Her family moved to Chattanooga from New Brunswick, Canada in the late 1800’s. Her family had become prominent, so “Miss Dora” understood what it meant to be blessed financially. Because God was preeminent in her life, she carefully outlined a way to use her portion of the family’s wealth to support “general principles of encouraging truly Christian causes.”
The Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation is a testament to God’s blessing of Miss Dora’s vision of generous support for Christian causes. Since its inception in 1965, the Dora Maclellan Brown Charitable Trust, now the Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation, has inspired scores of men and women. God has also graciously multiplied their generous gifts, actions and words.
The work at CCCF is broad-based, locally centered and globally aware. Miss Dora expressed her desire to set up a trust that would train “foot soldiers” for God’s “front lines.” Lines have emerged on many fronts, and the battle has only intensified, as Miss Dora believed it would.
With sincerity and good humor, Miss Dora acted out her justice, mercy and humility before God. She wrote:
"I realize that conditions change and what is a worthy cause today may be under different management in the future and not in accordance with Christian ideals. It is not my wish to make rigid and unchangeable suggestions regarding my estate, but to apply the general principles of encouraging truly Christian causes.”
Dora Maclellan Brown died on February 24, 1974, at the age of 94. Those who were with her said she died singing hymns. The Trust was incorporated in 1976, and in March of 1992, the Board of Trustees changed the name to the Chattanooga Christian Foundation. The Chattanooga Christian Foundation was then used as the catalyst for the formation of the Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation, which was founded in 1993. The Foundations have now merged together, as a way of providing even greater service to the Christian giving community of Chattanooga.
The world today, it seems, marches to a thousand drummers. But one drumbeat has remained constant: it’s that of an unchanging God, whose Good News message can’t be blurred by time or the clamor of competing players. With new technologies and methods to reach our post-modern society for Jesus Christ, CCCF is going forward. To provide for hope, justice, mercy and love. To intervene where physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs exist. To encourage our inner-city friends, to equip pastors and lay workers, and to train more gentle soldiers in the right and good cause of Christ. |
