Remembering Don Joiner

Discipleship Ministries would like to take a moment to celebrate the life of our dear friend and long-tenured staff member, Donald W. Joiner, who died on October 8, 2024.

Don was ordained and served United Methodist churches in Michigan until he was brought onto the conference staff in 1978 as a consultant in evangelism and stewardship.

In 1985, Don and his wife, Cathy, moved to Nashville when he joined the staff of the General Board of Discipleship as part of what was then called the Section on Stewardship. Each person on this team had an area of specialization, and Don’s focus was on fund development, planned giving, and clergy finance. He wrote several helpful books that are still referenced by many church leaders, including Christians and Money: A Guide to Personal Finance, Creating a Climate for Giving, Securing a Financial Future, and Can I Afford to Retire?. All were designed to offer successful and sustainable financial strategies in ministry. He also edited the popular resource, The Abingdon Guide for Funding Ministry.

Mentoring local church leaders (especially clergy) in the areas of both church and personal finance was a passion of Don’s. He was also a strong guide and mentor for many leaders of United Methodist Foundations across the United States. The annual training and fellowship gatherings Don organized became a forum for foundation leaders to be updated on best practices and new laws and tax code changes that would affect their work. His passion for helping clergy manage their finances extended to helping clergy understand their unique issues regarding taxes and helping clergy retire well. Don was a certified financial planner and a trained tax preparer who was sought after for his deep understanding of clergy taxes.