This month marks the 30th anniversary of Global Outreach sharing Christian compassion and love with those in need around the globe. To God be the glory, great things He has done! We must also say a big thank you to all the Global Outreach donors and supporters for standing with us throughout these years to make this ministry possible.
Since 1986 when Harle and Allen Eliason started Global Outreach, this organization has been going in Christian compassion and love to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
In the beginning...
Harle and Allan received a call to world missions shortly after having a life-changing encounter with the Lord in 1953. Allan then left his career as a carpenter and farmer to prepare for ministry at Bible School. While attending Bible School, he and Harle accepted an assignment to serve as missionaries to New Zealand for the Pentecostal denomination operating the school. At the end of 1959, Allan sailed with his family to New Zealand, where they spent four years planting churches and starting Sunday School programs.
During these years in the South Pacific, Allan and Harle began to formulate an idea for a different kind of mission agency. They discovered that American missionaries were often starting new ministries in countries where local Christians were already at work, with little formal cooperation between them. They realized that a more fruitful model would be to partner with these local Christians, who knew their home culture and required less financial support than traditional missionaries.
The Eliasons continued to harbor this dream after returning from New Zealand in 1964. After serving in various Christian ministries Allan was appointed Missions Pastor of the Valley Cathedral in Phoenix in 1982. Under his leadership, Valley Cathedral sponsored mission programs around the world and the Eliason's interest in global missions grew.
Early in 1986, the dream of founding a new mission agency was realized when Harle incorporated Global Outreach. By the end of that year, Global Outreach had become so involved in work in several countries that Allan resigned at Valley Cathedral to help operate the new organization.
Allan and Harle's lifetime of experience in missions proved to be an invaluable asset to Global Outreach since many of the supported ministries were in their infancy. Since 1986 there has been many ministries around the world started, supported, and impacted by the work of Global Outreach that began 30 years ago. Thousands of lives have been impacted in places such as Mexico, Honduras, Thailand, D. R. Congo, Bosnia, India, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Moving forward...
We thank God for the work that He has allowed Global Outreach to do in His name and look forward to the future as he guides us in continuing to love orphans, care for widows, and support pastors around the world as we strive to make disciples for Jesus Christ!
