The Final Tithe: A Christian Approach to Estate Planning

Only 6% of Christians Give Through Wills. "The Final Tithe: A Christian Approach to Estate Planning" Challenges Giving Through Estates

Samp’s new book, "The Final Tithe" is driven by the fact an estimated $20 trillion will transfer through estates to baby boomers during the next 20 years, but only 6% of active church goers ever leave anything to the church or its institutions. "We are a Nation of Tippers, not Tithers," he adds.

"What a great opportunity is being lost by not experiencing the joy of giving," he says. "Without a will, the church and its institutions will not share in one dime of the greatest mass of wealth in the history of the world."

"Our message is not one of compelling contributions but rather a call to experience the joy of giving through estate planning," Samp adds. "Interestingly, where active Christians have made commitments in their estates their annual giving to the church and its organizations also goes up."

"If every person could experience the joy and satisfaction I have seen by those who make this commitment, there would be no need for the book," he adds.

Readers expecting a workbook on estate planning or pages of legal jargon will be pleasantly surprised with the easy to understand message, type friendly words and high visual graphics.

Readers will be struck by the first part of the book with its roots deep in scripture outlining why Christians should consider a "Final Tithe" in estate planning.

Samp takes head-on two of the major taboos within the church to discuss death and finances within marriages and families. He uses his 34 years of legal skills in outlining ways to improve communications on legal issues and avoid family feuds.

"The Final Tithe" is about celebrating the joy of giving, not buying eternal fire insurance," he says.

Before taking the reader through "how to do it chapters" with everything from how to get a will written and why to consider leaving a faith statement as part of a Spiritual Will, to organ donation as a gift of love, Gorsuch has plied his visual talents with a unique graphic style wherein images reinforce the written word calling Christians to consider their eternal gift.

Meet Rollyn H. Samp

Rollyn H. Samp, a South Dakota native, is an attorney with multiple business and professional interests including law, public affairs, writing, lecturing, real estate, and communications. Rolly has over thirty years experience in business, banking, corporate and public finance, corporate law, real estate and estate planning. He has completed over $5.2 billion in financing issues on behalf of clients during the past twenty years.

Samp for five and a half years headed the South Dakota field staff of U.S. Representative Ben Reifel, the first Plains Native American elected to the U.S. Congress.

Following management of three successful re-election campaigns for Rep. Reifel, Samp headed the gubernatorial campaign of then Attorney General Frank Farrar. At age 25, he became chief of staff to the Governor of South Dakota; the youngest person to ever hold this position.

Among his many civic activities, Samp organized a citizens group to successfully authorize and fund a four-year medical school for the state, he helped lead the statewide fight for repeal of a dairy marketing law, which had artificially fixed milk prices and successfully fought for authorization of private college student funding in 1976.

Rolly served eight years as Chief Tribal Judge of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. He has been active in Native American law from his work with Hon. Ben Reifel as Congressman and former Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, his leadership in successfully defeating a South Dakota Referendum, which would have allowed state jurisdiction over Indian reservations and his efforts to assist in organizing the United Sioux Tribes, Inc He and Karen have raised several Native American foster children. Rolly is active as an advocate for Native Americans on a variety of state and federal legislative issues. In 1986, the United Sioux Tribes gave him their highest honor with a blessed peace pipe as thanks for over three decades of service to Native Americans. He is a past member of the Northern Plains Tribal Judges Association.

Rolly has served as chairman of the South Dakota Bar Association Group Insurance Committee, a member of the Minority Task Force of the South Dakota Association of Christian Churches and as the Governor's appointee to the South Dakota Emergency Food and Shelter Board.

He helped author and coordinated publication of a book "Governors of South Dakota." He has recently authored a book "If You Liked the 50's, You'll Love These Stories." His weekly "What's the Law?" newspaper column has over 400,000 readers. He has appeared in several national publications including Communicating for Agriculture, Farm Journal, Outdoor Life and Conservation Digest. He was a consultant for the Dan Rather – CBS News South Dakota "farm crisis" weeklong television special in 1987 and has been interviewed periodically on a rural advocate's response to the continuing rural crisis.

Rolly was a volunteer YMCA youth basketball coach for 18 years, spent over five years as a Boy Scout leader, served on the Sioux Falls Library Board and has held numerous church, civic and charitable positions. In 1989, he was recipient of the "Friend of 4-H" award and received the "Humanitarian of the Year" award in 1990.

For many years, Samp was President of the Dakota Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and founder of the Cystic Fibrosis clinics in the state. He was chairman of the Minnehaha County Ambulance Study in 1993.

In 1998, he served on the Governor's Task Force on Trust Reform Legislation, which was enacted by the South Dakota Legislature. He also drafted revisions of the state's surety laws along with helping repeal the sales tax on stamps used by direct mail businesses. He recently co-authored a South Dakota Law Review article on trust situs (SD Law Review No. 44/3). He holds the trademarks for the "No Tax Trust" and "South Dakota Dynasty Trust."

He served as Vice President and President of Hope Luth