July 6, 2011
Dr. Paul B. Harry
Pastor, Mountain of Prayer Ministry
Brooklyn, New York
Howdy Paul,
Thanks for your email concerning Seniors for Jesus. Seniors for Jesus is a result of experiences that I had as a pastor and Maxine had as an Army family teenager whose father was stationed many places both in the USA and overseas. Please see the Seniors for Jesus page at www.franklindevelopment.org for information about this project.
At one church in Euless, Texas, I witnessed eight seniors (in their 70’s and 80’s) from a local nursing home make professions of faith in Jesus and at another church in Amarillo, Texas, two Deacons make professions of faith in Jesus. Both Deacons had been church members for many years.
Maxine’s experience is different. While attending church at Army bases as a teenager in La Rochelle, France, Huntsville, Alabama and El Paso, Texas, she witnessed the sad state of older people who had no church and had outlived their friends. She still remembers those old folks.
Both of our experiences have burdened us for many years and we believe that some local churches should have a more organized plan for reaching and ministering to those who are old and friendless. Jesus speaking to Peter said,
John 21:18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
Seniors for Jesus is a division of Franklin Education & Development Corporation (FED), an IRS approved, 501 C 3, charitable, educational, nonprofit corporation. FED was founded in 2004 and is a successor to Bold Ministries, founded in 1981.
Membership in Seniors for Jesus is 100% free and open to anyone of any race, religion, age, or sex.
The purpose of Seniors for Jesus is to develop “villages in cities for persons 60 years or older where Jesus Christ is exalted as Lord and Savior.” These villages will be supported and maintained by local Christian churches.
Here is how the program works:
First
1. Three local churches express an interest in starting a living community for senior citizens.
2. They locate a potential site for the living community.
3. They invite Maxine & Ludwig Otto to meet with them. We pay our own travel expenses to attend these meetings ( We are not rich. Ludwig is almost 78 and works full time as a tenured professor of English at a local college. Maxine is 73 and runs our two businesses: a travel agency and an academic publishing company). The Lord uses this income to support our ministry efforts.
Second
1. A nonprofit corporation is discussed at this first meeting.
2. Strategies are outlined for leaders and officers.
3. Fund raising plans are approved.
Paul, thanks again for your interest. You have been a great help to Bold Christian University, and if the Lord leads you, I know that you will be a comfort to seniors and a faithful witness to their salvation through this program. Let me hear from you. I believe that you would be a wonderful leader of such a project in your area.
In Jesus Name,
Ludwig
Ludwig Otto, DMin, PhD
Franklin Education & Development Corporation
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