What is Sanctuary Ministries?



International Sanctuary Ministries is a U.S. based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Abilene, Texas, partnering with the non-profit Truth Ministries Social Organisation in Tenali, district of Guntur, state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Truth Ministries Social Organisation is registered in India to receive foreign contributions under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) of 2011.  Sanctuary Home was conceived in 2006 as two families, the Palaparthis in India and the Pettits in Texas, who wanted to open a children's home for street children in Tenali. From there, the two organizations, complying with laws of their respective nations, were formed, and the children's home was started.

In June 2006, known then as Sanctuary Home for Children, we opened our doors with 15 children in our orphanage.  Since then, we have grown to provide a Christian home for 100 children.  

 

In the intervening years, our ministry has grown to the point where we are no longer "just an orphanage," although that is still a vital part of International Sanctuary Ministries.  In addition to helping the orphans, we have "adopted" a slum area and renamed it "Hope Village."  With the generous donations of our supporters, we have drilled two water wells in that slum, hired Christian teachers to teach the children there, provided the village with it's only toilet facilities.  With the help of the Highland congregation in Abilene, we are also have constructed a building and a wash station.  The structure is used as a church building, a school for the children of the slum, and as a community gathering spot and refuge from the heavy rains and flooding that seasonally affect the slum. 

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Additionally, this organization supports a group of Christian widows and assists colony of Christians with leprosy, so they can obtain medical attention.

 

We also support the director of the orphanage, Isaac Palaparthi, in his efforts to spread the word of Christ's salvation to the people of his country. Additionally, we have hired six full-time evangelists to preach and teach throughout the state of Andhra Pradesh.

 

In 2017, In order to more fully express the diversity of our mission efforts, Sanctuary Home for Children as an organization changed its name to International Sanctuary Ministries.

 

International Sanctuary Ministries operates solely from the generosity of individuals who make monetary donations. Many of the donations come in the form of monthly sponsorships for the children and widows, but we also receive large and small undesignated and designated monthly and one-time donations.  Please note that those of us working in the United States are all volunteers so every penny possible can be used to directly support those who are part of Sanctuary Home and its projects in India.

 

Our current board members are: Garry Bailey, Ruth Jackson, Cheryl Merritt, Matt Merritt, Alison Wellborn, Kevin Wellborn, Cleddy Varner, Pat Varner, Cheryl Wheat, and Loren Wheat.   

 

We continue to work together with our supporters to help destitute children and widows, remembering that true religion is looking after widows and orphans in their distress (James 1:27).  In other ways, we provide benevolence to the poor and needy, all while spreading God's news of salvation through His Son, and thus doing what we can to help fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)  

 

For more information, please contact us.

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To donate, click here.