White Fields Overseas Evangelism has been trying to help those who have less for the past 36 years. At the present time we are assisting 310 native evangelists to preach the Gospel around the world, we are helping to support orphan children in 6 different orphanages around the world, and during these years gone by we have provided some 146 church buildings around the world.

Edwin Thomas, brother of Reggie Thomas, was the inspiration in starting White Fields in the Church building area of missions. In 1972 at the time that Reggie Thomas began the work of the Christian Church in Haiti, there was the need of a church building. Edwin heard about this need and volunteered to his brother to take a team of carpenters to Haiti and build the church building in two weeks time. Edwin did do this and the First Christian Church of Lestre, Haiti was built debt free and given to the congregation.

Since that beginning White Fields has raised the funds and taken teams of carpenters and have completed 145 Church buildings worldwide. However over the years we have noticed some problems with this type of help given to those who have less.

In most cases when church buildings are given to foreign congregations, they tend to think of the building as American. When the building needs repairs, or paint, they write letters and say come over and help us again. They do not show the pride that Christians should have in keeping the "house of God" clean and in repair.
When American teams come and build the building, the local congregation does not offer volunteer help in the construction. They tend to stand on the sidelines and "watch us do it."
When the building is outgrown, or when other needs arise the tendency is to just write another letter and say, "Come and take care of us."
After 36 years of experience we have come to realize that there may be a better way of HELPING THOSE WHO HAVE LESS!

White Fields Overseas Evangelism has begun a new avenue of help, which is called the "A. R. & FLORENCE THOMAS PERPETUAL MEMORIAL MISSIONARY SOUL WINNING TRUST." A. R. (Reggie) Thomas and his wife, Florence lived together as husband and wife for 56 happy years. They served Christ and His church faithfully their entire lives. They brought 3 missionaries into this world: Reggie Thomas, Barbara Barger, and Edwin Thomas.

White Fields evangelists have served in 78 different nations of the world. We have found that church buildings are needed in many of these nations. Most foreigners in places like Africa, the Caribbean, Haiti, India, and Philippines, etc. can never borrow funds from banks or other lending institutions to build their needed church buildings. White Fields has created the A. R. & Florence Thomas Trust Fund so that we can loan funds to congregations at a low rate of interest so they can build their own church building. The earned interest will be returned to the trust and thus the trust will be constantly growing. Thus, more churches can be built and more souls won to Christ.

This trust fund began with memorial gifts that came at the time of the passing of A.R. and Florence Thomas. Others are invited to give to this trust fund at the passing of loved ones with full assurance that gifts received will be used to help build more church buildings.

TRUSTEES: Victor Knowles, Director of POEM MINISTRIES, Joe Garman, Director, American Rehabilitation Ministries, and Tony Thomas, Senior Minister Woodland Heights Christian Church Crawfordsville, Indiana, are the trustees in charge of the loan fund. These trustees must approve all loans and they also monitor the account. Barbara Barger is the treasurer of the Trust.

The 146th Church Building to be built under the White Fields Overseas Evangelism missionary work was recently completed and dedicated in Cebu, Philippines. Roger Celis, a native preacher appealed to White Fields to borrow $4000 to build the building to be used as a chapel at a local church Youth Camp and to also serve as the church building for the Riverview Heights Church of Christ. The funds were loaned from White Fields and the building has now been completed.

Roger Ceils wrote on October 17, 2001, and said, "Enclosed are the pictures of the Riverview Heights Church of Christ. We greatly thank the Lord for White Fields for loaning us the money to accomplish this project."

6 other church buildings are being constructed right now in foreign lands with funds loaned from this trust. We have found that when the foreigners build their own church building:

They take pride in the building keeping it clean and in good repair. After all it is their own building, which they are paying for with their own funds.
The members gladly help construct their church building and this keeps the costs much lower.
3. When they outgrow the building or need further help they apply for another loan after they successfully repay the original loan.

by Reggie Thomas, Founder/Director WHITE FIELDS OVERSEAS EVANGELISM

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