Celebration of Service
By Brent Anderson.
Brent has served with WMF since 1996 and has become a sort of pillar for WMF. Now Brent feels the Lord leading him to leave his role as the International Associate Director of Administration. In March, Brent entered a time of Sabbatical to discern where God is leading him next. Here he chronicles some of WMF’s history as only Brent can.
One evening in October of 1996, I was in my dorm room at Asbury College when I felt my heart almost leap out of my chest. Suddenly I knew that I had to call Chris Heuertz at WMF and ask how I could help out in the office. I was able to reach Phileena, Chris’ wife and co-worker, and she said that I should come over that Friday for breakfast. During that breakfast, Chris and Phileena shared that the person working in the office quit the day before I called, and they had prayed that the Lord would send someone. I was grateful for this confirmation and cut my hours of employment at the college cafeteria from 20 to 10 to start volunteering for WMF 10 hours a week.
That fall was a tense time for WMF. There was uncertainty regarding the future of WMF, whether it would be folded into a larger organization or continue in some other form. At the time, WMF consisted of only two children’s homes in Chennai (at that time Madras), India, and two North American staff — Chris and Phileena. Chris and Phileena had been serving with WMF in Chennai, but that summer, the WMF board had asked Chris to be the Executive Director, so the Heuertzes had been relocated to Wilmore, Ky.
WMF also had two “interns” (Silas West and Seth A.) somewhere in Asia or Africa — we didn’t know — and they were spending imaginary funds. This wasn’t their fault; they were disconnected from the office. These were the early days of the internet, and WMF only had a fax machine. Chris moved wisely and quickly to restore WMF relationships, balance income and spending, cast vision, and provide an administrative structure that would support the vision. WMF took huge steps forward in 1996 and 1997, creating fertile soil for future ministry.
In those first couple of years there was great growth, with a number of new staff traveling and living in India, Nepal, Peru and Romania. Over the next few years, we had staff put roots down in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,
Sierra Leone and Thailand.
We supported the ministry out of an office in rural Kentucky that grew to be 350 square feet and saw lots of faithful staff members and volunteers. We probably had six people working in that office at any one time. Our desks were almost touching each other, and we converted one restroom into a file closet just to fit more people in our small space. We established a tradition of eating Papa John’s, Subway and Chinese food during our board meetings and did so for six years in Kentucky. We became so tired of that trifecta of board food, we resolved never to eat them again at any board meeting. In 2002, Chris, Phileena, Daphne and I traveled by caravan to Omaha, Neb., and moved the WMF USA office there. We were able to put all our personal belongings and all the office furniture in one U-Haul truck.
We had a specific Protestant genealogy in the early years, but whatever difficult places we would go in the world, we would find Catholic men and women already living out the work. We were reading and being comforted by Catholic authors, reading books on contemplation and community. We eventually “owned up” to our need for the body of Christ to be reunited and for the history of the church to energize us in our present work: serving the most vulnerable. We shared Christ-centered theology with Orthodox and Catholic brothers and sisters around the world, and recognized the need for our combined participation in
this work.
Over the years, we have explored subjects difficult for any organization and worked to break down barriers, trying to be the body of Christ in this world. Of course we don’t have it all figured out, but we want to encourage the church to care for those who are suffering. In that pursuit, we have needed to talk through issues such as multiculturalism, gender equality, ecumenicism and solidarity with the poor.
WMF has not “cornered the market” on serving Jesus among the most vulnerable; there are countless organizations and individuals serving in a similar way. We admire the people volunteering in nursing homes, being big brothers and big sisters to kids who need good role models, and welcoming teenage moms into their homes. The early church was known for its sacrifices, its generosity and its solidarity with the most vulnerable. We hope for the church now to be known in that same way.
It seems as though everywhere we turn, there is a possible division: generational, cultural, doctrinal, personality, political, financial, social, etc. These take a lot of effort and a lot of grace to work through. Please pray for WMF, that there would be grace in so many potential struggles.
Over the past 12 years, I have been able to travel to all the WMF fields, visit with WMF staff and participate in ministry. I have tried to steer administration in WMF so that it serves all our staff well and allows them to concentrate on relationships. My trips overseas were energizing for me and necessary for connecting policy with relationships, but we always tried to pray through our work in the office as well. We wanted administration to be ministry, too.
My memories include: playing soccer with steel-factory workers and children on the streets in Romania; being overwhelmed hearing songs of praise to God from children who have only known suffering; being hauled off in an army truck full of police after witnessing a fight on the streets of Peru; helping build a house in Sri Lanka after the tsunami; going out onto the streets many times to serve tea, juice, sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, etc., in a host of countries; visiting the women making sari blankets in India; meeting several women caught in brothels in India and Bolivia; being kicked and robbed in Brazil after a rambunctious soccer game; enjoying what was perhaps my favorite meal ever — an Argentinean barbecue with Walter and Adriana; seeing the children grow up in the homes in India; meeting child soldiers in Sierra Leone, one of whom was miraculously met by God in the night; and sharing communion with David in Romania and broccoli-and-cheese soup with Silas in Kentucky, among many other (mostly) wonderful memories.
I really believe that now is one of the most exciting times for WMF. A few years ago, we entered into what we are calling a “partnership platform.” This is the framework for the WMF sister organizations in other countries and how they work and serve together. We are hopeful that this dialogue between WMF organizations will turn neo-colonial missions on its head and that we will be led to the heart of God.
Also, small-business initiatives are burgeoning in WMF. We have a holistic mindset, so tackling education, health, jobs, mental and spiritual care, etc., are all important. We have had great difficulty offering vulnerable women and children other options and opportunities without a different source of income. We hope that our small-business initiatives will provide greater opportunities for the many people that we love.
I have felt incredibly fulfilled in serving WMF these years, and count it a privilege and a joy to have served with people who were sacrificial and generous, and who followed God to the harder places. Please pray for my brothers and sisters in WMF, as I will continue to do as well.