Helen
Helen has been a beacon for Christ for quite some time. Nearly 102 years to be exact. Helen came to Christ as a teenager as the result of an old-time Gospel meeting. Her parents were not church-goers, but they never opposed Helen attending church. Helen felt the need to give her heart to the Lord. With a lump in her throat, Helen says she "wanted her life to be worth something. Now I can say with full assurance that I'll be with the Lord when I leave this earth. I certainly will!"
Helen and her late husband, Tom, met at church. Tom was a few years younger. Helen recalls that he was a “really great Bible teacher.” They began dating. Upon asking Helen to marry him, Tom informed her that he felt called to ministry and wanted to make sure she was ok with that. Helen said that yes, she felt the same way.
Helen and Tom served multiple churches together for over 50 years. This included pastoring churches in Oklahoma, Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, California and Kansas. Helen will readily attest that the greatest victory they enjoyed was seeing people saved.
“To see so many people who didn't know Christ come to know Him as their Savior - what a blessing," says Helen. "To see these lives changed was a certain victory. Looking back through the years at the people that were brought to the Kingdom of God was something to praise the Lord about!”
She continues, "I remember very well someone I led to the Lord. She's a young lady - about eight years younger than I am. Her family were members of the church Tom and I pastored in Fitzgerald, GA. After she was brought to the Lord, her life was changed. She attended Trevecca Nazarene College, graduated, and her life just expanded. There's no telling how many people she has personally brought to the Lord since. In fact, we still chat regularly. She has told me sincerely, 'I don't know where I would have been if you hadn't ministered to me in the Deep South.'"
Helen and Tom were residents at Baptist Village of Ada. When they needed to live in a community with a higher level of care, they journeyed to Oklahoma City in search of just that. But it didn't come easily.
The denomination Helen and Tom served in did not start a pastor's retirement program until Tom was nearing retirement. This resulted in very few retirement funds available to the couple. Their entire family, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, called a meeting to see what they could do to assist Helen and Tom. It was evident that the aging couple had out-lived their limited retirement income, and the family didn't know what to do next.
Tom and Helen's daughter, Karen, recalls the situation. "Other (non-Baptist Village) communities couldn't help them. We were amazed that Baptist Village came through for us. The Adams Assistance Fund saved us. Mom and dad have lived a better quality of life because these resources were available. I know there must be people out there in churches that have the ability to give so others who have dedicated their lives to ministry can live out their retirement years serving others without worry."
Helen agrees. "Is the Adams Fund important? Well I should say so! To those who have given to the Adams Fund, Tom and I have deeply appreciated it. If it wasn't for the Fund, I honestly don't know where I would live."
Baptist Village is thrilled to have them. She and Tom have been called prayer warriors on campus. And even at 100+ years of age, Helen has never retired from ministry.