About Us - Strength to Strength

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Strength to Strength had its first meeting on April 1, 2020. At this time, the COVID-19 pandemic was arriving in the United States, and the initial effects were being felt by the public. About three weeks earlier, Donald J. Trump had declared a state of emergency, and on March 14 many American churches suspended their services for the first time during this pandemic.

The coming weeks brought social distancing and masks; Zoom became a household name, and millions of people were readjusting to a life of limited social interaction.

Patrick Matthews of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, always boldly creative, organized a virtual daily meeting on Zoom. The reason? In his words, “Let us come together… reaching towards God for our stability.” He invited all his phone contacts, and on April 1 at 6:00 AM, the first meeting was held. To hear Patrick’s life testimony, click here to watch his interview by Anabaptist Perspectives.

Within a few months, Patrick felt a need to focus on his other ministries, so a team was formed to administrate the project. Strength to Strength has since adjusted its pace to meeting every other week to ensure its long-term sustainability.

Our speakers and writers are supportive of a Christ-centered, kingdom-focused, Scripture-based way of life, specifically as modeled by the Anabaptist tradition. However, we will sell books not written by kingdom Christians when they are able to share a unique or challenging perspective. In engaging with any of our resources we encourage you to be a Berean.

VISION: Inspire flourishing communities of faithful Jesus-followers around the world.

MISSION: Advance Jesus’ kingdom by assisting the church in earnestly contending for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, through tackling thought-provoking topics, by stimulating candid discussions, and by sharing faith-building testimonies.

ACTION: We do this by providing multimedia resources including podcasts, videos, and books, and by pointing people to local communities of believers.

Strength to Strength’s board/admin includes Glenn Martin, MA; Bryant Martin, deacon at Followers of Jesus, PA; Wendell Martin, elder at Disciples of Jesus, PA; and Justin Zehr, pastor at Grace Mennonite Fellowship, ON.

The advisory council includes Greg Weaver, elder at Disciples of Jesus, PA; and Raymond Glick, elder at Disciples’ Fellowship, MA.