Legacy of Nathaniel A. and Jean L. Urshan Continues

The legacy of Nathaniel A. and Jean L. Urshan continues to affect the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) many years after their ministry here on earth.  This iconic couple changed the course of history with their lives and ministry.  As you go back in time, you discover that each segment of their life left an immeasurable impact.

We first hear of the Urshan name when Andrew D. Urshan, father of Nathaniel A. Urshan, a Persian-born Assyrian embraced Pentecostalism in 1908 and became a well-known evangelist, pastor, author, and hymn writer. 

Nathaniel A. Urshan planned to become a medical doctor but accepted his call to ministry in 1941 after being healed of Tuberculosis.  He met and married the dream girl of his life, Jean L. Habig, of Indianapolis, IN, on October 1, 1941.  Together they evangelized, assisted in Royal Oak, MI, and then accepted the pastorate of Calvary Tabernacle, Indianapolis, IN, Jean’s home church.

Over the next 30 years, Nathaniel and Jean grew Calvary Tabernacle to the largest UPCI church at that time. They were renowned camp meeting speakers and singers, and Nathaniel became the speaker of Harvestime, the national radio voice of the UPCI.  

In 1977 Nathaniel Urshan was elected General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church, International.  He was the longest serving General Superintendent of the UPCI, retiring in 2001.  Under his leadership the UPCI grew from 5,835 to 8,575 ministers, 2,916 to 4,039 churches in North America, 8,602 to 30,260 churches and preaching points worldwide, and 404,000 to 3,060,000 constituents.  A legacy that is to be admired and honored.  

Many of us remember at his re-election every two years his beautiful wife, Jean, singing the song of celebration that she crafted for the event, “Is that the lights of home I see? Do I feel a breeze from the Mississippi? Three stories high stand W.E.C. Is that the lights of home, it’s a welcome sight to me.”

For a gift of appreciation for his 24 years of service as incredible leader, the UPCI paid for a home to be built for the Urshans in Indianapolis to enjoy in their retirement years.  A gift well deserved.  Nathaniel enjoyed the home until his passing away on March 11, 2005, and Jean until her death on May 8, 2007.

As the Urshans established their estate legacy planning, they arranged everything to go to the surviving spouse when the first passed away.  It was also established in their documents that when the remaining spouse passed away, the home given to them by the UPCI was to go into a Charitable Remainder Trust and their retirement funds go into a separate Charitable Remainder Trust.  All the other assets were distributed to family.

Why did they place these two assets into Charitable Remainder Trusts?  It comes from a principle found in Matthew 25. As the parable is given, we see an owner who trusts his servants with his assets while he was away. When he came back, he asked what they had done with what he trusted them with.  The two servants that multiplied the assets were told .. “Well done, good and faithful servant; …”. The one who hid what he managed was turned away …”into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  

Using a Charitable Remainder Trust is a way to multiply what God has trusted you with.  Trusts are set up in order that beneficiaries receive income for a certain number of years.  Most of the time trusts like this disburses gifts equal to the original value of the assets placed in the trust over a certain number of years.  At the end of those years, the trust is terminated, and a second set of gifts are given. This fulfills the principle of that parable found in Matthew 25. 

The Urshans chose the gifts from one trust at termination to be shared with ministries they gave to through their lifetime, as well as ministries associated with their children and grandchildren.  

The second Charitable Remainder Trust, created by the home given to them at retirement, established a permanent endowment in the United Pentecostal Foundation when the trust was terminated.  From now until the Lord returns there will be annual gifts disbursed to ministries of the UPCI.  Those ministries are Global Missions, North American Missions, Urshan Graduate School of Theology and Church Administration.

Before the passing of Brother Urshan, he gave permission to talk about their decision to use trusts managed by the United Pentecostal Foundation to multiply for the Kingdom what God had trusted them with in life. From this example of the longest serving General Superintendent of the UPCI many others will follow in his footsteps to fulfill the Matthew 25 principle of multiplying what God trusts us with on this earth to make a difference until He returns. 

If you are interested in how to multiply what God has blessed you with while on earth and give to the Kingdom beyond your life on earth, feel free to reach out to the United Pentecostal Foundation at 636-229-7998 or email bmarsh@upci.org.