“We just gotta get through August.” These were the last words Dad said to me on what would be our final phone call. So here we are. We have all been taking things minute by minute, day by day, and slowly moving forward in this new life without our favorite person. “We just gotta get through August,” and we did. Even in death, he encouraged us to keep going, get through the hard times, and not give up hope.
– Email excerpt from Devon Powell, Daughter of Dwight and Jo Shaffer
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On July 26, 2024, Dwight Shaffer unexpectedly passed away, leaving behind Jo, his loving wife for 48 years; their children; and their grandchildren. For seven months, Jo has courageously navigated this new territory on her own. Now she needs your help…
Dwight and Jo Shaffer married at the young ages of 18 and 19, spending their entire lives faithfully serving the local church for over 45 years. Dwight graduated from Louisville Bible College in 1979 and served six churches across Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and Tennessee during his ministry. Twenty-two of those years were spent serving Blountville Christian Church as the Senior Minister.
In 2023, at 66 years old, Dwight accepted the position as the new Senior Minister of New Brunswick Church of Christ in Lebanon, Indiana. Dwight and Jo were eager and excited about this new opportunity, and it was their wish to spend as many years as time would allow ministering at New Brunswick.
On July 12, 2024, Dwight was admitted into Hendricks Regional Hospital for heart-related problems. After a series of tests, doctors determined he was experiencing congestive heart failure and performed a heart catheterization on July 15. An aortic valve replacement was scheduled for the middle of August.
Sadly, Dwight never made it to August. He tragically passed at home on the morning of Friday, July 26, 2024 while waiting for the aortic valve replacement surgery.
When I heard Jo’s story, my heart ached for her. I can’t imagine how confused she and her family must have felt by the timing of all of this. Where was God? Had he forsaken them? … And then I spoke to Devon for the first time and saw our gracious God at work, even in the smallest of details. He had been with this family every step of the way, and continues to reveal His faithfulness to them.
Dwight and Jo did not live in the church parsonage. They wanted to “put down roots” in Indiana, so they decided to purchase their own home when they moved from Tennessee. They planned to live in that home for the rest of their lives…and while Dwight did, Jo is left with memories of what was supposed to be.
Today Jo Shaffer is faced with the harsh reality of monetary demands. She never worked outside the home, instead serving alongside Dwight for his entire ministry. They were a team, and they operated as one. Now Jo has no source of income, little savings, and many other unknowns.
Jo desperately needs your help in order to remain in her home, the last home she and Dwight shared together. The remaining balance on her mortgage is only $58,000, so our goal is to pay that amount in full.
Local churches in the regions that Dwight served are coming together to raise $15,000. Another donor is offering to match that amount with an additional $15,000. We are prayerfully seeking to raise the remaining $28,000 from KBF’s family of friends and donors.
Today I’m asking for your help on behalf of Jo.
If God has blessed you this year, will you share that blessing with Jo Shaffer?
Here are three ways you can make a donation to KBF:
1. Give Online: Click the “Give Today” button below. Then select the Jo Shaffer Campaign in the drop-down menu and follow the rest of the step-by-step instructions.
2. Mail a Check: (Write Jo Shaffer Campaign on the memo line.) Be sure your gift is postmarked by December 31 if you would like it to be eligible for a 2024 income tax deduction.
Your gift can be mailed directly to:
Kairos Benevolence Fund
PO Box 19142
Tucson, AZ 85731-9142
3. Give a Gift From your Qualified IRA (or other Retirement Plan) – or Stock, Real-Estate, or other non-cash Assets.
Jo’s daughter, Devon, said, “I think of him (my Dad) a million times a day, and miss him so much. In the big moments, of course, but it’s the little moments that I don’t get to share with him anymore, that’s what I miss the most.”
God’s Word makes it clear that caring for widows is a priority. Let’s show this ministry widow and her family how compassionate and generous the family of God can be. Please help today!