From Doubt to Devotion: Mary Ann’s Journey with ShareHim Ministries

This story traces its origins back to 2002, a time that predates my involvement with ShareHim by two years. It revolves around Mary Ann Roberts, a former schoolmate of mine at Mount Pisgah Academy. The late Bob Folkenberg, former president of the Carolina Conference, had a dream. He envisioned taking laypeople to developing countries where the work of God appeared to be flourishing. His plan in creating Global Evangelism with the Carolina Conference was to equip people with sermons, guidance, and inspiration, allowing them to preach overseas and witness the joy of people responding to the gospel message. The idea was to ignite their passion for evangelism, enabling them to return to their home churches as enthusiastic “sparkplugs” for the cause.

Mary Ann’s first participation in Global Evangelism in 2002 took her to Rongo, Kenya, where God blessed their efforts with 640 baptisms. In my early days with Global Evangelism in 2004, Mary Ann joined us in Moshi, Tanzania, and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I distinctly remember God’s blessings on her site in Bulawayo, resulting in 433 baptisms. Recently, I had the opportunity to ask her about her extensive journey with Global Evangelism (which later became known as SHAREHIM). She had diligently kept track of baptisms—4,000 in total! Throughout her 16 years of service, she traveled to numerous countries, including places like Central Africa with large, eager crowds, and other regions like Mongolia, Bulgaria, or Cuba, where attendance was smaller.

Mary Ann’s journey to Share Jesus wasn’t always ablaze with passion. In fact, there was a time when she and her husband David seemed to have lost their way in their walk with God. My wife and I had the honor of hearing Mary Ann share “the rest of the story” at her husband David’s funeral. Mary Ann had signed up to participate in ShareHIM meetings on the island of Cuba and managed to persuade David, a former dentist, to accompany her. He sat through two weeks of meetings, listening as the Spirit of God worked on his heart. On the last Friday night, Mary Ann’s sermon delved into the topic of the Unpardonable Sin, and it ended with a call. To everyone’s amazement, the first person to respond was David! The following morning, he was also the first to step into the baptistry. Since then, there has been no turning back!

Funerals are typically somber occasions, but David’s was also a source of joy and celebration. You see, God not only blessed Mary Ann with 4,000 precious souls through baptism but also granted her an extraordinary bonus—her husband, David, as her partner in the heavenly eternity with Jesus. Thank God for ShareHIM, and for so much more!

—David Dobias, Retired ShareHim Manager