As I've been learning who are the missionaries currently supported by my home church USA, I realize something they may not have: This sending church can be proud that among those who have gone out from our church over the years. There are a surprising number of directors or presidents of other mission organizations, or seasoned and godly and wise lights for the gospel on the front-lines in difficult places. I just started listing them...
Bill & Robin Harris. Missionaries whose passion for ethnomusicology and networking resulted in founding International Council of Ethnodoxologists (ICE). Robin is the ICE coordinator. Robin and her husband, Bill Harris, now work forOperation Mobilization-USA in the Heart Sounds International division. Bill and Robin Harris write several blogs.
Gwynn & Pooka Lewis, Sowers Int'l, Founder & Executive Director
Joe & Silk Handley, Asian Access, President
Dennis & Susan Wadley, Bridges of Hope Int'l, Founder/Int'l Director: From the Bridges website info on their Partners. BTW: This partnership was profiled in DualReach article about involving local church leaders in mission which in-turn inspires a congregation.
Rolling Hills Covenant Church
In 2004 Rolling Hills Covenant Church [RHCC] sent its first short-term mission team to South Africa to support Dennis Wadley, former high school ministry pastor at RHCC, and his family in their ministry “Bridges of Hope.” Since then, RHCC has continued to partner with Bridges of Hope in its efforts to serve communities and townships ravaged by HIV/AIDS, with specific care for the growing number of children orphaned by this disease. Together with Bridges of Hope, RHCC also partnered with St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Philippi, and provided funds for the construction of the church facility in Philippi.
The children in the black townships outside Cape Town grow up in terrible poverty in neighborhoods with high rates of crime and gang activity and lives that are devastated by AIDS. Many children are orphaned by AIDS and grow up with only knowing life in the township and the hopelessness it can breed. The vision shared Bridges of Hope and RHCC was to have a retreat center in which children could come and be ministered to in a loving outdoor and retreat center atmosphere. Rolling Hills Covenant has sent several short-term teams comprised of high school students and adults to run after school programs at the Center.
The dream was also to build a residential High School Academy for children orphaned by AIDS. This dream was rooted in the belief that God could use the children’s lives and transform them to become key parts of an emerging new generation to lead South Africa. With significant help from our RHCC, as well as other churches, that dream has now become a reality. A former bed and breakfast with acreage that used to be a vineyard was purchased. Rolling Hills helped to fund a full-time missionary, Ted Holdeman, who served in a key role during the construction of various buildings for the Bridges of Hope Leadership Academy, as well as maintaining the operations of the Bridges of Hope Retreat Center.
Rolling Hills Covenant Church has enjoyed our thriving partnership with Bridges of Hope. As a congregation we give praise to the Lord for connecting our church with Bridges of Hope. We pray that together we will serve Jesus in redeeming lives for His glory and bring lasting and sustained positive change to South Africa.
2 comments:
Hi Kimberly! Thanks for thinking of us! You and Jim are certainly leaders, too, ya know...! RHCC has been such a terrific support over the past 25+ years for us. We miss you both and keep a light in the window for you here in Dallas.
Yours, Bill and Robin
Yes, yes, JIM CREASMAN President of CRMS in Singapore. Building Spiritual Leaders over here has been our callling, and Singaporeans see themselves as "the Antioch of Asia." For this season, Jim's the president (at the request of Anglican Bishop MOSES TAY) who said he'd be willing to continue as VP if Jim were the President for this "building season." We are honored to serve and see how God can use us for the advancement and strengthening of his church in Asia with Singapore as the base.
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