Alliance Board in Dallas—What an Amazing Team!

The Christian Alliance for Orphans’ Board met this week in Dallas.  We were hosted by board member Mike Douris, President of Orphan Outreach, and by our good friends at Buckner International.  The time together refreshed and encouraged.

Each of the Board members are wise and godly believers, the kind one feels privileged just to be around.  It was a joy to take stock together of all God has effected over the past 6 months, from the continued growth of the Alliance to the new website to the resounding echo of Orphan Sunday.

It was exciting, too, to look forward:  the future OrphanHub online community, the soon-to-be released Resource Library, the already-brewing enthusiasm for Summit VII in Louisville, KY, and much more.

With sadness, we bid farewell to Paul Pennington, who’s stepping down from the Board.  Paul has played a central leadership role in the Alliance since its inception.  Scott Hasenbalg also moved off the Board this cycle.  Scott’s discerning, Christ-hearted influence and servant-leading will be deeply missed as well.  Thankfully, both Scott and Paul will continue to serve through the Alliance, just in less “official” roles.

The highlight of the gathering was welcoming two new Board Members:  Corey Gordon and Barbara Rainey.  Corey lived as an orphan on the streets of Korea until age 8, when he was adopted to the U.S.; he brings a sharp business mind as well as deep passion for Christ and for children that live as he once did.  Barbara, as the co-founder of Family Life and adoptive mom brings wisdom, experiences and friendships that will prove vital to the Alliance team.

I couldn’t be more thankful for each of the leaders who advance “the cause of the fatherless” through their work on the Alliance board.  They do far more than anyone sees, often making great sacrifices of themselves and their organizations.  For them, it is about Christ and the orphan, a vision larger than themselves or the organizations they lead.  For me, it’s a chance to learn from and serve alongside some of the most remarkable Christians I’ve known.