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Our History
Children of Promise was born as a concept on March 5, 1992. Sidney and Jean Johnson, long time missionaries with the Church of God (Anderson, IN), met with Doris Dale and Kay Shively to discuss their vision and purpose for a child sponsorship program. Their vision was “to provide financial assistance…to aid children of poverty in ministries operated by the Church of God outside the United States.” Initial ideas for the program included support for children’s homes, child sponsorship, day cares, health care assistance, food and nutrition, and education. What emerged from those early conversations was as a cooperative effort of the Women of the Church of God and the Missionary Board of the Church of God.
In June of 1992, Children of Promise was officially established “…to be an extension of the local congregation in the village or city. It is designed to provide long-term relationship between the church members and the children and their families, rather than between an organization and a child. It is a holistic approach in which we want to impact a child’s life over an extended period of time.” Four core needs were identified as the focus of partnership: Christian nurture, nutrition, education, and medical care. Ministry partnerships began in six locations including the Philippines (Grace Family Helper Project), Egypt (Children of Hope), India (The Shelter), Brazil (Helping Hand), Haiti (The House of Blessings), and Lebanon (Cedar Home).
Read More The Johnsons continued to lead the ministry through expansion into 14 countries in total. After the Johnson’s retirement, in December of 2003 Paul and Brenda Maxfield were named the new Executive Directors of Children of Promise. The Maxfields led Children of Promise for the next 16 years and grew the ministry to more than 4500 children in 30 countries. They maintained the original vision and continuously opened the door of partnership to provide hope and wholeness for more and more children. Children of Promise has continued to be a healthy and growing organization largely because of the vast network of Children of Promise staff, country directors, local church leaders, sponsors, and more than a thousand volunteers around the world all working together to make a life of wholeness possible for children in need. In 2019, Mike and Heather Webb became the new Executive Directors of Children of Promise. They continue with the original vision and mission of the Johnsons and faithfully carried by the Maxfields. For 28 years, the vision has remained consistent; “…to help children with their basic needs and to help them reach their full potential. We encourage the children to prepare themselves the best they can to take their place of responsibility in their community and church…The goal of Children of Promise is to help children to know Jesus and give hope to fulfill their dreams.” Children of Promise is an independent non-profit organization, but it has always maintained a close familial connection to the Church of God. In 2004, the connection between Children of Promise and the Church of God was cemented when Children of Promise became an affiliated agency with Church of God Ministries. That connection remains to the present day. *Thanks to Courtney Rice Alford for her contribution of historical research.
Meet The Team
Sponsor a Child
By sponsoring a child, you not only help meet their daily needs, but you join many others in setting children on a path to wholeness. A path where they can dream about the future, experience joy, and know God’s love. See children who need a sponsor and start your sponsorship today!
