My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“Let me tell you about S.A.R.A.” Stephen’s first introductory message to our dear friend, The Rev. Dr. Ralph Quellhorst. (Pictured below, Ukraine)
Ralph was the Minister and Leader of the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ, now the Heartland Conference. He listened, with the treasurer , to Stephen list all of his ideas and hopes for the organization. One young boy and one famous orthopedic physician, from Hungary, had already visited the US. It was just the beginning, another milestone. Ralph was “hooked”. the famous revelation from our second President, Dr. Fleming Fallon. Ralph introduced SARA to the Ohio conference Churches at their annual gathering at Heidelberg College in 1989.
Ralph was SARA’s first President. The Board met in Kent, Ohio. Twenty members of the UCC Ohio Churches listened. An Executive Committee was formed, then an official Board of Directors, then meetings and speeches popped up all over the country. The Bishop of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Transcarpathia, Ukraine told the President of the UCC, Dr. Paul Sherry, that the children of this area needed shoes. “Little Shoes to Fill” collected more than 5000 pairs of shoes and Stephen and Jeannie packed them and shipped them.
As with time, our beginning angels pass on. They have earned their wings as they continued to give God the glory for the work of SARA. Stephen passed away in May of 1019, Fleming passed away in February 0f 2020 and Ralph passed away in June of 2020.
The Rev. Dr. Ralph Quellhorst
