about trusting in God’s provision and leaving a legacy of generosity for years to come.
“We want to give generously, not because we have to but because we want to.”