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| Scott Allen | Bennie Nelson | Clay and Dee Davis | Mike and Debbie White | Billy Diggs |
Bennie Nelson
Whenever I read this particular verse I am almost always compelled to run down a list in my mind of the people that I have been privileged to walk with in ministry over the years. Among those at the top of the list are Bennie and Kathy Nelson of Williamsburg, Virginia. Through many years of study, sacrifice, hard work and selfless service they have laid down their lives to be counted among the minority of those called, "The faithful."
I was introduced to Bennie at a men's Bible study thirteen years ago where I heard him speak for the first time. Not to take anything away from the others in attendance, it was abundantly obvious that this guy was anointed to teach the scriptures. When the meeting was over, he and I stuck around and talked for while. We exchanged phone numbers and went our separate ways.
A few days later we talked again and scheduled a time when I would go to their home for dinner. I was blessed that night in meeting Kathy, Bennie's wife and their two sons Philip and Daniel.
Little did we know that this first dinner together would be the beginning of what would blossom into what is now a thirteen year friendship.
During those first few months around their table I was able to glean a lot of wonderful information. For example, I learned that Bennie, while attending Virginia Tech was a member of the prestigious "Dean's List" and that his lovely wife Kathy served our nation as a member of the United States Army. Shortly after they had both left those stations in their lives they found themselves working for the Avon corporation. This is where they would meet for the first time.
Kathy, having been with the company longer than Bennie, was the manager over a department of computer operators. Bennie started work shortly thereafter as a computer programmer and was assigned to Kathy's group. This is where they would both come to know Jesus as their personal savior. Kathy came to the Lord first as a result of some persistent coworkers. Kathy then shared her newfound faith with Bennie and as a result of that conversation, Bennie also came to know the Lord. After only a few short months of working side by side, it became abundantly clear to both of them that God had ordained their union. With a few close friends in attendance and both Bennie and Kathy sporting two feet of hair, they were joined in holy matrimony. A year or so later, along come Philip and a year or so after that brought Daniel.
Being an avid reader, it was Bennie's custom to come home every evening after work and read to Philip and Daniel. This would later prove to be one of greatest investments that he had ever made. As the boys grew and as secular humanism was increasingly showing its ugly head in the local school system, Bennie and Kathy did something that at the time was considered all but crazy. They decided to homeschool the sons!
Harshly criticized by both friends and family alike Kathy persevered year after year. As a result of hundreds of hours of hard work for them all, both Philip and Daniel would go on to receive letters from the Governor of the State of Virginia in recognition of their scholastic excellence.
While doing all that they were involved in at home, both Bennie and Kathy still made the time to rehearse and play with their own contemporary Christian outreach band. They spearheaded and managed the Church's food pantry, led youth worship and taught the children at their Church while also being deeply involved on both state, local and national levels working with Republican Party campaigns.
Today, Philip works in a computer programming department at NASA, Langley and has also become an accomplished classical pianist and organist. He works with none other than his computer virtuoso dad Bennie who manages the department where they work. Daniel instructs and competes in Irish Dance with his mom Kathy.
Since that first dinner thirteen years ago, several books could be written about our journeys together. We have eaten untold numbers of meals together, spent hundreds of hours working on ministry-related projects, traveled hundreds of miles to various ministry engagements which resulted in a lot of precious people being reached and touched with the love of Jesus Christ. And all of that does not include the hundreds of hours that Bennie has invested in building my own computers and painstakingly dragging me "kicking and screaming" into the computer age.
Being both a gifted author and songwriter, Bennie is now well on his way to completing his new book
Friends of the living God as well as preparing to record his first solo album in the studio that he has built in his home.
Kathy continues to press forward in building her Irish dance clientele where doors are opening daily for her to touch the lives of her students. As someone who has served in Church leadership in many capacities, I can attest to the fact that there are very few who stand ready to do whatever it takes to promote the preaching of God's uncompromised Word like the Nelson's. No matter what size project that I have ever approached them with they have never hesitated to wholeheartedly support it.
On behalf of everyone who has been reached through this ministry, I both thank and praise God for the faithfulness of the Nelson's! Remember the question in our opening scripture, "but a faithful man who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6) Well, God has blessed me with knowing Bennie and his wife Kathy who both exemplify this scripture. Thank you both for all that you have done and continue to do for us all!