Executive Director's Letter

I recently heard a story that reminded me of why I and other Christians are involved in reaching out to those in need.  I know that scripture instructs the church to reach out to “the afflicted and destitute…the weak and needy” Ps. 82:3-4, but hearing about those who are being helped is encouraging.  At the 2012 Louderback Leadership Prayer Breakfast the featured speaker was Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the United Methodist Church.  Bishop Bickerton, who is a West Virginian but now lives in the Pittsburgh area, has been involved with a program to end malaria in Africa.  The program has been successful.  The death rate among children has been cut in half, from 1.2 million children a year to about 600,000.  This is still too many, but they continue to make inroads.  Bishop Bickerton told about a visit received by a UMC Bishop in the West African nation of Sierra Lion.  The bishop in Sierra Lion was in his office when he was visited by fifteen tribal chiefs (they are similar to mayors, but when they speak the people in their tribes do what they say).  When asked why they had come, one of the chieftains said we want you to build fifteen churches in our communities.  The bishop asked why, another chieftain replied, “We have trusted you with our bodies (in receiving Malaria nets), and now we want to trust you with our souls.”  I believe that all of us who are involved in humanitarian outreach for the sake of Christ hope that those we help will want to learn about the Lord we serve.

As many of you know, Believe in West Virginia began as an economic development organization.  We looked for ways to change the culture of our state (such as working to change the Workers Compensation legislation) encouraging existing businesses to stay and expand, and developing and environment that would be conducive to the formation of new companies.  During the last year we have been involved in both of these areas.  In December, the Believe board issued a Press Release in favor of the development of an ethane “cracker” in West Virginia.  Our hope in supporting this is that it “would bring a strategic boost to the economy of West Virginia and allow its citizens to receive the full benefit of the God given natural resources that have been bestowed on our state”.  The entire release can be seen on our website.  Several years ago, our organization’s founder, Rev. Jack Henry, formed a company called Trinity Resources to produce mine rescue chambers.  The company recently made the first public introduction of their “Guardian Angel” chamber at the West Virginia Mining Symposium.  This chamber is unique in that it can be moved using tractor tracks, which will protect the delicate equipment inside.  The chamber was reviewed by many company and government officials, including Senator Joe Manchin, and was featured in a Daily Mail article on February 3, 2012.  The chamber was designed at their Putnam County facility and as orders are received they will be built there as well. 

I am excited as we move into 2012.  Storehouse West Virginia TM and the WV Youth Encouragers Network had a productive 2011, and as you read through the pages of this letter you will see some of the activities with which we have been involved.  Additionally, I want to invite you to visit our website at www.believeinwv.org, which we recently redesigned.  We have planned more changes to make the site even more useful and informative, so please continue to check back for updates. 

I would also invite you to consider supporting our efforts through prayer and financial support.  You can now give online at our website, you can make a one-time contribution or can contribute monthly, and if you can contribute a minimum of $500 toward the work of the Storehouse you can receive an NIP tax credit, while they last.  Your gifts will allow you to participate in reaching out to the less fortunate and the youth of our area.  Through these programs lives will be changed for the sake of Jesus Christ.