By Roy Hayhurst

DALLAS — The annual Lipper Fund Awards once again recognized GuideStone for outstanding fund performance, this time recognizing the GuideStone Extended-Duration Bond Fund as the Best Fund Over 3 Years and the Best Fund Over 5 Years in the Corporate Debt A-Rated Funds category. In each category, which ended November 30, 2013, the Extended-Duration Bond Fund beat out more than 50 eligible funds.
This is the third consecutive year the Lipper Fund Awards has recognized GuideStone Funds. In 2012, the entire GuideStone Funds family was ranked No. 1 out of 182 eligible fund families with up to $40 billion in assets and was honored with Lipper’s Best Overall Small Fund Group in the U.S. over the three-year period ending November 30, 2011. In 2013, the MyDestination 2025 Fund was ranked No. 1 out of 92 similar funds for its performance over the three-year period ending November 30, 2012.

“Lipper’s Fund Awards honor those funds that excelled at producing superior risk-adjusted returns for their investors,” said Barry Fennell, senior research analyst at Lipper. “For that, we are pleased to recognize GuideStone’s Extended-Duration Bond Fund as the top Corporate Debt A-Rated fund over both the past three and five year time periods. These two awards are certainly a positive reflection of the investment process that GuideStone has in place for the corporate debt asset class.”

Rodric E. Cummins, senior vice president and chief investment officer of GuideStone Capital Management, credited the professional management team GuideStone has assembled for the series of accolades, citing the team’s dedication to the principles GuideStone Financial Resources espouses in its commitment to honor the Lord in all that it does.

“So many times, people wonder whether they have to choose the performance they hope to achieve for their investments or the values they strive to live out today,” Cummins said. “We believe that these recognitions help give evidence that they don’t have to compromise their values to obtain industry-leading performance.”

GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins said that this most recent accolade gave evidence to the hard work and dedication of both GuideStone’s staff and the sub-advisors it utilizes. All of the benefits for this performance, though, are for the benefit of those we serve.
“Our commitment to pastors, missionaries, church staff members and the scores of thousands of other ministry workers we serve is to provide them with financial products that reflect their values and will help them as they prepare for their future,” Hawkins said. “As we prepare this year to make our funds available to values-minded investors, this newest accolade is further testimony that our products and services can more than compete with the best-known names in the mutual fund industry.”

GuideStone was recognized during an awards reception and dinner March 20 in New York City.