Gary Roebbelen - Telling the Heritage Story After 30 Years of Global Ministry

When the world’s attention was riveted by the Ethiopian famine in 1985, Gary Roebbelen, Heritage’s Director of Development and Communications, found himself on the front lines of the story. Serving then as an Information Officer for the global non-profit, World Vision, he was assigned to the relief organization’s field office in Addis Ababa. He facilitated myriad media visits and hosted an international field of reporters and photojournalists.

In the fall of 1985, Roebbelen learned that he would serve as personal guide and World Vision host for two VIP guests from Ireland. Roebbelen became well acquainted with the couple, Paul and Ali Hewson. To the rest of the world, Paul is known as “Bono,” lead singer for the rock band, U2. Roebbelen accompanied the two as they received orientation to the famine situation and prepared to take on a short-term assignment with a group of orphans in the remote famine camp in Ajibar. While there, they wrote several health care songs and produced some educational materials for the children.

Bono later said, “I saw stuff there that reorganized the way I saw the world.” Over the course of the visit, the singer penned U2’s single, “Where the Streets Have No Name” and the lyrics to other songs that appeared on the band’s iconic album, Joshua Tree. With a set of Nikons as his constant companion on the African journey, Roebbelen captured a large collection of images of Bono, as the mega-star interacted with the children and taught them songs. His photos appeared in global publications, including Q and People. It was an experience Roebbelen treasures and for a young communications professional, it helped to launch a broad-based career with a focus on global ministry. Roebbelen served in management positions for World Vision for the next 10 years, in Toronto, Canada and also in Los Angeles. He often rubbed elbows with celebrities, but also worked on-site when big crises and media stories like the Mississippi River flood (1993), Los Angeles riots (1992) and the North Ridge earthquake (1994) broke.

He also took several more international trips with other musicians who were affected and inspired by their experiences. Some people may remember the song “Life is a Highway,” probably best known from the Rascal Flatts cover of the song done for the animated movie “Cars,” but it also hit number 6 on the Billboard Charts in 1992 and was featured in multiple commercials, and movies, and performed live on David Letterman. The musician who wrote and performed the hit was Tom Cochrane who was taken by Gary on a 5 country tour of Africa in 1989. One of the lines from the song… “From Mozambique to those Memphis nights…” Some of Tom’s most powerful memories came from his visit to a Mozambique medical relief camp.

In 1995, Roebbelen and his young family moved to Boone, North Carolina, where he became Director of Communications for the burgeoning ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. His interview for the job was conducted from the cockpit of a small prop plane, with Franklin Graham in the pilot’s seat. They talked through the headsets on the flight from Tennessee to Toronto, where Graham had been called to assist at his father’s Skydome crusade, after his father collapsed and was rushed to hospital the day before the start of the crusade.

Roebbelen became well acquainted with the Graham family as he helped to raise funds for Samaritan’s Purse and manage its communications efforts. The highlight of his experience there, he said, was assisting in the launch and promotion of Operation Christmas Child. “It was all part of me applying what I knew, but always being pushed and challenged to learn at a very fast pace, in very quickly growing environments,” he says. He also assisted with the development of systems and processes to manage the huge volumes of communication and data the organization gathered.

A unique opportunity next arose, when Roebbelen became a founding partner of DonorWare LLC, in Indianapolis. “It was a chance to work alongside of likeminded Christian professionals,” he said. The company provided data management, web-based fundraising solutions, email campaign systems and inventory and sales management for Promise Keepers, Back to the Bible, Bible League, Gospel for Asia, Campus Crusade and other large non-profit organizations. As Vice President of Corporate Relations, Roebbelen helped to grow the company’s annual sales and manage client relations.

In order to be closer to aging parents and family, the Roebbelens moved back to Canada, to London, Ontario, in 2008. As the Director of Fundraising and Communications for Teen Challenge there, Roebbelen oversaw communications for six drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers across Canada. In 2011, he became Director of Communications and Fund Development for Trans World Radio in Canada, the world’s largest Christian radio broadcasting network, delivering the Gospel within reach of over four billion people daily. He assisted the organization with all facets of development, including special events, fundraising and marketing.

Roebbelen was excited to return to the family’s former home and to friends and family in Indianapolis in 2014, when he accepted his current role as Director of Development and Communications at Heritage.

With so much front line global ministry experience under his belt, one might wonder what else attracted him to Heritage.

“I have been privileged to be part of tremendous life-changing work around the world. The only thing more fulfilling for me at this stage of my career is to be involved in equipping a new generation of Christian leaders to impact our world,” explained Roebbelen, “With its steadfast commitment to excellent academic training that is Biblically infused and Christ focused, Heritage has an opportunity to be an even brighter light in an ever darkening society. We have an opportunity and responsibility to prepare future generations of world changers. And, being a worldchanger doesn’t mean you have to serve in a foreign mission field. Heritage is equipping a future generation of exceptional citizens, good neighbors, loving husbands and wives, Christian parents, and everyday prayer warriors who we may have also equipped to be exceptional doctors, politicians, athletes, artists, engineers, missionaries, lawyers, CPAs, marketing executives, journalists, bankers, pastors or entrepreneurs. The distinctive mission of Heritage has a profound opportunity to impact our world.”

“Because this next generation is so important, we need to be able to attract and retain and appropriately support our faculty and staff who are the contributing architects of these world-changing lives. That’s why the Thrive campaign is such a priority for me over the next few years. We need to eliminate our debt ASAP so that we can catch up our compensation to levels that adequately support our teachers and staff. We compromise our ability to remain effective and excellent if we do not ensure that we can equip our classrooms and campus with the best workers possible.”

Roebbelen is encouraged by the tremendous potential of the school’s next 50 years.

“Even though I have been blessed with many unique opportunities, working at Heritage is a new challenge I am thoroughly enjoying. While sometimes the volume and diversity of activity is overwhelming, I know that it is all driven by a desire to create great experiences for our students and a passion for our distinctive Heritage community.”

With two of his children attending Heritage, he gets to experience that community in many ways.

“It’s been great to experience the school through my children’s involvement. Josh is a freshman this year, involved in orchestra and robotics, and delivering his unique sense of humor and spin on life wherever he goes. Matt is a junior and involved in athletics and fine arts, performing in Robin Hood, running sound for Mary Poppins and chapels, playing on the soccer and lacrosse teams. He enjoys lacrosse because it’s the closest thing to hockey he could find. And even though he sometimes wears the nickname “Canada” - and does bleed a little maple syrup and poutine gravy from his time in Canada - everyone should know that he was actually born in North Carolina (along with Josh). My daughter (born in Los Angeles) is working on an education degree at IU, and my oldest son (born in Toronto) is pursuing a music and audio engineering career. My wife Laurie, in addition to managing the chaos of our home, is now working at a Health Campus for Seniors at which she coordinates activities. God has wonderfully equipped and wired her with the unique patience and compassion needed for the challenges of advanced-age care. We have a lot of interesting stories to share at the end of the day.”

Just like the Thrive campaign, Roebbelen also has his “eyes on the future.”

“I’ve appreciated the opportunity to build our capacity and expertise in the development, marketing and communications areas. We are starting to build a team to take us into the future. One of the most exciting metrics to see this year is our increase in enrollment - the first increase in eight years. Telling our story in new ways certainly contributed to making that happen. We’ve also made progress in social media, with the Messenger, in event support, and in fundraising, but still have a long way to go to build and execute the strategies, systems, campaigns and communications that Heritage will need to succeed heading into our next 50 years.”

In addition to the Thrive campaign, Roebbelen says to be watching for improvements in other key areas, including the Heritage website, an Alumni Association, and some streamlining and coordination of overall fundraising and promotional activity.

“God has a special purpose for this piece of real estate in Indianapolis. I’m glad to be here to see all of the exciting things that will be taking place in the years ahead.”