In 1974, Archie and Geneele Crenshaw formed World Outreach Fund as a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization to share God’s blessings around the world through medical missions. Over the past 40 years, World Outreach has broadened its focus to support faith-based initiatives across a broad spectrum of service areas, which are all centered around the biblical charges that Jesus asked of us. These focus areas include serving the poor, feeding the hungry, providing clean water, visiting those in prison, and caring for the sick, widowed and orphaned. As an organization, World Outreach chooses to partner with top Christian nonprofits that are intentional about the depth of their impact in the lives of those they serve.
Until 2016, the president of World Outreach was Joe Glenn, who was supported by his wife Betty as secretary. Under Joe’s leadership, World Outreach built a strong foundation and developed two core ministry partners in Honduras, Predisan and Honduras Outreach, Inc. (HOI). The investment in these organizations provided significant support to over 300,000 in the service area through holistic community development efforts. These organizations are now recognized by the Honduran government as two of the most effective NGOs in the history of the country, improving health and reducing levels of poverty through education, job creation, primary care, nutrition and spiritual growth. World Outreach continues to invest in these ministries and has expanded its reach to invest in several dozen ministries across the globe each year.
World Outreach partners with organizations serving Christ on four continents, providing financial support, logistical resources and connections to like-minded ministries that may facilitate accelerated effectiveness. Our founders believe we are called to share the gospel with all people, making sure the world has heard the good news of Jesus Christ. We do this in both word and deed: faith with works. At our core, we agree with the words of St. Francis when he said we should share the gospel with everyone and, when necessary, use words. We believe as Christians that we will reach people through our actions more than through our sermons. (And we’ve got some great sermons!)
World Outreach is blessed to have been formed from the hearts of passionate and generous Christians with the desire to create a better, healthier and enlightened world. All things are possible through Christ, and World Outreach is dedicated to living this truth.