WONDERFUL WAUCHULA—AND MORE!

Your missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

I’ve just concluded a weekend of ministry at Florida’s First Assembly (of God, that is), another one of our Anchor Churches. Bet ya’ don’t know much about Wauchula. It’s central Florida’s little secret. Except for some attention during Hurricane Charley some four years ago, this little hamlet surrounded by not-so-little cattle ranches, orchards and orange groves has insulated itself pretty well from the urban sprawl of nearby Orlando. (Or should I say Disney World?) Well, notwithstanding the smallish population and feel of the place (everyone seems to know everyone at the only Saturday evening restaurant in town), Florida’s First Assembly remains a relative “mega-church.”

Pastor Bob Lecocq and his wife, Debbie, lead a vibrant, rock solid family of Christians who are effectively connecting with their rural community. Bob is a sharp, gifted, multi-talented man; a caring pastor and dynamic preacher who doubles as a professor of communications for two nearby colleges, one Christian, the other secular. This other vocation gives him a real advantage in “communicating” his Christian witness in his town and in many other places, including Washington and even the Royal Kingdom of Morocco! Yes, you read it right: Bob was a member of one of our Christian Friendship Delegations to the North African kingdom and was well received by our official government hosts there. He built a special relationship with King Mohammed VI’s minister of religion. I’ve asked Bob to pray about joining us on the next scheduled mission this fall.

I don’t want to leave the church’s “First Lady,” Debbie, out of this report. She is a leader in her own right. The daughter of distinguished missionaries who spent most of their career in Upper Volta, Africa (now Burkina Faso), her parents finished their call by supervising mission stations across the newly freed nations of the fallen Soviet Empire. As you can imagine, Debbie's seen a lot and she brings that rich experience to bear on the ministry she shares with her husband today.

A bonus to my Wauchula visit was a side trip to see old friends Charles and Belinda Nestor. Cheryl and I have known them since we were married—more than 32 years now. I’ve always valued long and deep friendships over short and shallow ones. Charles and I forged our “buddy-ship” in 1977 when he was chairman and I was director of a church sponsored home for troubled young men in Rochester, New York. Those were tumultuous days. Not only did we have to do all those things that go along with such an intense ministry, but also we had to deal with some very scary characters, including convicted murderers, predatory sexual offenders, child molesters and lots of heroine addicts and dealers. Cheryl and I even had to cope with a psychopathic neighbor who wore a Bowie knife and kept nine women as a harem in his house, all of them perennially pregnant, their children consigned to deplorable conditions.

Well, I digress. I got caught up in just what the weekend yielded and I left out the mysterious ten days of silence while I was in “Beautiful Branson,” Missouri. That was for the annual board meeting and conference for the Evangelical Church Alliance (ECA), America’s oldest association of Evangelical church leaders, dating to 1887. It was again an opportunity to strengthen existing friendships, alliances and strategic networking for our ministry. I have always believed in maximum accountability (I just have enough self-doubt to think I need it), and that’s exactly what the ECA offers. No one can exist as an island unto himself, particularly in the ministry. These outstanding men and women—pastors, ministry executives, missionaries and the largest number of active duty Evangelical military chaplains—keep me sharp and hold me and our organization to the highest standards. I appreciate that. In reciprocity, I serve them as chairman of the ECA’s Committee on Church and Society. As their missionary to elected and appointed officials, I also deliver to the conference attendees an annual field report on the state of the ministry here in Washington. This year I included a “sermonette” on using their spheres of influence to help God’s people know, “How to Vote.”

While I’ve been gone on this road trip, our ministry team has been as busy as ever with the behind-the-scenes work on Capitol Hill. You generally read about the exciting ministry “happenings” as they’re about to happen, are underway or are already over. There’s an enormous amount of work, though, that must go on continually behind-the-scenes to get ready for those events and to ensure their success. That’s what our chief-of-staff, Peggy Birchfield, does without a lot of fanfare.

Well, I’m on the plane and they’re shutting me down for the descent into the airport. Gotta’ go. Be back later when I’m safely on the ground!

Rev. Rob Schenck

www.faithandaction.org

Faith and Action

109 2nd St, NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-546-8329

 

HELPING A FRIEND

Your Missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

You may have been with us last November for the 25^th anniversary of our ministry. It was a very special occasion for my brother, Paul, and me.

Among the guests that evening were Charles and Belinda Nestor, long-time friends, soul mates and allies. (He was the minister in the wheelchair who spoke so eloquently.) Paul and I met Charles and Belinda when he was pastor of a church in Niagara Falls, New York, near where we grew up. A short time later, Charles was elected president of the organization I served back then, a church-sponsored residential program for recovering drug addicts. We’ve worked together on one thing or another ever since.

When Cheryl and I accepted the call to minister in the nation’s capital, we moved to Manassas, Virginia, almost 40 miles from Capitol Hill, principally because Charles and Belinda lived in Manassas. By then he was pastor of the burgeoning Manassas Assembly of God, one of the truly great churches in the Washington metropolitan area.

Charles and Belinda helped my family and me immensely as we settled into a strange and extremely demanding place. They offered encouragement, love, prayers, information and money—yes, lots of money! (And we needed it—we arrived here in Washington from Buffalo, New York, and were in constant sticker shock over everything from the cost of a house to the cost of dry cleaning!)

A great sadness came when Charles, who had long suffered from multiple sclerosis, was forced to retire by his disease. They went to Florida, which had always been a second home to them.

By then I was so used to having Charles by my side whenever we had a big event or challenging situation in Washington, that I was disoriented by his absence. I missed him terribly. Over time, we would see each other once or twice a year, but it would never be like it was before.

Charles has done so much for me over the 31 years we’ve known each other. He has a brilliant mind, is a consummate preacher and is a terribly realistic guy with both feet planted firmly on the earth. (Well, not really anymore—MS has forced those feet to be firmly planted in a wheelchair.)

Charles is now the Senior Fellow for Public Policy at the National Clergy Council, the group my brother and I helped to form in the late 1980’s. From that “platform,” Charles now gives sharp, biblically informed insight and commentary on the crucial issues of our day. He does a lot of media; maybe you’ve seen him lately.

In any case, it’s now my turn to help Charles. Life has become much more complicated and difficult for Charles and Belinda as his MS has advanced. She is no longer able to help manage his weakened body. He’s had a number of falls that have become more and more dangerous with each episode.

One of the solutions to Charles' deteriorating physical condition—and one both he and his therapists have demonstrated will improve his life, his health and his ministry productivity—is a specially equipped van. Transportation in an electric wheelchair is problematic. Getting in and out of a conventional vehicle is downright dangerous for him. Knowing this, Manassas Assembly of God, the church he served so well for so many years, has raised $20,000 toward the nearly $50,000 cost of this equipment. I want to match their $20,000 so we can speed Charles toward the van he needs.

Will you help me help Charles and Belinda in their urgent need? If each of our supporters gave just $1 to the cause, we’d actually exceed the goal. Of course, as you and I well know, that won’t happen. Not everyone will, or even can, participate. So, would you kindly make up the difference? Would you make a tax-deductible contribution right now online at our website—www.faithandaction.org—of maybe $30, $50, even $100 or more? If you simply add $1 to any amount you give (e.g., $31, $51, $101) we will immediately know you want it to go to Charles' van (it's like a code) and your money will go 100% toward the purchase of this much-needed vehicle.

I can’t thank you enough for helping me to help a friend. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Well, this is hardly laying down my life, but I would for Charles if I could. Raising some money is cheap in comparison.

Once we get the van for Charles, I’ll send you a photo of him in it!

Thanks for taking this request prayerfully and seriously.

Your grateful missionary to elected and appointed officials,

 

Rev. Rob Schenck

www.faithandaction.org

Faith and Action

109 2nd Street, NE

Washington, DC 20002