Cadence International

Description

Cadence International is an evangelical mission agency dedicated to reaching the military communities of the United States and of the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. For over six decades, Cadence has grown from a small, fledgling mission to an organization with close to 200 missionaries who work in over 50 locations worldwide.

Cadence serves all branches of the U.S. military in American and overseas locations. Comprised of nearly 4 million people, the U.S. military community has proven to be one of the largest, most responsive sub-cultures today. Cadence ministers not only to military personnel, but to their spouses and dependents as well. Cadence Student Ministries is the youth division of Cadence, reaching out to children and youth in the military community.

History

In January 1941, a young GI from Wyoming was stationed in the Philippines. Homesick, he picked up the Bible he had neglected since trusting Christ several months earlier, and began to read. Jesse Miller realized then that God and His Word were the key to living a fulfilled and satisfied life.

Longing for Christian fellowship, Jesse joined other servicemen at the weekly dinner and Bible study hosted by missionaries Cyril and Anna Brooks. He was so touched and overwhelmed by their hospitality, the Christian fellowship, and the teaching of God’s Word, that he prayed to God, “If I ever have a home of my own, You can have it for servicemen.” Jesse spent every available minute with the Brooks until December 8, 1941, when a surprise attack after Pearl Harbor devastated Clark Air Field. Jesse survived the “Bataan Death March” and spent three-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war. During that time, God comforted and sustained him through the Bible verses he had memorized at the Brook’s home.

After his release, Jesse graduated from BIOLA and, in 1949, joined a mission to teach Filipino students, where he met his wife, Nettie. They soon realized that honoring Jesse’s promise to open their home to servicemen was leading to a larger ministry. In 1951, the first official Christian Servicemen’s Home opened in Manila, Philippines.

In 1954, a group of Christian ex-servicemen (Dick Patty, Tom Hash, Sid Hendry, and C.P. Tarkington) met with Jesse in Chicago to discuss the future of ministry to military personnel. They formed Overseas Christian Servicemen’s Centers (OCSC) whose sole focus would be to share their lives and the gospel of Christ with U.S. military overseas. Requests for this kind of ministry flooded in, and centers were established in the Philippines, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Panama, and Alaska.

In 1968, OCSC expanded to Europe where hospitality houses were founded in Italy, West Germany, Greece, and Spain. As the “Cold War” brought the build-up of U.S. forces around the world, centers were added in Korea, Guam, and the United States.

In 1981, Malachi Singers began traveling during summers to minister to youth and soldiers at retreats and on bases. The military chaplains began to request permanent youth workers, not just summer singing teams. In 1984, Malachi Ministries became the youth ministry arm of OCSC. Its primary focus is military dependent youth. Currently, there are Cadence youth workers in Germany and Japan. In 2010 Malachi Youth Ministries changed its name to Cadence Youth Ministries.

OCSC changed its name to Cadence International in 1994 to better reflect its various ministries. Throughout its history, Cadence International has always followed the mandate of “Sharing the gospel and our lives with the military community” as God has led.