Summer 2013 Newsletter

Although it seems like a long time ago, August 18th will mark only the third year of my work at Stewards Foundation.  From the beginning of my tenure, the thing that most impressed me about the Board of Trustees was their godly character.  Board service being voluntary, it would be easy for men of lesser integrity to perform their duties in a perfunctory manner.  Not so with this Board.  Their genuine concern for New Testament pattern assemblies of the Lord’s people and commended workers prevents these men from being slack in their responsibilities.

Two of these faithful servants, Dr. John Englehart and Bob Rockhold, have decided to step down from the Board this September.  Their years of experience and wisdom will truly be missed, but most of all, they will be missed.  In honor of Dr. John and Bob, you will find a record of their Board service below and some personal thoughts on what it meant to them to serve on the Board.

John D. Englehart, D.O.

John has been a Trustee of Stewards Foundation since September 2001. His service includes: Board Treasurer 2001-2004; Board Chairman 2005-2011; Health Care Committee 2001-Present; Health Care Committee Chairman 2002-Present.

“My tenure as a Board member at Stewards Foundation has been an unforgettable, pleasant experience.  The opportunity to visit with the Lord’s people throughout the United States and enjoy their local fellowships, particularly around the remembrance feast and in their homes was most rewarding.   Fellowship with the Board members and the Executive Director and Staff during the actual meetings was superb, particularly the scripture devotions at the beginning of all meetings.  Each meeting, a different board member was asked to bring a devotional topic, and then each member was given the opportunity to share their thoughts.  Likewise, fellowship around the dinner table with the Board members and their wives and the Staff were unforgettably good times.  These are the associations I will miss most as my tenure comes to a close.”

Robert L. Rockhold

Bob has been a Trustee of Stewards Foundation since September 2004. His service includes:  Public Relations Committee 2004-Present; Health Care Committee 2004-2009 and 2011-Present; Nominating Committee 2005-2010; Loan Policy Committee 2005-Present; Chairman of the Loan Policy Committee 2005-Present.

“It has been a pleasure serving on the Stewards Foundation Board for the past 9 years.  During this time, I have served with wonderful, godly men each one bringing experience to the board from various backgrounds.  It has been a real blessing to work along side these brothers in helping Stewards Foundation perform its mission.  Decisions were prayerfully made with the sincere desire that the Lord’s work be expanded, and that He get all of the glory.  I treasure the time spent at the biannual board meetings. The devotions at the start of each meeting and the fellowship we had during those times were a special blessing.  Enjoying fellowship with the saints at assemblies in the different locations of our meetings was an added benefit.  My prayer is that the Lord will continue to bless the work of Stewards Foundation and all those that serve on the Board.

The assembly in Lewisville, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas, was started in May 1994 in a Laquinta Inn conference room with 5 families in fellowship.  As more families were added, the fellowship moved into a small office building in the same area.  In 1996, a 2.2 acre plot of land was purchased with a loan from Stewards Foundation.  In 1998, the loan for the land was paid off and a second, larger loan was taken to start the construction of a 4,000 square foot chapel building with a meeting room, class rooms, kitchen and bath rooms. In 2011, the assembly felt the need for additional classroom space and a larger meeting room. After paying off the existing loan, a third loan from Stewards Foundation was taken to build a larger meeting room with a baptistery, classrooms and nursery rooms.  In January 2013, the new facility was occupied with a thanksgiving service inviting other local assemblies. Brother Mike Attwood from Missouri was the guest speaker for the weekend. The assembly currently consists of families from various countries and language groups, yet functioning in harmony with four recognized elders and five deacons. It is to the glory of the Lord to mention that almost all of the families are involved in the work of the assembly in one way or another under the spiritual oversight of the elders and deacons.

Gospel outreach in the neighborhood has been one of the primary goals of the assembly over the years. For 19 years, a Sunday evening gospel outreach has been conducted in a home for the handicapped located within walking distance of the chapel. This work has been carried on over the years by a few faithful ones from the assembly with some being saved through this effort.  Thousands of gospel tracts and literature has been distributed to homes around the chapel over the years. Vacation Bible School has been successfully conducted each year with the Lord bringing in many children from the neighborhood to hear the gospel. Some have publicly confessed salvation. This year, after the new facility was completed, the Lord brought 114 children out for VBS to our surprise. Recently, the Lord opened the door for outreach ministry among children in a nearby apartment.  Believers from the assembly, including young people, go to the apartment every Saturday and Sunday afternoon and give them the gospel as well as play games with them and provide snacks. About 15 children from the apartment come to Sunday school each week. The Lord provided a 15-passenger van to transport these children. Monthly home prayer meetings in different locations, ladies meetings, youth meetings, monthly men’s prayer breakfasts and periodic gospel outreach through carnivals in parks are some other highlights of the ministry at ELBC.

Currently, there are two full-time commended workers serving the assembly, and one missionary commended to the work of the Lord in Bogota, Columbia. Financial support is periodically sent to missionaries and other assembly work in France, East Africa, India and South America. Believers from the assembly have taken a number of short-term mission trips to East Africa, Nigeria, India, Columbia, Peru and Paraguay.

My wife and I are both from Houston assemblies, having come up there from childhood, and both having received the Lord early in life.  We were commended in January 1950, to mission work in New Orleans, Louisiana in conjunction with the late Brother Vernon Schlief.   At that time, we had a son 10 months old.  We continued the work in New Orleans until October of 1950, when we moved 60 miles east to the Mississippi coast, where a sister in the Lord had a burden to reach out to her Dad’s home community.  This was like a “back-side of the desert” training time, as we reached out in the gospel, and later had part in the establishment of a Bible bookstore in Gulfport, Mississippi.  The bookstore was our vision, but God sent a dear older retired couple from Wheaton, Illinois to put it in motion. They continued there for about nine years in a fruitful ministry. In the late summer of 1954, we relocated back to Texas with our home assemblies, and continued there on a mostly self-supporting basis until August 1963.  At that time, we received fresh commendation from six Houston area assemblies, dated October 1963, to work full-time with an assembly ministry in Florence, South Carolina. By then, we had two sons and a daughter in high school and middle school, respectively.  We continued there joyfully until August 1966, whereupon we learned of a new and struggling home group seeking to establish a New Testament assembly in Lubbock, Texas.  We moved to Lubbock and saw a nice little chapel building opened in May 1969.  God gave us fruit for Himself with both Air Force personnel stationed there, and student ministry with Texas Tech University young people.  In August of that year, the Lord took Home our middle offspring, a son, in a one-car accident.  This opened our hearts even more to student ministry, which was continued in our home as well as at the chapel for over seven years.  After nearly 22 years, we moved to central Texas, near Austin to a lake front property that opened a new phase of ministry to us, which included weekend retreats and Easter sunrise services for seven years.  It was our hope to see a new assembly testimony established there, but in spite of meaningful times with believers from the area, it never really developed. In October of 2006, we relocated back to Lubbock where a largely home-school group of believers had added more stability to the body.  It has been a blessing and joy to see development of gift and growth since our return due to some faithful believers continuing on well. Recently, after putting our building up for sale, we signed a sales contract for a much larger facility, as we were landlocked in the original location of over 43 years. The new location is a commercial building which requires a complete remodeling and updating, so that is the present challenge for the faithful body of believers. We are both now 85 years of age, and realizing some problems with age, but thank our gracious Father for His continued faithfulness.  We moved on June 17 to Graham, Texas, 225 miles east of Lubbock.  At this stage in life we think it is wise to be nearer family, and our son and wife and their 2 married children live in this area.  They encouraged us to make the move, as our son is retired now from business, and could render assistance more readily if and when needed.  It was very hard to leave the lovely assembly in Lubbock, but it is only about 4 hours distant, so I will make occasional visits from time to time, Lord willing.  The assistance that we have received through the Stewards Foundation’s Health Care Assistance Program has indeed been a blessing, as forwarded by our commending assembly in Manvel, Texas on an annual basis.  Our medical premiums have increased, even with Medicare, so every assistance is much appreciated as from our Father’s gracious hand.