anteca M Homeless Ministry
by Jacob Clagg
with Pastor Timothy Welsh
“When you have your vision, and that vision gets squashed, how do you react at that moment? Is God’s greater vision more important than your smaller vision going forward?”
P
astor Timothy Welsh of Manteca Church of God, and the President of our California Eldership, posed this question while reflecting on one of his most difficult valleys during his 15 years of street ministry in the Manteca, California area. It’s a question that comes out of years of ambition, toil, and vision, only to be “squashed,” as he put it, right when victory looked secure. In order to solve a complex homelessness problem in Manteca, Pastor Tim helped coordinate 12 different agencies to purchase a property right next to City Hall. The intention was to create a medical respite for the homeless, and also to make the location a one stop shop for multiple entities to work together to help homeless people get basic services and support. Pastor Pictured on this page: Formerly homeless, Brigitte now has a place to call her own with the help of MGRM and other cooperating ministries. The Global Advocate 17 15