Growing up in Oklahoma, Kansas and then Maryland, Debe is used to getting her hands dirty. Belonging to a ministers large family a garden was a necessity and working in the soil, planting, weeding and then seeing the results come from Gods blessing of those efforts have been a metaphor for working in the city. There is a lot of digging in dirt before the soil is receptive and then the seed needs lots of tending, weeding and care. Some seeds make it (to much rejoicing) and that is when you know it is all worth the effort.
“This year my hands are getting sticky as well as I am teaching some of our youngest children. So many little ones are coming to the center and as we work with them we have a renewed hope that God is going to raise up a generation that will love and follow his word instead of giving in to the culture of the street where violence currently rules.”
“Working at His Place is perfect as everything in my life seems to have been a careful step in the preparation for this position – learning compassion while working with the elderly and ill as a nurses aide while in college; organizational skills were sharpened as a legal secretary; and then the hard lesson of developing patience as a substitute teacher in the Pittsburgh public schools.” Her education includes an AA from Minnesota Bible College, BA from Eastern Christian College and her Masters Degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She has also held numerous leadership positions in churches and has spoken at churches, camps, and conventions.
This is Debe's 17th year as the Executive Director of His Place and for the 15 years before that she was actively involved in the ministry as well. “ I hate the fund raising but love writing curriculum and program development. Reading and studying are serious passions and right now I am especially interesting in listening to the modern prophetic voices as they echo those from the past in crying out against the injustices of our day – injustices against the poor and oppressed in our country and those who are exploited by political forces, vulture funds, wars and all kinds of evil in third world lands.”
Right now His Place has a
three pronged ministry (youth and families, the homeless and peace
making against neighborhood violence) but we will continue to
expand as God leads. (Please see the website schedule for a list of
what is happening right now and keep checking back in as more
events/ etc are being added.)
“Seriously, the one most important thing people can do to help the
ministry is to pray. We believe in and depend on God to both lead
and sustain us. Then while you're praying, if God would put a way
you can further aid the ministry, we'd be happy to have your
assistance.” :)
“Isaiah 58: 6-9 underlies all we try to do both in the ministry and in our family life. We have a long way to go but with God leading us we have hope; hope that we will see his glory dawning again against the backdrop of the city streets of Pittsburgh.