Richard & Mary Raines and family
October of 1971 - September of 1979
- A History of the Midwest Pilgrim Holiness Missions -
Down throughout the years, our conference has been blessed to have many wonderful Missionaries who "LEFT ALL" to spread the Gospel message!
The following Missionaries have served with Midwest Pilgrim Missions:- Rev. Richard & Mary Raines
- Rev. Glenn & Beverly Halstead
- Rev. Richard & Patricia Heatwole
- Mrs. Carol Ann Davison Blakley
- Rev. Melvin & Kay Beecher
- Rev. Bernard & Virginia Christy
- Rev. Lonny & Ruth Dunn
- Rev. Danny & Anne Decker
- Rev. Roy & Esther Norton
- Rev. Don & Sharon Raines
- Rev. Lowell & Jean McVey
- Rev. Charles & Darline Line
Much could be said about each of the Missionaries who have been called by God to spread the Good News to the wonderful people of Dominica, for they each have their story and could tell it much better than I can. However, I feel it is very important to document "in print" the history of how it all came to be, 40 years have passed since The Raines heard the call to take the Gospel message to the British West Indies and if the history is not documented, it risks getting lost.Let's begin our story over 53 years ago when Richard & Mary Raines were Sanctified Wholly! They were living in the town of Manton, Michigan and had been attending a Revival where Holiness was being preached EVERY SINGLE night! Sis. Raines says, "I had fasted for 3 days and spent every moment I could spare from caring for my little family on my knees pouring out my carnal heart to God. I remember being exhausted and saying, 'Lord, I just don't know of another thing to do." She continues, "I just began to rest in the quietness of HIS Divine Presence. The Scripture came to me, When HE has come, He will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13) It finally dawned upon me, YES - HE HAS COME, and the floodgates of Heaven opened up on my soul!!"Richard & Mary Raines had just welcomed their 4th child (Rob) to the world when they began to feel the call to missions. The Raines had been receiving some publications from Hobe Sound Bible College and one day Sis. Mary Raines mentioned that it would be nice to attend Hobe Sound Camp and enjoy the services. The next night, Richard came home with a bunch of maps! She asked him where he planned to go, and he replied, "Well, didn't you say you wanted to go to camp meeting?" She replied, "Don't be funny; even if we COULD go, we probably should send that money to missions." Little did she realize, God didn't want their money, He wanted THEM!They had resigned their church the year before and were completely out of debt, so they made the long trip from Manton, MI to Hobe Sound, FL for Hobe Sound Camp! It was difficult for Sis. Raines to attend all 3 services daily with 2 boys under the age of three, so she stayed in during one of the afternoon services and Richard went with the two oldest children to the afternoon missions service. That afternoon, Sis. Irene Hanley got up and reported, "There is a church & parsonage EMPTY at High Rock, Grand Bahamas" and she said, "I believe the Lord wants to call someone here this afternoon to go there!" Bro. Raines heart felt like it would beat nearly out of his chest as he sat and listened to her speak . . . then it happened again! Sis. Hanley said, "There is a church & a parsonage EMPTY at High Rock and I believe the Lord wants to call someone here this afternoon, to go there!" Richard left his seat and went to the Altar not know anything about the people at High Rock. He didn't know if the people spoke English. . . he didn't know anything about them. Bro. Phillip Newton was praying with him, and he told Bro. Newton that he felt like God wanted him to go to the mission field but didn't know how it could happen because they had four children. Bro. Newton said, "Well, we have three children, and we're there!"
They prayed, and within 2 weeks, the Florida Evangelistic Association called them and said, "Come as soon as possible." They were told by FEA that they would not be able to pay them enough to live on, but Bro. & Sis. Raines said it was ok, that God would supply the need!After five wonderful years at High Rock, Bro. Raines was privileged to go with several others to pass out Bibles & tracts in the West Indies. While in the West Indies, they made stops in Dominica and when they returned, Bro. Raines felt like he left his heart in Dominica!! He had never before seen such hunger for the Gospel!Bro. Raines went to Rev. S.D. Herron and told him that he felt that God wanted him to start a work in Dominica. Bro. Herron didn't feel like they had the finances to stretch out so far, and so the Raines felt so strongly that God wanted them to go by Faith, that they began deputational services at any place where they could talk about Dominica!They were told by some: "You don't begin works by faith anymore!" - "It's proper to have a board and finances behind you." - It wouldn't be fair to take your children over there to be deprived!" etc. . . and so, the work in DOMINICA began! Glenn & Beverly HalsteadJanuary of 1973 - December of 1985
Richard & Pat Heatwole and family
September of 1973 - June of 1976 and
January of 1977 - February of 1978
Mrs. Carol Ann Davison Blakley
August of 1975 - June of 1977
Melvin & Kay Beecher and family
March of 1979 - September of 1979
Bernard & Virginia Christy and family
July of 1980 - July of 1989
Lonny & Ruth Dunn and family
July of 1976 - May of 1978
Danny & Anne Decker and family
May of 1985 - July of 1986
Roy & Esther Norton
Came to the field for a few months in 1990
Don & Sharon Raines and family
December of 1990 - August of 2005
Lowell & Jean McVey
(Antigua) November of 2005
(Dominica) October of 2007
(HOME) June of 2011
Charles & Darline Line
September of 2007 - September of 2010
Served faithfully in Antigua for 3 years
FIELD COMMITTEE
President - James Southerland
Missions Director - Craig Dahler
Chairman - Jacob Lockhart
Secretary - Michael Warrington
Treasurer - Henderson Rodney
Asst. Treasurer - Eric King
Advisor - Agnes Esprit
Advisor - Earl Bruno
Missionary Advisor-
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Oh, that I could spend every moment of my life to God's glory!
- David Brainerd
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Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.
- William Carey
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The prospects are bright as the promises of God.
- Adoniram Judson
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Death alone will put a stop to my effort!
- David Livingstone
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Oh, that I had a thousand lives and a thousand bodies! All of them should be devoted to no other employment but to preach Christ!
- Robert Moffat
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Some wish to live within the sound
of Church or Chapel bell;
I want to run a Rescue Shop
within a yard of hell.
- C.T. Studd
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Christ is either Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.
- Hudson Taylor
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God had an only Son and He made Him a missionary.
- David Livingstone
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God isn’t looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow Him.
- Hudson Taylor
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He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot
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If God wills the evangelization of the world, and you refuse to support missions, then you are opposed to the will of God.
- Oswald J. Smith
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I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light.
- John Keith Falconer
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I want to be where there are out and out pagans.
- Francis Xavier
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If you take missions out of the Bible, you won’t have anything left but the covers.
- Nina Gunter
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No reserves. No retreats. No regrets.
- William Borden
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Not, how much of my money will I give to God, but, how much of God’s money will I keep for myself?
- John Wesley
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Oh, that I could spend every moment of my life to God’s glory!
- David Brainerd
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Will you go to His feet and place yourself entirely at His disposal?
- William Booth
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We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.
- John Stott
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If I had 1,000 lives, I'd give them all for China.
- Hudson Taylor
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The mission of the church is missions.
- Oswald J. Smith
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If God calls you to be a missionary, don't stoop to be a king.
- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
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Let my heart be broken with the things that break God's heart.
- Bob Pierce
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The reason some folks don't believe in missions is that the brand of religion they have isn't worth propagating.
- Unknown
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Since God is a missionary God, God's people are a missionary people.
- Eddy Ho
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The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.
- Carl F. H. Henry
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The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity.
- Mike Stachura
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It is not in our choice to spread the gospel or not. It is our death if we do not.
- Peter Taylor Forsyth
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Love is the root of missions; sacrifice is the fruit of missions.
- Roderick Davis
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Missions is not the 'ministry of choice' for a few hyperactive Christians in the church. Missions is the purpose of the church.
- Unknown
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Prayer is the mighty engine that is to move the missionary work.
- A.B. Simpson
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To stay here and disobey God — I can't afford to take the consequence. I would rather go and obey God than to stay here and know that I disobeyed.
- Amanda Berry Smith
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The history of missions is the history of answered prayer.
- Samuel Zwemer
In the summer of 1970, they began their deputation schedule again and in October of 1971, they boarded the plane for Dominica! After a Nine hour flight, they were very tired, but very excited as Dominica came into view. They breathed a sigh of relief as they landed and thanked the Lord for a safe trip! It was then that a missionary journey began, that is still continuing today - - 41 years later!
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Now, let's hear from the Missionaries . . .
Richard & Mary Raines
(1971 - 1979)
DP: Please describe how you all came to join the Pilgrim Holiness Church.
MR: We started the work in Dominica as a faith work and named it the West Indies Gospel Mission with the possibility of expanding to other islands. I believe it was the third year, we felt it was necessary to establish a board for tax exempt purposes. We met with Bro. Eugene Gray and Bro. James Southerland and asked if they would be willing to sit on our board. (They mentioned that they would like to establish a mission work.) Their reply was "Why don't you just merge with us?" We were with the Wesleyan Holiness Association at the time; we wanted Dominica to be a lasting work, and not just built around the Raines. This sounded like a good way to accomplish this, so we joined the Pilgrims.
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
MR: We found our trip to the house we rented, a breathtaking experience. For one thing the taxi driver was on the "wrong" side of the road, which is where they drive in Dominica. He was accustomed to fast speeds and those narrow, curvy roads. Needless to say we were drawing in our breath each time we passed a vehicle, but it didn't seem to give us any more room.
We arrived safely at dusk and moved our few things into our new home. It was a large four-bedroom house, but the fact that it only had a gas stove that didn't work, a kitchen sink and few cupboards with no doors was not real impressive, but we were all too excited to complain. It did have a huge bathtub and a toilet that flushed from the water reservoir on the roof. There was one coil spring bed with no mattress so we broke open some of the cardboard boxes and spread a blanket. Our one sleeping bag served as a bed for all five of our brood. Then we lit the one kerosene lamp we had brought and Tom got out his guitar. We sang and praised the Lord for the privilege of sharing Jesus with the people of Dominica.
The food we ate the first year consisted of boiled green bananas, dasheen, bread fruit, or plantain. We were so excited to share Jesus with those that didn’t know anything about Him, that the inconvenience was as nothing. Our first table was an old 4x4 shutter the neighbor gave us; Richard nailed it to a piece of log. We found some heavy paint boxes for benches and felt pretty special after sitting on the floor for several days to eat our meals. Later Richard found some vines in the woods and laced them together to make a couch and a chair. (click HERE to see the picture) We all thought this was Wonderful!!!
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
MR: We have so many special memories it is difficult to narrow them down to a few. One was the day Agnes Espirit got saved with just a children’s story. She is still one of our faithful ministers.
Bro. Jacob Lockhart was saved as a teenager under Bro. Dunn's ministry. His mother said that if he went to "the white man's church" that he could not live in her house any more. She beat him, threw out his clothes and he slept on the dirt floor of the kitchen for three months. He became one of our faithful ministers and has been our Field Chairman for many years. Now she says she is very proud of him.
Pa Frederick got saved at eighty years old, following his wife's conversion. They had been separated for seven years because he was ALWAYS so drunk. Two different cameras showed a ray of light coming down when he was baptized. The last testimony he gave us, when we went back for the twentieth Anniversary was, “I’m looking to the east for Jesus to come.”
The miracles God worked on August 29, 1979, as Hurricane David blew in with great force were many. God spared the mission home and our family though the church fell flat a few yards away. Over a hundred people came through the drenching rain to our house for refuge; it was about the only one that still had a roof on. The Lord had sent several boxes for this need. The little shop that the boys were running provided food for all these needy people. The beautiful island looked like a great fire had disintegrated everything. We thank God for the miracle that only 56 people had been killed and 500 injured. He had protected our family and our precious Dominicans. A couple days later a U.S. Army jeep pulled into our yard with the Beecher Family and they said “You have five minutes to pack and to leave the island because there would be no food and it will be very dangerous.” I ran into the house to pack a few things. My husband came in and touched my shoulder and said, “Honey, we are not leaving now, we need to get everything turned over to the nationals for the work to continue.” He knew of two planes that should be able to help us, but neither was able. After getting the task done the Lord reserved the last flight of the US military plane that had been bringing canned food to the island, to help us get out. The many tears as we were leaving will not soon be forgotten.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
MR: You are pretty much into doing everything yourself as soon as you arrive. It is very important to learn the basics of repairs, auto, small engines, electrical, medical etc. You will be a blessing to yourself and the nationals. Be certain of your calling, then you can turn the impossible circumstances you meet over to God, because “WHERE GOD GUIDES HE PROVIDES.”
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Glenn & Beverly Halstead
(1973 - 1985)
DP: How did you feel God calling you to Dominica?
BH: We both received our call at separate times and places, and after marriage, we began to pray about where we should go.
While interning at a church in Pennsylvania, we invited Bro. and Sis. Raines to speak at our church. They had just gone down to Dominica for several months and needed teachers for their children. The next day as we were having family devotions, God laid it on both of our hearts that we were to go to Dominica as missionaries. After a semester of Student Teaching, we flew to Dominica in a single engine plane with Mr. Mark Vernon as our very able pilot.
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
BH: Adapting to a completely new life style and learning to live in a new, unique culture.
Isolation was probably one of the biggest trials since we had no telephone or means of communication in the outlying villages where we lived. Upon arrival, one needs to learn a whole new set of life skills. Food, transportation, holidays, shopping, customs, laws, terrain, weather, language, health maintenance, education, food, and plants are some of the new things that we had to master until they were assimilated.
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
BH: Memories? The most memorable and cherished ones were the dear people in Petit Soufrière, Good Hope, Carib Reserve, and Warner that came to Jesus and were delivered from sin and bondage. Very dear to our hearts are the lovely people that adopted us as part of their family. Dominicans are a very giving, generous people who are always ready to help others.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
BH: Arrive with a teachable attitude and learn from the older people, both nationals and missionaries. There are no textbooks that can teach you like those who have had the experiences that you will face.
Arrive with a clear call, excitement,and dedication. Leave your own native lands' methods of doing things at your departing U.S. airport. Don't import your recipes for solving problems. The rules and players are totally different than those that you are used to. Appreciate each new encounter of culture as something to learn, and incorporate it into your lifestyle.
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Richard & Patricia Heatwole
(1973 - 1976 and 1977 - 1978)
DP: How did you feel God calling you to Dominica?
Patricia Heatwole: I received my call to be a missionary as a small child.
Richard Heatwole: While I was a student at Hobe Sound Bible College one day as I was working God met with me and gave me a vision of people of another country that I knew He wanted me to minister to.
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
RH: Adjusting to a whole new way of life. Not having communication. Not having reliable transportation.
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
RH: So many services at night with only a lantern for light, but feeling the warmth of God’s presence. Enjoying the wonderful fellowship of the Dominican Christians.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
RH: Many and incredible were my experiences in Dominica. The stories of Gods grace and miracles are too numerous to tell in this assignment. The common denominator to it all is simply this, you must be motivated by love to be successful. Love for God, Love in the home, and love for people. Pretense in any of these relationships will render you ineffective. With love there are no obstacles. Yes they are there but with love you forget going the second mile, you just do what it takes to defeat Satan and exalt the Savior. I have made many mistakes with the people especially, at the beginning, but they knew I really loved God and my wife and them. And love covers a multitude of sins. By the way, it works where ever you go
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Carol Ann Davison Blakley
(1975 - 1977)
DP: How did you feel God calling you to Dominica?
CB: When I was just a little girl of seven years, I felt my first call to be a missionary. I particularly felt the call to work with Indians.
Fast forward to the summer of 1975 and my arrival on the field in Dominica; while traveling over the dusty, unpaved roads, the Raines explained that we would need to go by the Carib Reserve for a service before going on to the mission house. As we arrived at our destination, I realized these precious people were CARIB INDIANS. Oh, how God sealed to my heart while sitting in that little lamp lit building on that very first night, that this was where I needed to be. Tears of joy ran down my face and God’s peace ministered to my
heart! I would not have traded those backless benches for the finest church in America.
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
CB: A new life style and learning to live in a new culture were some of the first challenges I faced when arriving on the field. There was a real feeling of isolation or, should I say difference in being the SINGLE GIRL among the other missionary couples on the field. My apartment was connected to their home. They were so gracious to me. We shared meals together as well as precious times of fellowship!
I must say that Bro. & Sis. Raines and their children made me feel just like one of the family from the very beginning. I was so blessed.
Living far from town and other villages was a new experience for me. Learning the customs and culture of the people was a geography lesson in itself. The foods, transportation, the language and the laws of the land were so different. Being an educator was a real challenge for me. All my lesson plans had to discussed with the Minister of Education for the Island. My classroom of precious national children was a learning experience for me and them as well.
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
CB: First of all, my most precious memory was seeing the people accept the Lord as their personal Savior. The bondage of sin no longer ruled their hearts and lives. The Dominican people were loving and willing to help me in whatever way they could.
On the lighter side, how could I ever forget the dead rat brought to the teacher’s desk or the dead boa constrictor laid at my door by one “Donnie” Raines! School picnics were memory making times as well.
You can read of this account in Sis. Raines book, “To God Be The Glory”
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
CB: Be sure of your call and commitment to the place where God leads you. When one leaves the United States for the foreign field, they must embrace their new “home” with excitement and dedication to the work God has called them to do.
As much as you possibly can, leave your ideas stateside and accept the cultures and lifestyles of your adopted country. The precious people there will love you all the more for your endeavor to become “one of them”.
Don’t be lazy neither in everyday situations, nor in the work of the Master. You will never be sorry you answered His call!
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Lonny & Ruth Dunn
(1976 - 1978)
DP: How did you feel God calling you to Dominica?
LD: For many years we had felt a burden for missions. We had just completed five years pioneering a home missions church and sensed God's release. I had been to Dominica and since it was a conference work we felt that was the place God would be pleased for us to go.
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
LD: One challenge is the different type of food. Another challenge is being able to communicate; even though they speak English they have a different accent and often phrase their sentences differently. Of course the different climate can be a challenge.
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
LD: I would say that my favorite memory is of a service when four teenage siblings attended the service for their first time. At the close of the service they responded to the altar call and prayed for salvation. I later learned that this was the first Protestant service that they had ever attended. The older two, Jacob and Agnes Lockhart became established in the Lord and have remained faithful to God and His work. I am sorry to say that Moses and Elisabeth did not get established spiritually. It was a joy to get to visit with Jacob, Agnes and Moses when I was in Dominica last year.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
LD: Be sure of God's will and and follow it faithfully.
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Melvin & Kay Beecher
(1979 for 6 months)
DP: How did you feel God calling you to Dominica?
MB: We had been praying about what God wanted us to do. We had some offers to pastor in another church group, but we didn't feel clear to go in that direction. One day Bro. Southerland came to our house and asked us to pray about going to Dominica. Immediately, something in our hearts said, YES!
God made it plain to us that we were to go. A peace came to our hearts, and we never regretted the call!
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
MB: Some of the challenges you face are:
- The difference in the cultures.
- Being away from family & friends.
- The difference between THEIR thinking and YOURS.
- What you have also belongs to them.
- Driving on the wrong side of the road.
- Finding your way in the capital city.
- Trying to understand what they are meaning and also getting them to understand what you are meaning.
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
MB: Our favorite memory is working side by side with the people, worshipping together in the services, working with them among their crops, washing clothes at the river, and visiting with them in their homes.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
MB: Make sure God has called you, and then go & give of yourself as a servant of the people.
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Danny & Anne Decker
(1985 - 1986)
DP: How did you feel God calling you to Dominica?
AD: We had a call to missions before we married in 1978.
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
AD: So many needs and so many opportunities to see God work, and so little time!
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
AD: Hearing the testimonies of those who came to know Christ as Savior and Lord.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
AD: Take time to be alone with God, to listen to His voice, and to find strength in His presence.
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Don & Sharon Raines
(1990 - 2005)
DP: How did you feel God calling you to Dominica?
DR: God called me to a be a missionary when I was a teen as MK on the field with my parents. Then 12 years later when there weren't any missionaries on the field, God called us to go back to teach on the island with my family.
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
DR: Coping with S-L-O-W time, when it gets done it gets done. It takes a lot of patience dealing with the government offices, very slow and have poor customer service.
(by SR) Learning to accept my husband's new accent when he arrived on the field. After 2 weeks I realized this was the way he talked in Dominica and soon I was sounding like him!
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
DR: The farewell service put together by the field committee and national pastors. They called us to the front , seated us facing the congregation in front of the altar. Bro. Laurent Bruno began talking of our ministry there and said,"He felt we should give our flowers while we're living". Then proceeded to dump a 5-gal bucket of flower pedals on our heads. The people began to file around giving hugs, gifts and cards. Very touching service.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
DR: Visit the culture you will be ministering in and learn as much about the place as possible. The more you can learn how to do things from "scratch" and the "old-time" way the better. Most fields are 20-30 years behind the U.S.
Learn to enjoy the things you have there; citrus, ocean, lush forest, tropical flowers, etc. rather than constantly thinking of the things you can't have from the States.
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Lowell & Jean McVey
Note: Served in Antigua 2005 - 2007 and then in Dominica from 2007 - 2011
DP: How did you feel God calling you to Dominica?
LM: The call to work on the islands of Antigua and Dominica started with a drawing to attend a week-end at a campmeeting we had never been to before in Nebraska, about 275 miles from home.
We had no idea that it was God leading the desire to be back in active Christian service, and strangely, we were almost kept away by an accident which totaled our car 5 days before time to go – and then miraculously, God provided us a replacement just in time.
So we went - In the last service before we had to leave, Bro. Beecher, the evangelist, requested prayer for the need of a missionary on the island of Antigua, and immediately the thought came, "that Island is English speaking. we could communicate there!"
On the way home my wife said, “I really felt impressed that God had something special for me in that camp. I wonder what it was.”
Two or three phone calls later, and a quick trip from Colorado to Indiana to meet the Pilgrim Missions Board, and a lot of packing, and we were on our way to land in Antigua, on Thanksgiving Day 2005.
How God leaves us smiling with His wonderful back-handed ways of piloting us into His will!
DP: What are some of the challenges of life on the mission field?
LM: A few months after we arrived, a good brother came to me and said, “You’re doing a lot better now, when you first came you were teaching us from the pulpit, now you’re preaching.” I had to realize that black people want you to “preach it, brutha.” Learning the ropes culturally is an endless process.
DP: What is your FAVORITE memory during your time in Dominica?
LM: My favorite memory is having my acquaintance with Brother Lockhart, the quiet, reserved, Carib Indian Field Chairman, mature to the place where we could speak and pray together, brother to brother, equal to equal.
DP: If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective missionary, what would it be?
LM: Endlessly study how to keep the lines of communication open. In a new culture there are surprising quirks. Even a good happy laugh together with your national brethren can often work wonders.
* Please note: The information below has been taken from the book written by Sis. Mary Raines - "To God Be the Glory!"
