Orvel and Kandi Griffith
Southeast Caribe Mission
Global Church Growth, Inc.
PO Box 157
Nevada, MO 64772
Website: www.secaribemission.org
Email: sec.mission@yahoo.com
Email: o.griff@yahoo.com
Charlie and Kathy Bennetch
Serving the Lord with Global Church Growth.
Charlie grew up as the youngest child of four. His father was a Lutheran pastor with small rural churches. Charlie became a follower of Christ during nightly devotions with his parents, at the age of six.
He went to Washington and Lee University and graduated with a degree in Engineering Physics. He accepted a teaching position at Norfolk Christian School shortly after graduation. He met Kathy in Sunday School and they were married 4 months later. Kathy is a registered nurse. They both attended Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina where Charlie received a Master of Divinity.
After graduation Charlie pastored a small rural church in Bloomfield, Montana, added two little girls, was a chaplain at a Christian boarding school in South Dakota, and did church planting in Dickinson, North Dakota where their son was born. Charlie served as a “tent maker” pastor in New Bern, North Carolina where he supported his family servicing copiers. He was promoted to service manager in a Canon copier company so the family moved to Savannah, Georgia.
After several years working in the secular world, Charlie was asked to join the staff of Savannah Christian Church ( now known as Compassion Christian Church) as the Minister of Education. In his 15 years of ministry there, he established ministries in missions, mentoring, addiction and divorce recovery, Stephen Ministry, and small group ministries. God blessed Savannah Christian with growth during these years, and it went from 250 to 2500. ( Now it is over 7000) Charlie and Kathy joined the staff of Equipping the Saints in 2003 where they worked with missionaries worldwide to supply Bibles, books, equipment, used clothing, computers, and medical supplies. Charlie is a missionary “MacGyver” and able to repair, rewire, and/or fix the unfixable.
His passions include: mentoring, small groups, strategic planning, World Wide Café (ETSU ministry to international students), grandfathering 6 active grandchildren and being Kathy’s best friend for 43 years.
Contact him at charlesbennetch@gmail.com or call him at 540-255-1811 if he can serve your church or mission in developing your ministry.
Meet Kathy Bennetch
Kathy grew up in a military family that moved frequently. She became a Christ follower at age nine and was baptized with her friends. Kathy had a favorite aunt who was a public health nurse in Wilson County, North Carolina. She used to go with Aunt Aggie to work as a child and actually got a nurses’ uniform one year for Christmas. As a teen she read a missionary biography of “Grace McBride, Missionary Nurse” and decided that the Lord was leading her to the mission field as a missionary nurse.
After graduation she attended Old Dominion University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. While attending a college and career Sunday School class she met and later married Charlie Bennetch ( after a whirlwind courtship). She worked as a registered nurse in Virginia Beach and later Norfolk. They both attended Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina. Kathy worked part time as a labor and delivery nurse, thinking ladies had babies all over the world so she should at least know “how to catch one.” Little did she know she would be using that skill to deliver babies in North Dakota when the doctor was delayed because of snow.
Becoming a “pastor’s wife” was her hardest role as the expectations kept changing. She does regret that she doesn’t play the piano as that seems to be a requirement wherever they went. Kathy worked in the area hospitals for 25 years on the night shift.
She home schooled their children for several years, has been a scout leader, taught a Ladies Bible Class, and loves mentoring young mothers. Her role as a mom was her favorite job. She loves to pray and is a seasoned “Prayer Warrior”. Her passions are : their 6 grandchildren, writing, ministry, corresponding, mentoring, prayer, and encouragement (and of course taking care of Charlie!)
She can be contacted here: kbennetch@gmail.com
