Santo Domingo Team

These seven men presented evangelistic meetings in churches in and around Santo Domingo in February. From left (front) they are Roy Simonds, David Voignier, Steve Hamilton, Dr. Randall Steffen (back) Pastor Robert Lawson, Tony Callihan and Steve Mattingly. Lawson, who coordinated the team, presented meetings at the Las Caobas church.
Robert Lawson, pastor of the Louisville, Kentucky, First Adventist Church, a veteran evangelist for Global Evangelism, has also served in the Ukraine and The Philippines. He recruited four of his church members, Callihan,  Hamilton, Mattingly, and Voignier, to come to Santo Domingo with him to conduct meetings in nearby churches.  His wife, Carol Lawson, coordinated the children's meetings for all seven churches in which this group was presenting meetings. Carol, seen here surrounded by children at one of the churches, brought supplies including story board felts  and other supplies prepared by members of her home church.
A Seventh-day Adventist for only three years, Tony Callihan had never considered the possibility of preaching until Pastor Lawson invited him to a laymen's retreat. There he learned about Global Evangelism and felt compelled to take a leap of faith and go to the Dominican Republic to preach. He found the people at the Humildad II church loving and supportive despite his inexperience. Attendance the fist night was double what was expected. "I was overwhelmed, but each night it got easier. The Quiet Hour helped fund his meetings."
Although Steve Hamilton, right, had preached before, he had never done a series of 16 evangelistic sermons. When Lawson explained the Global Evangelism program at the church elder's meeting, Hamilton agreed to serve and immediately sought the help of his Sabbath School class for both funding and prayer support. He brought finances to help from the church and received funds from The Quiet Hour for the campaign. The church was full each night and so was the church parking lot, below right.

After Steve Mattingly a Kroger store employee in Louisville, Kentucky, told his wife about the opportunity to conduct evangelistic meetings, they decided that if God wanted him to go, He would show them. They put out a fleece--to sell their old car which needed repair. Within two days the car was sold for just the right amount for Steve to make the trip to Santo Domingo. He found the La Paz church members extremely supportive and his translator became a close friend. "Evangelism here is nothing like back home," he said. "Here the whole church is involved."

David C. Voignier, a service technician for Crown Packaging and member of the Louisville, Kentucky, church was making plans to help with evangelism in the Bahams when he learned from Pastor Lawson about the Global Evangelism plans for Santo Domingo.  So he and his wife, Ginger, and children decided to go to Santo Domingo and conduct meetings at the Smirna church. Other family members helped them finance the trip and The Quiet Hour ministry helped with evangelistic expenses. Ginger and the children helped prepare materials for the children's meeting each night. Church members joined with the Voignier family, above right, to make each night's meetings a success.

Roy Simonds, far right, learned about Global Evangelism preaching opportunities from his friend, David Voignier and from watching reports about GE on the Three Angels Broadcasting Network television. "I thought I was too old" to preach, he said. But when he learned that one evangelist with GE was 91, Simonds decided to go and serve in the Dominican Republic. Simonds, a printer, asked his employer for time off and received permission for two weeks leave. But Simonds needed three weeks. So he quit his job to come and conduct meetings in the La Augustina church. David Perkins came from Louisville, 16, to assist by operating the projection system for Simonds' meetings.

Dr. Randall Steffens, far right, came to the Dominican Republic with his family to conduct meetings at the Bethel church. Because he and his wife home school their children, they made the project a family mission outreach. Dr. and Mrs. Steffens' previous mission experience was medical service in Africa and he had presented sermons for church services. But after committing to serve with Global Evangelism, he learned that he would have to present16 sermons in two weeks. However, with the sermon material already prepared and provided by Global Evangelism, the program progressed "much better than I dreamed they would," Steffen said. Local Conquistadores (Pathfinders) and church members helped make the whole program go smoothly. Linda Steffens and her children coordinated  meetings for children at the church.