|
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Sixty years. Think about it. That’s six decades, over half a century and just years away from being classified as a senior citizen. It’s an accomplishment, an achievement, something to celebrate—especially for a non-profit organization that’s been around that long and continues to grow and thrive, with roots 60 years deep and branches reaching virtually all the corners of the globe.
World Vision—an international Christian humanitarian organization with United States headquarters based in Federal Way—was incorporated on September 22, 1950. Founded by Dr. Bob Pierce—an evangelist and war correspondent—the organization supported missionaries overseas in its first decade, along with organizing conferences to encourage and train pastors, leading crusades in Asia and launching its child sponsorship program.
Today, World Vision leads relief and development efforts around the world, trying to make the world a better place for children, families and their communities—and to help the people thrive and reach their full potential. The organization seeks to combat the causes of poverty and injustice and also mobilizes quickly when disaster strikes, such as the aftermath of the hurricane in Haiti in early 2010.
“When I first met Bob [Pierce] at a Youth for Christ banquet in Chicago, I remember he had a great burden to reach young people for Christ,” said Dr. Billy Graham in a video series produced by World Vision, marking the organization’s 60 years. “He also had a vision for helping underprivileged people in various parts of the world that he had heard or read about. I believe perhaps his greatest achievement was in the founding of World Vision and later Samaritan’s Purse.”
Sixty years may seem like something big to celebrate. And it is. But considering the economy, World Vision staff in Federal Way decided to primarily mark the anniversary internally.
One way it’s doing so is with a series of monthly chapels, each focusing on a different time in the organization’s history.
To Senior Communications Officer Sheryl Watkins, it’s important for the staff to understand the organization’s history. Having worked at World Vision for the past 30 years—half of the organization’s history—she remembers past World Vision presidents Dr. Ted W. Engstrom (International) and Bob Seiple (U.S.). She’s heard stories from people who knew the organization’s founders.
“All those people aren’t going to be around for our 75th,” she said. “We’re trying to capture the tribal history … to allow people to know what World Vision was built on.”
With guests such as the founder’s daughter and former presidents Engstrom and Seiple speaking at the monthly chapels, today’s World Vision staff members are getting an up-close look at the organization’s roots, even if they weren’t around in the previous decades. To further celebrate World Vision’s work through the years, people have been putting together cultural montages, dressing up and singing songs from that era, Watkins said.
While World Vision celebrates its 60th anniversary, Watkins has her own milestone. Just as the longevity of 60 years is a mark of success for an organization, 30 years of service is a mark of something special as an employee, as well.
“Not many people of my generation have stayed at a place that long. It’s very rare,” Watkins said. “I just felt really called to it, and I never really felt called away.”
During her first decade with World Vision, Watkins had three children. Not considering that to be a good time to look elsewhere, she stayed with World Vision. And then one decade led to the next.
It was at year 18, when she switched from working with the international division to the United States branch, that Watkins started to consider moving on.
After spending months in prayer asking for God’s guidance, Watkins got her answer.
Richard Stearns, current president of World Vision United States, was introduced at chapel one day. His speech—about his personal story and what drew him to World Vision—cemented things for her.
“God, let me work here long enough to work with this person,” she prayed.
Acknowledging that she probably could have made more money and worked fewer hours elsewhere, Watkins says she knows God wanted her to be at World Vision. And she finds it encouraging to see the impact trickle down to her children, as well. It’s made them realize the world is a bigger place, she said; they have more of an awareness of what we have here and take for granted.
As World Vision prepares for its seventh decade, Watkins has entered her fourth. The milestones of the next decade remain to be seen. From her experience, at the start of a decade they’ve never known what the following 10 years would look like.
No one could have foreseen the AIDs crisis or the January 2010 hurricane in Haiti.
“What’s encouraging to me is having the leadership we have. They’re so willing to follow God no matter where it leads,” she said.
For more information on World Vision and its 60th anniversary, visit www.worldvision.org.
|
