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August 30, 2011 PDF Print E-mail

 

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND 

           TAKE TWO

     Bethany_Girl_Picture_copy
 About International Adoption Ministry
 

Bethany Christian Services
While the No Child Left Behind education campaign may be a faded memory for many, a
different and immediate cry of orphaned children is unified and loud. Today, 163 million children
have lost one or both of their parents. To put that number in perspective, according to the World
Atlas, 163 million is a little less than the population of Bangladesh, a small country in South Asia.
With such an alarming number, it is no surprise that many new orphan cases begin in the
Commonwealth of Virginia and some in cities where hundreds of churches, ministries and other
faith based community programs operate. To respond to the global orphan crisis one organization,
Bethany Christian Services, is creating additional links to form Forever Families for children in need.

Of course helping children in need is not a new concept. In fact, listening to the members of organizations
like those of The Virginia Baptist State Convention, Inc. will reveal that they have a great and diverse
territory to cover, and that their passion to support and enable organizations that increase services provided
to children has been central to their mission. One recent exampleis The Children’s Home project, which the
Convention’s Executive and Corporate Board continues to tackle in its discussions. At the forefront of these
discussions is a desire to provide a safe haven and Christian environment for under served children to dwell,
learn, grow and to be loved. Together The VBSC and Bethany Christian Services are addressing
a critical need that as Christians everyone is charged with - caring for children.
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SINCE 1944 “BETHANY’, AS IT IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO, HAS GROWN TO
BECOME THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST ADOPTION AGENCY...
and they’re making their services better known in Virginia. Not only are they doing God’s work domestically,
but internationally they’ve grown a multi-service network which effectively services countries on five
continents. “The challenge to answer the orphan crisis exceeds Bethany’s ability to face it alone, and most
important we’re not supposed to. We’re reaching out to conventions, various ministries and faith based
organizations across the state to combat this epidemic. Our Vision is to see a world where every child is
cared for in a loving home”, said Mary Beth Bova, Executive Director of Bethany Christian Services, Virginia.
Bethany has offices in Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Fairfax, and they have service locations throughout
the entire state to ensure convenient access to expectant moms who wish to consider making an adoption
plan, and also families who feel called to adopt. They’ve partnered with their Tennessee offices to ensure
coverage in the south western corner of the state, and they work directly with the Bethany office in the
Virginia Beach region as well.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

“WE WANT TO PREVENT EVERY SINGLE ABORTION FROM HAPPENING...”



  Bethany_Pregnant_Women_copy As one might imagine, a likely choice many expectant moms contemplate is
abortion. According to Ms. Bova, “We want to prevent every single abortion from happening by helping
expectant moms understandn just how much they are loved and how many people are ready and willing
to help them sort through what is a difficult process. Nearly all of our expectant moms are single, with the
majority of pregnancies being unplanned. Ideally we’d like it if all our clients were in a position to care for
their children without having to consider an  adoption plan, but that’s not always the case. Many find that
they’re simply unprepared for the commitment, especially due to a lack of financial stability and family
support, and so the relationships we’ve created with churches and other organizations help spread
awareness within families where they may not be able to conceive for whatever reason, or where they feel
called to help those in need, both domestically and internationally.”

Bethany Christian Services has a 1-800-Bethany crisis hotline which is manned 24/7 and also its
impregnant.org site provides immediate access to information and resources that mothers need. “These two
resources allow us to reach out to women in the middle of the night, where ever they are in the midst of their
cry. We do this because we know that poor decisions are made in times of desperation and when there is a
belief that there is no other answer.” According to Ms. Bova.

Bethany’s Vision responds to the needs of the community in several ways:

We help children in need -through our global outreach
We help expectant moms -through our pregnancy center and resources
We help families seeking to adopt -through susidies via donations from individuals, churches & businesses

  Bethany_boy_picture_copy
 call today...1-800-Bethany

“We firmly stand by the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that we do. Mark 9:37 tells us that whoever
welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. Our country is protected by
borders which protect our sovereign land. Just as our borders are protected by vigilant service men
and women, we want children, not only in America but across the globe, to be protected, cared for
and most important, loved by vigilant and Christian parents. We aren’t simply hearers of God’s word
but doers, and so planning fund raising events each year to help families in need is important to us.”
said Ms. Bova.

Written by: Akia T. Garnett, Vice President, Board of Directors
Bethany Christian Services, Northern Virginia
   
This coming October Bethany will have two different fundraising fellowship
dinners in Virginia, one in Fredericksburg on Friday, October 7th and one in Fairfax
on Friday, October 28th - both with a goal to raise money which goes toward our
mission. Sponsorships opportunities are available for both fellowship dinners.
Call Mary Beth Bova at 540.373.5165 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bethany_Christian_Services_Art_for_Christian_World_Links                        
 
First Friday With First Lady Eunice Turner PDF Print E-mail

KKP: Was Dr. Turner a Pastor when you married him or did he accept the call after you were married?

Lady Turner: He was a Pastor when I married him.

KKP: As a woman with your own goals, wife of a Pastor, and a leader in the church, how do you maintain a healthy balance while keeping your identity?

Lady Turner: My goals are to support my husband in ministry, pray for him and the church, and help make disciples for the work of the Lord. My identity is to be Christ like in all three rolls, as the wife of a Pastor, as an Ordained Minister, and as a leader. I am able to keep a healthy balance being a Pastor’s Wife and a leader in the church because I pray and keep my focus on God and the goals he has set for my life. That is, to help build a Church that will be pleasing to God. I was called more than 15 years ago to be the rib for my husband, to pray and give support as he builds the church. I stay in line with the vision God has given my husband as the Pastor and I assist him as needed.

KKP: You shared that you were recently ordained as a minister at Faith. With so many First Ladies’ assuming the role of Co-Pastor, do you feel the call on your life to follow suit now that you have been ordained?

Lady Turner: No. God did not call me to Pastor. He called my husband. I have been called to encourage women. There is a great need for women to be able to share problems with someone who has integrity and can be trusted to be confidential. God is using me as his vessel to pray, encourage, inspire and help women to be all that they can be in Christ.

KKP: As a result of the role he has assumed Dr. Turner probably keeps a very demanding schedule. How do you handle that especially when it impedes on your family's time?

Lady Turner: Yes, being a Pastor of ground floor ministry keeps him with a demanding schedule. However, I do not look at his demanding schedule as impeding on family’s time. I am very active in the ministry which brings great satisfaction to my life. I marvel at how much energy he has. I know that God has anointed and appointed him for this work. He is a full time Pastor and he knows his flock by name. On June 12, 2011, he will be celebrating 20 years as the Pastor of the Miracle Center and 37 years in Ministry. Under his spiritual leadership, we have secured a worship center of 51,000 square feet that is valued at 5 million dollars. We have opened a Child Development Center that offers before and after care for children in school, as well as infant care. The Voices of Faith Choir has recorded and released their first CD entitled “Remembering God’s Goodness.” We also offer a Summer Enrichment Camp annually from June 20th to August 19th for ages four to 12 years. Camp hours will be 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. To God be the Glory for the great things he continues to do through this great anointed man of God!

KKP: What advice would you give the wife of a leader in the church or any woman who is married to or about to be married to a purpose driven man?

Lady Turner: That they believe in Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with God. They must be a prayer warrior. They must be flexible and willing to make sacrifices because schedules and priorities can change at any given moment due to the demands of the ministry. They must trust their husbands and give them the freedom they need to minister. They must make sure that they do not hinder their husband in ministry. They should support and work in the ministry. They must be unselfish and willing to share their husband with the church unconditionally. They must be trustworthy and dependable. They must follow Proverbs 3:5-6 which states, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Due to the demanding lifestyle of a Pastor, Minister or Leader in a church, any woman considering marriage, must examine themselves very closely before entering into marriage. Any woman who feels that this is too much for them to sacrifice should not enter into marriage. They must be true to themselves.

Picture_of_Lady_Turner First Lady Rev. Eunice T. Turner is one of the founders of The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church, the Assistant to the Pastor, President of the April Tribe, and assists with New Member’s Orientation. They are located at 9161 Hampton Overlook, Capitol Heights, Maryland 20743 (www.themiraclecenterfmbc.com). Established in 1991, the mission of The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church is “to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and to spread the gospel at home and abroad through the empowerment of believers through prayer, worship, education and the proclamation of the Gospel that we become transforming agents in a fragmented and dislocated world.” They are proud of their 500 members and 87 ministries. First Lady Rev. Eunice T. Turner has been married to Rev. Dr. Michael C. Turner, Sr. for over 15 years.

 

Kimberly_K._Parker 

Kimberly K. Parker, Contributing Writer
Author Writing Momma Publishing
www.writingmomma.com
 
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