He glows Donovan Coley

he glows

DONOVAN COLEY

By Barb Sieminski | Photo by Zack Kittaka

Down the way where the nights are gay / and the sun shines daily on the mountaintop/ I took a trip on a sailing ship / and when I reached Jamaica I made a stop…

Drop by the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission and you just might hear the strains of “Jamaican Farewell” echoing through the halls if Senior Pastor Donovan Coley, CEO of the Rescue Mission, is exercising his vocal chords as he works.

Born in Kingston Town, Jamaica, Coley, who came to Fort Wayne in 1982, has sung in operas, choirs and in solo performances. After enrolling in Jamaica Theological Seminary, he came to the Fort Wayne Bible College, which became Taylor University, to continue his education. He then obtained his Master of Arts degree in Christian Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Currently, Coley is involved in the Rescue Mission’s new 80,000 square-feet facility that will be finished this summer.

“It will be called Fort Wayne Rescue Mission Ministries,” he said, and added that the new facility will be more than a shelter.

“We will be moving from a 114-bed facility and the additional use of cots to a 325-bed facility” he explained. “The community will be served by a state-of-the-art Community Resource Center for city residents made up of the poor, near homeless and homeless who will be given access to resources by a number of approved agencies. An outreach emergency shelter will be available for up to 25 individuals who are not ready for admission to a recovery program but who need crisis intervention.

“A third significant use of the building will be to house Indiana Wesleyan University courses that will directly benefit the residents and staff of The Rescue Mission at a discounted rate.

“There will be a Parkview Clinic, as well, staffed by nurses and social workers for use by Rescue Mission Program residents, including a ‘Green Space’ on the third-floor balcony.

“Since 1903, we have chosen not to accept government funding to support the work of the Rescue Mission, as to freely share the hope, love and Gospel of Jesus Christ unhindered. However, we consider ourselves to be a community resource and will partner with government agencies for the good of society as a whole. This calls upon us to maintain a good working relationship with City officials. The Rescue Mission partners with City government and other agency partners to be the warming and cooling shelters for the City of Fort Wayne.”

When asked what saddened him, Coley said, “The callousness by which we devalue human life from the womb to the tomb. As a person of African descent, I am brought to tears when I see the vast injustice and inequality meted out to people of color that still stains the American fabric and psyche.”

Coley has been married to Grace for 37 years and is blessed with 4 adult children, 2 sons-in-law and “the 2 cutest grandchildren on the planet.”

“I am a strong believer in the Westminster Shorter Catechism’s answer to the question, what is the chief end of man? The answer is simply: ‘To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.’ This has shaped my thinking and actions for many years,” he said. a

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