Member Testifies of Church of God Family Heritage
Both of my grandfathers were Church of God pastors. My paternal grandfather, Hosea Newton Brides, pastored congregations in North Central Texas with his wife Hester Ellenor. My maternal grandfather, George Marion Bloomingdale and his wife Bertha were traveling evangelists. Bertha passed away in 1932 and is buried on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Early in her ministry Bertha started the ‘penny march’ to contribute to the funding of the Church of God orphanage.
By Kenneth Hoyet Bridges
I have a good friend, Felix Franco, who pastors a Spanish speaking congregation named Bet-El near my home in Fort Worth, Texas. Bet-El is a non-denominational congregation that supports missions in northern and central Mexico.
Last year my uncle George M. Bloomingdale, Jr was visiting me and I invited him to go with me to Bet-El. While we were there George shared with the congregation how Bertha started the Penny March to support the Church of God orphanage in Tennessee. He told them that some of his sisters stayed in the orphanage temporarily after Bertha passed away.
More than 10 years ago Felix and his brothers and sisters purchased several hundred acres on the outskirts of town called Nava in the State of Coahuila not too far from the border town of Piedras Negras just across the Rio Grande from Eagle Pass, Texas.
They have a vision to build a bible college, retirement center for pastors and an orphanage. They have already erected a two-story conference center, built a restroom and shower facility and drilled a water well. There is a small community of believers who are doing most of the construction and are serving the body of Christ in Nava as the Lord gives them direction and grace.
I have been to Nava several times to conduct medical outreaches with doctors, nurses and other believers from different congregations, denominations and cities in Texas. Bet-El has always supported the outreach by sending translators and vehicles.
Through Felix’s contacts in the local government in Nava we have been given access to municipal buildings and parks and the local public health director has worked with us to minister to the citizens of Nava and surrounding areas.
Early this year on a Sunday morning I went to worship with the brothers and sisters at Bet-El and I took a long a jar with about ten pounds of pennies. I told the congregation these pennies represented ‘seed’ to sow into the work in Nava and I was trusting the Lord would multiply the seed in many different ways, the least of which is money. The folks at Bet-El caught the vision and now they have started their own ‘Penny March’ on Sunday Mornings to fund the work in Nava.
My grandmother Bertha Bloomingdale’s labors continue to bear fruit 80 years after she entered that eternal rest in Jesus.
