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The Game Was Worth the CandleOver 100 years ago throughout North America candles were commonly used to diminish the darkness. People valued candles as a good source of light. Fathers read to their children by the flickering candles and families played games close to the light. The importance of an event determined whether or not a candle would be lit. People knew the light would last only a limited time. Our first missionary likened his life to a burning candle that would last only so long. Dr. Raphael C. Thomas felt it was of utmost importance that his life burn brightly and dispel the greatest amount of spiritual darkness. Returning one time from his field of service, he visited friends with whom he had attended medical school. He listened to them talk of boredom in their medical practices as they wondered if the results had been worth the struggle to gain an education and endure the long hours of work. After his visit Dr. Thomas weighed the lives of his classmates against the adversities, advances and fulfillment he experienced as a missionary doctor. In his journal Dr. Thomas wrote, "The game was worth the candle." The First Candle 1927-1945 Dr. Raphael Thomas graduated cum laude with an MD from Harvard Medical School. A graduate of Andover-Newton Theological Seminary and an ordained Baptist minister, he went to the Philippines as a single man in 1904 under the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. In 1916 he married Norma Peabody and returned to the Philippines. He became the supervisor of the Union Mission Hospital which had been built in Iloilo, Philippines. Raphael Thomas was not only a missionary surgeon, he also had great compassion for people and was concerned about their eternal destinies. Many times he preached in villages bringing him into conflict with the hospital administration. Raphael Thomas was told to stop his evangelistic work and spend 100% of his time in the hospital, but he could not do that. His passion for the lost meant that he had to witness for Christ. In addition to his other outreaches Dr. Thomas held meetings among college and university students. After continued disagreement with hospital administrators, he decided that if he was not allowed to evangelize he would have to leave the Philippines. The Thomas family returned to the United States. At that time God brought Marguerite Doane into their lives. She was the daughter of well-known hymn writer William Howard Doane. Marguerite met the Thomases at Doane Cottage in Watch Hill, RI in August 1927. She listened while Dr. Thomas shared his burden to reach the lost. There on the porch the group negotiated how to be Christ-honoring in this situation. The consensus was to form a new mission agency. Mrs. Lucy Peabody, mother of Dr. Thomas' wife Norma, became the first president and Marguerite Doane personally supported the first missionaries and took care of all of the operating expenses. They named the new mission organization ABEO, Association of Baptists for Evangelism in the Orient. In 1928 the Thomas family returned to the Philippines as ABEO missionaries. They landed in Manila where Dr. Thomas rented property and started the First Baptist Church and the Manila Evangelistic Institute. Bessie Traber, Alice Drake, Ellen Martien and Helen Hinkley who had already been at work in the Philippines joined ABEO and established the Doane Evangelistic Institute in Iloilo. Stella Mower transferred to ABEO after 6 1/2 years of missionary service in Argentina, joining Ruth Woodworth, Esther Yerger and Alexander Sutherland in Iloilo. Dr. Paul Culley was added to the faculty in Manila and set up medical-evangelistic clinics around the city. Bernice Hahn, Bethel France and Evelyn Congleton provided a home called the Doane Dormitory for young women who had come to work or study in Manila. They were successful in leading many girls to Christ and in guiding others to dedicate their lives for Christian service. The Presbyterian Philippine Mission turned the island of Palawan over to the fledgling Association of Baptists. The most practical way to evangelize a group of islands was with a ship. The very day after the Board voted to open this territory, God provided Captain Ellis Skolfield, an ex-Navy officer, who went from island to island in The Gospel Ship preaching, distributing literature-and pulling teeth! Ed and Marian Bomm arrived in the Philippines in 1935. In addition to pastoring the First Baptist Church of Manila, he soon became the administrator and treasurer for the missionaries. Bernard Bancroft sailed into Manila at the age of 19, ABWE's youngest ever missionary. He spent his first months of service aboard The Gospel Ship, then taught Bible to young students. Following his marriage to Eleanore Bailey the couple preached the gospel to what he called "these scattered bits of land," the more than 100 islands of the Sulu Sea in Palawan. Mona Kemery had a ministry among the girls in the dorm at the Doane Institute while Robert "Chips", Smallwood business manager in Manila, worked with college men. While missionaries of the new ABEO worked in the Philippines, back in the USA the mission board was looking for a new president. In April 1935, the Board asked Rev. Harold T. Commons, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Johnson City, N Y, to be the new leader. God stretched the vision of ABEO beyond the Philippines. Pioneer missionaries Bill and Elva Scherer had worked independently on the upper Amazon River since 1924. They had bought land on the river bank, cleared it, and preached to the 60,000 unevangelized Indians and Peruvians of the region. In May 1939 the ABEO Board accepted the Scherers as missionaries. That necessitated changing the name of the mission, replacing "Orient" with "World" to form ABWE: the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. During this time of change World War II broke out. When Manila fell to the Japanese, 24 ABWE missionaries were trapped and became prisoners of war. Since Ed Bomm was the mission's treasurer in the Philippines, the Japanese considered him the leader of all ABWE missionaries. He was imprisoned the longest because he refused to sign a document of cooperation with the Japanese which would have meant political servitude. Mrs. Bomm was arrested on suspicion of involvement in subversive activity and was subjected to inhumane abuse in Fort Santiago dungeon. The Robert Kohler family and Louise Lineup worked in Mindanao when the war started. They evaded capture by living in the mountains and jungles for two years until they were discovered by U. S. commandos who made arrangements to evacuate them. In the middle of the night, they traveled by canoe to a submarine off shore then sailed to the USA via Australia. The Philippines were liberated in February and victory declared in September 1945. The ABWE vision to knock holes in the darkness continued. The Second Candle 1946-1971 ABWE missionaries Paul and Kay Friederichsen suffered in Japanese prisons. After the war they graphically depicted a horn of plenty representing that now it was North America's responsibility to seize this moment in history and send laborers into the whitened harvest fields of the world. Following a tour with the Navy in the Philippines, surgeon Linc Nelson and his wife Lenore, a nurse, steamed into Manila Bay on March 28, 1949. They dedicated their medical skills to missionary service and were used by God to start medical/surgical evangelism through hospitals established by ABWE. They spent most of their years at the Bethel Baptist Clinic in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Over the years around 200 churches have been started as a direct result of the clinic which today is staffed by Filipino doctors and nurses. From our humble beginnings in Peru ABWE moved to other parts of South America. Harry and Wilma Stahlman joined ABWE in 1943. Bill and Elva Scherer moved 120 miles down the Amazon River and gave the initial leadership at the Iquitos Baptist Bible Institute started in 1948. Bill and Ruth Large arrived in Peru in 1949 and later directed the Bible Institute. Years later, Dwayne and Carol Roduner began a launch ministry which God used to bring hundreds of people to Christ in the villages along the Amazon River. Today ABWE missionaries plant churches in the cities of Coastal Peru and in the villages of the upper Amazon. As an extension of the Iquitos work ABWE began to reach into Colombia in 1939. Bob and Frances Burns and Don and Wilma Davis arrived in the city of Leticia in 1942. Orville and Helen Floden joined later and established the first church. For the next 25 years a launch ministry extended the work to preaching stations along the Colombian shores of the Amazon River. The government closed the jungle mission stations in 1977, but locations with trained nationals were able to maintain their ministries. The capital city of Bogota became the center of operation for church planting and Bible training. ABWE works in six areas of the vast country of Brazil. In the Amazonas region, missionaries initially used boats to reach people living along the river. Since the days when John and Paul Schlener founded the "Port of Two Brothers," more than 15,000 individuals have responded to the gospel, and 14 churches and a training program have been established. The Amazonas Baptist Hospital, built along the banks of the river, uses the effective tool of medical-surgical evangelism. When air travel proved to be practical in the early 1960's, Hank Scheltema based his pontoon single-engine Aeronca in Benjamin Constant in order to service Peru, Columbia and Brazil. Thus began ABWE's aviation ministry which has been used of God in countries around the world. The oldest ABWE work in Brazil is in Rio Grande do Norte. Carl and Mary Adelaide Matthews joined ABWE in 1944, after serving as a chaplain at bases in Brazil during WW II. They opened the work in Natal, northeast Brazil, and were responsible for building the school and missionary residences. Because of his years of service, Carl Matthews was made an honorary citizen of Natal, the first American to be so honored. Today Berean Baptist Bible College trains workers for churches planted by ABWE missionaries. Missionaries saw early on the need to reach major metropolitan areas such as Sao Paulo. In 1946 Don and Helen Hare arrived in Natal. Three months later their young son Bobby died of an unknown fever. When their daughter also became ill, the Hares moved south to the megalopolis of Sa› Paulo. God spared her life and today she and her two sisters are ABWE missionaries. Don Hare started the Baptist Bible Seminary and Institute (now known as Regular Baptist Seminary) in Sa› Paulo. Canadians Art and Joyce Cavey and Mel and Dorothy Cuthbert joined the Hares to engage in church planting and national leadership education. Scores of churches have been planted and are pastored by well-trained Brazilians. Sa› Paulo is also home to Regular Baptist Press which provides Sunday school and AWANA material, Bible courses and books. Church planting and leadership training moves forward in Salvador, Recife and Minas where Willard and Grace Stull opened the work in the capital of Belo Horizonte in 1971 after six years of religious opposition. There was work to be done in Chile as well. In 1952 experienced missionaries from Peru surveyed this long land on the Pacific Ocean. Ernest and Eleanore Olsen and Walter (Bud) and Ellen Cramer then opened the work in Santiago. Dr. Bill & Ruth Hopewell voluntarily transferred from the Philippines to help. The new work in Chile focused in the busy capital, Santiago. Using portable tabernacles the missionaries preached and gathered believers to meet in small groups until a nucleus was formed. Property was purchased in 1955 and a Bible school begun. Missionaries continue to be needed to train leaders for the growing churches. Back in Asia, ABWE's vision reached into China. Again God brought experienced missionaries into our midst. Victor and Margaret Barnett joined ABWE in 1944 and incorporated Kwantung Province, the southernmost part of China, into the ever-enlarging ABWE world. They influenced Jaymes and Dorothy Morgan, who also had worked in China for many years, to join ABWE. Jay was fearless in his witnessing. Once while ministering the Word of God out on the street, he was stoned nearly to death. His face was filled with pock marks from the stones. One ripped his left eye out of its socket and he has been blind in that eye ever since. Frank and Sophie Jenista and Luella Lowen arrived in South China and began Cantonese language study, but the Communist revolution spread so rapidly that other plans had to be made. The Morgans, Jenistas and Miss Lowen transferred to Iloilo in the Philippines where they were badly needed in the Bible Institute. The Barnetts barely escaped with their lives when the Communists overran their town. They were able to get out on the last boat which was full of pigs. They hid among the pigs while soldiers fired at each other across the river. The pigs were caught in the cross fire, sparing the Barnetts' lives. Although the missionaries had hoped to remain in China, that was not possible. The Barnetts moved to HongKong and opened the work there in 1951. God led seasoned missionaries Bill and Joan Reid and sisters Ruth and Dortha Warner to join ABWE in Hong Kong after they were. denied reentry into India. The Morgans, after completing a special assignment in Japan, joined the team. Early ministries included clinic evangelism and rooftop schools. These compassionate and educational outreaches formed the nucleus for the first of the thriving churches now in Hong Kong. The Lord added substantially to ABWE, HongKong. Bill and Sharon Commons ran an evangelistic service center; Harry and Lyn Ambacher caught the vision for people in a satellite city; Bob and Margaret Paswaters established a school. Each of these three works grew into a church. With the increase in churches came the urgent need for training Christian workers. The Baptist Bible Institute (now China Baptist Theological College) was launched in 1966 and later developed into a college-level, four-year degree program to train pastors and leaders. At the surrender of Japan General MacArthur issued a call for Christian missionaries to go to Japan. ABWE's interest was specially awakened when in 1950 a representative of the Board visited in response to a Japanese pastor's call for help. Vern and Marion Chandler and Elaine Potter were assigned there and veteran missionaries, the Morgans, gave their expertise in establishing a base in Kagoshima City on the southernmost island of Kyushu. Gerald and Virginia Winters began work in northern Kyushu. The Chandlers started a work in Kobe which became the Higashi Nada Baptist Church. Paul and Vada Shook worked in what is now an almost totally indigenous deaf ministry. As other missionaries responded to the special needs of Japan, new outreaches and training programs started. ABWE's vision in Asia broadened. Paul and Helen Miller were appointed to Tibet, but unable to obtain entry they worked instead in Darjeeling, northern India. Paul translated the Gospel of Mark into Bhutanese Tibetan and Helen used her nursing skills to help people who wandered back and forth over the Himalayan mountains that encircle Tibet. Since it was not possible to get into Tibet the focus turned to East Pakistan, the country which since 1971 has been called Bangladesh. The Millers and Victor and Winnifred Barnard entered East Pakistan in 1957. Having served in India, the Barnards already knew the Bengali language. Reaching the primitive tribes inhabiting the Hill Tracts and establishing a base in the port city of Chittagong were the initial goals. In January 1957 Winnifred Mary, the Barnard's 14-year-old daughter, died of peritonitis and Paul Miller died suddenly of polio on May 4, 1959. Their deaths presented a stark picture of the medical-surgical needs of the country. God used Dr. Vic and Joan Olsen to develop the philosophy and gather the team who established and staffed the Memorial Christian Hospital. By ABWE's 30th anniversary in 1958, statistics showed 215 missionaries in eight different countries. But it was time to expand. In order to issue tax deductible receipts to donors from Canada, the mission had to form a corporation composed of a majority of Canadian citizens. Besides handling finances, however, the mission wanted a Canadian to represent ABWE in churches and schools across Canada. Rev. Leander Roblin assumed that position in 1961 and arranged for the financial details to be handled by an accountant in Kitchner, Ontario. In 1975 following the death of his wife Dorothy, Mel Cuthbert returned to Canada from Brazil and took the assignment of establishing an actual Canadian office. Mel spent five years developing ABWE-Canada. He married Romilda, and they served together in the Canadian office before returning to Brazil. At that time, Reg and Helen Snell came out of the pastorate, moved to Brantford, Ontario and accepted the responsibility of ABWE-Canada. They were used of God to represent ABWE especially in the eastern provinces. Today career missionaries Frank and Brenda Bale serve as the Canadian directors. Papua New Guinea was the next country on ABWE's list. Interest dates back to the 1930's when Dr. Paul Culley shared his burden for this land with the ABWE Board. During 1938-39 Dr. Culley and Captain Skolfield spent a year on the Gospel Ship surveying and making plans. World War II and the inability to gain admittance following the war put those plans on hold. But in 1967 the mission received a letter from an independent missionary family asking ABWE to take over their work in the New Guinea Highlands. The David Gardners transferred from the Philippines and were joined in 1969 by Bob and Lois Dyer and Rich and Marcia Ernst. This group and others who followed them began work in five villages near Goroka. They taught religious education in the schools and held Sunday services. In 1974 the Goroka Baptist Bible College was started as a training school for national church leaders. A unique feature of the school is that students provide much of their own food through gardening. Outside the Highlands, ABWE opened a work in Port Moresby, the capital city. As well as effective church planting, missionaries have been involved in student ministries in colleges in the capital. In Spain, under the Franco dictatorship, it had been nearly impossible for Protestant missionaries to enter the country. By 1967 the doors seemed to be opening slightly. Bob Burns and Bud Craymer made a survey which showed both the need and opportunity for gospel work in Spain. This challenged the Board to issue a call for personnel. Bill and Rosie Stoner, who had worked in Chile since 1957, responded. Arriving in Spain in 1968 they opened the work by visiting from house to house and holding Bible classes. The present ABWE task force centers its efforts in Madrid and Toledo, where the Lord has gathered small groups of believers who are in the process of becoming independent churches. Innovative approaches such as sports evangelism and classes in crafts, English and music broaden the number of contacts for the gospel. As Larry and Jacqui Armstrong finished their second term in the Philippines they requested permission to visit Australia and report their findings to the Board. The need in the growing cities arrested ABWE's attention and the Armstrongs were assigned to open this country for ABWE work. They arrived in 1971. With an influx of additional missionary staff, the Australian team opened the Spurgeon Baptist Bible Institute to train pastors. Australia offers a "home missions" style of ministry. Bible classes and friendship evangelism seem to be the key ingredients for reaching the progressive Australian people. The Multitude of Lights 1971- Present The mission's earliest business was conducted from Lucy Peabody's home in Beverly, MA. The mission opened its first business office on the seventh floor of the Schaff Building, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA in the fall of 1932. Later ABWE took over the entire 13th floor of the building. But the rent eventually rose to an exorbitant rate and a 5 1/2 acre property along Springdale Road in Cherry Hill, NJ was selected as the new mission headquarters. Construction began in the fall of 1970 and the move from Philadelphia was made during the summer of 1971. God provided sufficient funds over the next few years to pay off the mortgage, and the annual savings in rent exceeded the cost of maintenance and operation of the building. Simultaneously with the shift to Cherry Hill, a search for a new president took place. The Committee on Administration looked among missionaries, the board and members of the headquarters staff. Then suddenly the name surfaced of a person who seemed to possess the requirements: youth, education, missionary enthusiasm, soul-winning burden, teaching and preaching ability. On February 9, 1971 Wendell and Karolyn Kempton met with the Board who issued a unanimous call for Wendell Kempton to assume the presidency of ABWE. After praying and struggling in their souls for four months the closing words in Psalm 78:72 became real: "He...guided them by the skillfulness of His hands." When Wendell Kempton became president in June 1971, ABWE had 338 missionaries working in 11 countries. But the ABWE world continued to expand. The board voted to enter Africa with a program of New Testament evangelism and church planting. A survey team investigated and found great needs and possibilities in Togo. Experienced French-speaking missionaries Dallas and Kay Washer began work in the capital city, LomŽ in 1974. The plan was that as more personnel became available the work would spread into the interior where tribal languages would also have to be learned. Dal Washer's vision was to preach the gospel and to establish churches in every village in Togo. He faithfully followed that vision until he was unexpectedly called home to be with the Lord on in 1989. Kay Washer began her special ministry to blind people that has developed into the ABWE Blind Center on its own property near Kpalim. The Karolyn Kempton Memorial Christian Hospital opened its doors in 1985. Thousands of Togolese have come for health care and have been exposed to the gospel. As God supplies the workers, the ABWE plans to expand into every region of Togo. A survey team visited Paraguay in June 1974 and by October, Bob and Lynne Trout and the Michael McCubbins were hard at work. Months of door-to-door visitation and tract distribution produced ABWE's first church in a suburb of the capital, Asuncion. Other churches have followed. The aviation work begun by Dale Fogg has opened up other areas to the gospel. While we were spreading out around the world some supporters felt we needed to consider our own "Jerusalem." So in 1976 Dr. Floyd Davis was chosen to direct ABWE Missions-USA. Missionaries who had experience overseas got the USA program started, doing what ABWE is best known for: planting churches. In the first two years three new churches were started. During these 20 years this branch of the mission now known as ABWE North America:
The January 1978 issue of The Message featured the headline: "ABWE to enter Argentina." Experienced missionaries James and Sharon Evans and Ivor and Ruth Greenslade were challenged by a youth worker to begin work in the capital, Buenos Aires. Today a team of missionaries is involved in evangelism, discipleship and church planting in or around the capital where over one-third of the population lives. After five terms of service in the Niger Republic, the Melvin Pittmans opened up The Gambia in 1978. ABWE personnel later moved interior and in 1982, the Ndungu Kebbeh Medical Center opened. This compassionate ministry is necessary to reach the hearts of the population, 85% of whom are Muslim. Construction teams from the USA renovated the original facilities and in 1989 the enlarged Medical and Literacy Center was dedicated. A strong missionary team now has a strategy to reach the metropolitan capital Banjul and the tribal villages along the north bank of the Gambia River. A survey carried in 1978 showed that Portugal was a country ready to receive the truth of the gospel. David and Evelyn Southwell transferred from Brazil where they had already planted a Portuguese-speaking church. Jim and Carole Plunkitt came from Togo to help open up Portugal. The missionaries developed the 20/20 plan by which they hoped to plant 20 church in 20 years. As others joined the missionary team in Portugal, they branched out into new areas. In a land where soccer is the king of sports many unsaved young men have had their first contact with missionaries on the playing field. The Lisbon Training Center, now under construction, will be the focal point from which the Portugal ministry will advance into many communities that have no testimony for Christ. In addition to providing training for pastors and Christian workers, the center will house the missionary children's school and serve as a place for local churches to hold retreats and special events. The Lord continued to lead ABWE into new areas through the expertise of experienced missionaries. After working for six years in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) Marc and Judie Blackwell were looking for a mission with a team approach to church planting. The Blackwells were appointed by ABWE in 1980 and made a survey of South Africa. The urban areas of Cape Town and Durban captured their attention. With Dale and Karen Marshfield the Blackwells laid the foundation for effective church planting and training leaders through the Church Ministries Institute, now known as the Baptist Bible College of Natal. At the recommendation of the ABWE Board, a survey team entered Norway in 1978 to determine the needs of the country. With 87% of the population belonging to the state church, the survey showed that only 3% attend any sort of the religious service. The door seemed open for children's work, one-on-one classes and small group Bible studies. The James Turpins, who had been youth workers in Oslo, and Joe and Mary Massey, who had served in Bangladesh, opened the ABWE work in 1981. One outstanding aspect is the Free International Baptist Church which reaches out to students, embassy personnel and business people from as many as 24 countries. God used Russ and Barbara Stockman who had a great burden for Kenya to open the door to that land in 1983. Other personnel came and went until in 1989 Dave and Doris Totman transferred from Bangladesh and provided their years of experience to get a new work started among middle class people in Nairobi. The ministries include weekly Bible classes called "Pastoral Teaching" in public schools, Bible clubs during the holiday months, literacy training and Bible Correspondence School. God used a father and son team to assist ABWE to move into France. John and Gerry Weeks arrived in Cherbourg in 1986 and their son Tim with his wife Marsha followed. Children's Bible clubs, literature stands in open markets and mass literature distribution have helped in the goal of planting churches. England? Why send missionaries to England? Isn't that the homeland of William Carey, the father of modern missions? This commonly asked question can be answered by the spiritual vacuum in the land that produced Spurgeon and the Wesleys. 70% of the people call themselves atheists; less than 10% attend any kind of church. In 1985 Jim and Carol West, with 22 years of missionary service behind them, volunteered to open up a work near Bristol; Steve and Caroline Mann and others joined. Using a variety of strategies the team seeks to establish new Bible-believing churches and rebuild older churches now in a state of decline. In 1988, field administrator Jesse Eaton, Pastor David Stevenson and others surveyed Italy. As of 1984 Roman Catholicism had ceased to be the state religion and a growing tolerance for learning about other faiths prevailed. David and Rosezell Stevenson returned and were joined by Peter and Lisa Brock and Jim and Lori Spoto. For 30 years ABWE attempted to enter the land that is the home of the Reformation. Today that country is in need of regeneration. On October 3, 1990, the "wall" crumbled and the German people were united into the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the 1990 Candidate Class the Board appointed seven people to the initial team entering a united Germany. The strategy was to concentrate personnel, effort and resources in two target areas where there is no strong evangelical witness. The larger objective is to establish strong centers which would provide training and support for "daughter" works within a 50 mile radius. By working this plan, our newest church in Germany was officially born in December 1996, and extended outreach is underway in the earlier target area. During the 1980's Dr. Harold Amstutz served as the point man in strategic planning. He established the Ten Year Goals for 1983-1993. One of the 21 goals focused on corporate enhancement. To implement that Bill and Sharon Commons transferred to the home office after 12 years as church planters in Hong Kong. Bill became the Director of Enlistment to recruit candidates and to lead the annual Candidate Class from 1982 to 1995. The media center expanded as God brought Bob Henry to serve with Carl Brandon. Mel Cuthbert joined the ABWE office to direct Pre-Field ministries, and Mary Lou Brownell became Director of the Singles Ministry. Running out of office space, first one, then a second expansion had to be built on the Cherry Hill property. Then one day the township told treasurer Bill Pierson that no more parking spaces could be added, so it was just a matter of time before ABWE would have to move to new facilities. One of ABWE's goals was to minister in closed countries, primarily Eastern Europe. The president of the Romanian Missionary Society invited ABWE to hold evangelistic meetings in 1986. Dave and Evelyn Southwell and Michael and JoBeth Loftis joined Dr. Kempton and Russ Ebersole. On the train ride, in the middle of the night, the KGB broke the door open and ransacked everything in the room trying to find contraband. Arriving at the church in Oradea they found that little church was packed with 3,000 people. The pastor tapped a man's shoulder. He turned one way and the man next to him turned another way and the group zigzagged into the church. God used that experience to challenge ABWE to share in taking the good news to people longing for freedom and truth. In 1986 God spoke to ABWE personnel about other areas of the Soviet bloc. Michael Loftis made arrangements for Ruth Kempton and four other women to enter the Soviet Union shortly before independence. The women conducted training seminars in cultural centers, schools and churches, teaching educators how to reach children and adults for Christ. One after another God has opened up countries in Eastern Europe, giving a window of time in which to preach the gospel and train local people. It was time to think about moving into the 21st century. As Dr. Kempton tells the story, "We knew we would need additional space. The Search Committee looked at 23 pieces of property in Cincinnati, Dayton, Indianapolis and Harrisburg and eventually settled on three one of which was Mike McKinney's estate near Harrisburg. His final offer was $2.8 million. I looked at him and said, 'I come as a servant of God representing a missionary organization and my finance committee says that I am able to give an offer of $1.8 million.' The owner responded, 'Wendell Kempton, that is a million dollars lower than I would ever take. Look at all I have invested in this property.' Then I watched him do something that I never dreamed he would do. He walked over to me and said, 'For some reason, known only to God, I want to accept the offer of $1.8 million.'" Acquiring 136 acres with all the buildings was a miracle. Ralph Gruenberg came from the pastorate to head up the challenge of construction, to be carried out completely with volunteer labor. Jay and Eleanor Walsh, on furlough from Bangladesh, became host and hostess. Eleanor, Sharon Hammaker and others prepared over 10,000 meals for the volunteers. ABWE did not have one dollar when construction started and does not believe in incurring debt. Every week the construction supervisors had to trust God for enormous sums of money. God brought it in. How we thank Him for those of you who gave generously. The mission did not owe one dollar when the building program finished, and no funds had been diverted from missionaries or mission projects. The dedication plaque in the front of the building tells the story:
During the 1990's the ABWE Board voted to open work in Ghana, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Mexico City and most recently Uruguay. God is giving ABWE unique opportunities to carry His good news to people in the most unreached places of the world. The potential of working in countries closed to traditional missions is especially exciting. Plans are underway for Mongolia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Central Asia. In many of these countries the work will be carried on through Global Access Partnerships (GAP). This ministry seeks to establish partnerships with responsible national Christian leaders in countries where traditional western missionary work is not allowed. Multitudes still wait for their first announcement that the Lord Jesus Christ loves them with an everlasting love and wants them to come out of the darkness into His marvelous light. When ABWE was located in Philadelphia, full-time staff members numbered 27. That has grown to 55. In the Philadelphia days the missionary family was just over 300, and now is more than 900. The budget grew from $2.5 million to $24.4 million. We praise God that during the past 25 years administrative costs never exceeded 9.6%. ABWE operates 11 schools for missionary children and eight hospitals and clinics that have provided health care for a half a million people in the last ten years alone. God has allowed numerous Bible colleges and seminaries to open their doors. But most importantly, thousands have accepted Christ and have been established in local churches. That is what ABWE is all about. As ABWE enters its 71st year, corporately and individually, the members are ready to rededicate their lives to diminish the spiritual darkness in this world. Without hesitation they proclaim: "The Game Was Worth The Candle"
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| The Game Was Worth the Candle |
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| The Three Presidents |
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