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Biography
Robert
and Evangeline Rodenbush have been involved in foreign missions
since their appointment to Ghana, West Africa in 1968 where they
took their one-year-old son, Rob, and began their missionary
ministry. During their almost ten years as pioneer missionaries in
West Africa, they opened 5 countries – Ghana, Nigeria, Togoland,
Benin and Ivory Coast. Great revival spread throughout these
nations in those days and thousands were baptized and filled with
the Holy Ghost. More than 200 churches were established in the
five nations.
Being a great believer in education and training, Robert Rodenbush
opened the Ghana College of Bible in 1970 to train nationals,
graduating more than 80 students from the five nations during
those years in West Africa. Ghana College of Bible was also a
pioneer in Bible correspondence studies with thousands of students
participating in those days. Other missionaries who came to Ghana
to assist the Rodenbushes in the 1970’s were Else Lund, Ed and
Millie Allard, and Tom and Teri O’Daniel. Today this part of West
Africa is still thriving with great revival and growth and several
missionary families are carrying on the work there.
In 1970, the Partners In Missions concept became the official
fund-raising program for the Foreign Missions Division. Robert
Rodenbush was also involved in the early conception of this idea
during discussions with Rev. Edwin Judd who developed it into the
workable program that it is today. The Partners In Missions and
Faith Promise programs have proven to be a great blessing to the
missionaries and missions program.
In 1978 the Rodenbushes were asked by the Director of Foreign
Missions, Rev. Harry Scism, the Foreign Missions Board and the
General Board of the North American church to become the
Coordinator of Overseas Ministries for the Foreign Missions
Division of the United Pentecostal Church International. During
the next 12 years, Robert Rodenbush served in various roles to
assist and develop programs of the Foreign Missions Division.
Brother Rodenbush encouraged and supervised Bible school training
around the world, coordinating the curriculums and helping to
write and revise 48 textbooks. He also developed the Associates In
Missions Program for the Foreign Missions Division, writing the
policy and procedure and sending out over 600 AIMers to assist
missionaries around the world during those 12 years. Today the
Associates In Mission Program not only supplies short-term
personnel to assist the missionaries, but is also the greatest
source of career missionary personnel for the United Pentecostal
Church International.
Robert Rodenbush was further involved in “China Outreach” and made
14 trips into China in the 1980s to meet with the believers and
take Bibles and literature to them. He was also involved in the
first radio broadcasts into mainland China and also promoted radio
broadcasts around the world.
Additional duties for Brother Rodenbush included coordinating the
development, translation and the distribution of literature in
many major languages. He also was involved in the development of
Compassions Services International and served as the coordinator
for several years. He wrote the policy and procedure for the
Missionary Field Fellowship concept and was one of the first to
develop job descriptions for the missionaries. Finally, for 12
years the Rodenbushes planned and lead the annual School of
Missions and also traveled extensively promoting missions in North
America and teaching and preaching around the world.
In September 1990 the General Board of the UPCI appointed Robert
and Evangeline Rodenbush as Regional Director of the Europe/Middle
East Region. As such he oversees and coordinates the work of the
missionary personnel, national leaders, preachers and believers in
an area spanning 15 time zones, approximately 15,094,000 square
miles and encompassing 75 nations and territories.
During the past 14 years the Rodenbushes have worked hard to
inspire revival and growth in the Europe Middle East Region. Under
their leadership 35 nations have been opened that before had no
believers that we knew of. In 1990, there were 46 missionaries and
we had believers in 20 nations of the region. Today, 55 nations in
the Europe/Middle East Region have believers and 103 missionaries
and more than 80 Associates In Missions work in unity with
hundreds of national pastors and thousands of believers to
propagate the true gospel of Jesus Christ to millions in this part
of the world!
Reports of people being baptized in Jesus Name and filled with the
Holy Ghost come in weekly. In December, 2004, 124 received the
Holy Ghost in Spain in two nights. In Great Britain recently, 100
received the Holy Ghost in a week of revival services in various
churches. In 2001, Follow the Fire Crusades in the region saw more
than 700 filled with the Holy Ghost and 131 baptized with more
than 1,500 visitors attending these meetings in the eight
crusades. The work in the Region has tripled in recent years with
gains of 14,062 constituents, 9,355 baptized, 8,900 receiving the
Holy Ghost.
Twenty-four Bible Training Centers are operating in the Region
with more than 1,000 students receiving religious training. More
than 150 churches and preaching points have been opened and 66
national preachers have been licensed since 1990.
Robert and Evangeline Rodenbush continue to lead the Europe/Middle
East Region as well as serve in the administration of the Foreign
Missions Division. As one of the six Regional Directors around the
world, Brother Rodenbush serves on the Foreign Missions
Administrative Committee, Planning for Progress Committee, the
Foreign Missions Board and the General Board of the United
Pentecostal Church International. In the region, he oversees and
coordinates the job descriptions, budgets, registrations and legal
issues of the missionary personnel. He represents the missionaries
to the committees and boards in North America, and, in turn,
represents those committees and boards to the personnel in the
region.
Additionally, Robert and Evangeline Rodenbush spend many months of the
year traveling throughout the Europe/Middle East to attend and oversee
conferences and special meetings, to attend the Missionary Field
Fellowships, to assist the missionaries with their questions and needs
and to preach and teach. Their time in North America is spent with
administrative duties and attending important meetings such as the
annual School of Missions and General Conference. They also travel
extensively to churches to promote missions. The Rodenbushes, however,
feel that their greatest responsibility is to assist the missionaries
and national leaders fulfill their burden, call and ministry.
Together Robert and Evangeline have traveled in more than 140
countries of the world for the cause of missions. In their words,
“We have packed many suitcases, boarded many airplanes, and waited
for hours in lines and airports. We have slept everywhere - in
airplane seats, in chairs, in cars, on the floor, on benches and
in hundreds of beds of all kinds. We have traveled by airplane,
train, carts, camels, elephants, buses, vans, boats and various
other vehicles and animals. We’ve endured continuous jet lag and
we’ve experienced malaria, food poisoning, military coups, fetish
curses and other dangerous situations - even having our lives
threatened. We’ve received numerous injections, eaten all kinds of
foods and have experienced many climates, cultures and people
groups around the world. More importantly, we have directed and
assisted in the opening of at least 40 brand new nations in Africa
and Europe and the Middle East to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ,
ministered in hundreds of churches around the world, worked with
hundreds of missionaries and nationals in many nations, have seen
thousands baptized in Jesus Name and filled with the Holy Ghost,
and can truly say, "We are blessed!"
Birthdays
Robert: 17 July; Evangeline: 14 April
Anniversary
7 July
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