The Lynn and Joy McMillon Endowment

The Christian Chronicle has been faithfully serving the fellowship of the Churches of Christ since June 2, 1943 – over 75 years. In a fellowship of fiercely independent autonomous congregations it is one of the few resources that keep us informed and connected. It is truly the newspaper for the Churches of Christ. From the beginning, rather than being a doctrinal journal, it has striven to be a newspaper that informs, inspires, and unites our fellowship. We hope you agree that the value of the Chronicle is inestimable.  

The Trustees are determined that The Christian Chronicle continue to faithfully serve the Churches of Christ until the Lord comes again.

During its almost 76 year life, the Chronicle experienced several financial challenges to its very existence in spite of valiant attempts by its early private owners and editors. Therefore, in 1980 the owners, John and Dotty Beckloff, put the Chronicle under the protective shield of a larger nonprofit, Oklahoma Christian University (“OC”). OC has taken this stewardship responsibility seriously and has not only provided the Chronicle with a financial safety net, but has insisted that it maintain editorial independence from the University. While still providing financial oversight, in 2005, OC created a separate and independent Board of Trustees to oversee the operations of the Chronicle.  

Lynn and Joy McMillon with members of the Chronicle’s board of trustees.

During the early years of OC’s stewardship, the Chronicle accumulated a deficit of $881,238 which was funded by OC in addition to providing free rent and administrative services.  In 1996, Dr. Lynn McMillon took over leadership of the Chronicle and immediately began to set it on a different path financially.  During his tenure as General Manager, Editor, President, and CEO the Chronicle not only repaid the $881,238 to OC, it also built a modest endowment, began to pay its rent and overhead, amazed an award-winning staff of Christian journalists, and increased its readership by 53% — an amazing feat of stewardship during a period of declining print journalism. Under his leadership, the fellowship of the Churches of Christ has been blessed and the foundations of The Christian Chronicle – financial, editorial, and missional—provide a firm and solid base on which to build a bright future.  

Even today the Chronicle faces most of the same financial challenges of all print-based media—readership and advertising shifting to digital media and the increasing costs of newsprint, printing, and postage. It is addressing these challenges through efficiencies, through a dedicated professional staff, through transitioning some work to digital platforms, through reaching out to new audiences, through relevant and inspiring news and stories, and through the support of so many friends of the Chronicle.  

Related: Chronicle thanks Lynn and Joy McMillon for decades of devotion

The Trustees are determined that The Christian Chronicle continue to faithfully serve the Churches of Christ until the Lord comes again. We believe it can be a powerful factor in the rejuvenation of the restoration plea to return to scripture and to unify the followers of Christ. However, it cannot do this without the support of those who believe in its mission to inform, inspire, and unify.

To help in achieving this long-term sustainability, the Trustees have established the Lynn and Joy McMillion Endowment in honor of their work as Lynn retires as President and CEO on May 31, 2019. The Trustees believe many friends of the McMillons and of the Chronicle would welcome this opportunity to not only honor them, but to assure that their vision continues and blesses our fellowship for many generations.

The Trustees are deeply committee to keep the Chronicle’s mission strong and healthy, and every Trustee is contributing to the Lynn and Joy McMillon Endowment. We hope the many friends of the Chronicle and of the McMillons will join us in putting this precious kingdom resource on a more sustainable basis.  

We deeply appreciate the annual donations from so many of friends and ask them to consider ways they can help with the endowment beyond the annual sustaining gifts. In addition to cash gifts, perhaps there are capital assets for which you no longer have need, or there are other opportunities for planned gifts (estate gifts, life-income gifts, insurance policies, real estate, stock, multi-year pledges, etc.). For gifts in excess of $25,000, there is also opportunity to permanently honor the donors or others they wish to honor. However, please know that gifts of any size for this purpose are welcome and meaningful.

If you would like to join us with assuring the permanence of the Chronicle, you may do so in a number of ways:

• Checks mailed to The Christian Chronicle, PO Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-1100
• Credit cards online (www.ChristianChronicle.org/donate/) or by telephone  (405) 425-5070.
• Assets or planned gifts — please contact our attorney, Stephen Eck, at [email protected] or (405) 425-5080.  
• Congregational gifts
• Introducing the Chronicle to friends who would be supportive of its mission.

Thank you for joining us in this noble quest.  

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