“Fathers in the Field is such a critically needed ministry as families are disintegrating all around us, and it is making such a difference in the lives of many young men who will one day become fathers themselves. It’s an investment in the future of our country.
My prayer and fervent hope is that more and more churches across the country will enroll and more and more Christian men will stand up to share their lives for the glory of God and the sake of these precious children.”
Dr. Katie Maddox, a retired anesthesiologist, has spent the majority of her life in Georgia but has always harbored a love for horses and the wilds of the West. So in June of 2012 when she sat down to read through the latest copy of WORLD magazine the picture on the front cover of a little blond boy and a big red horse nuzzling him, captivated her instantly.
That month’s cover story featured Fathers in the Field as the winner for the West Region of the Hope Award for Effective Compassion. As she read, she discovered that the little blond boy on the cover was a fatherless boy who was being mentored by a Christian man. This boy was being taught about his Heavenly Father who would never abandon him like his earthly father had done.
“The story further related how Fathers in the Field was begun by two men, a pastor and a layman, in my own little denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, in the small Wyoming town of Lander.
In response to the article, I wrote a letter to the editor indicating an interest in helping the ministry, which was published in a subsequent issue.” This led to a phone call from co-founder Pastor Scott MacNaughton and a meeting that following summer in Wyoming. Initially her interest was piqued because of her love of horses and the West but this quickly changed the more aware she became of the broader issue of fatherlessness.
Her heart felt the emotional and spiritual burdens fatherlessness piles on the shoulders of millions of boys in our country. Boys left feeling worthless because their father had abandoned them; boys left struggling to enter manhood without a man to guide them and encourage them.
“I am convinced that the majority of the problems our country now faces are related to the epidemic of father abandonment. Fathers in the Field is the ONLY Christian ministry of which I am aware that addresses that issue from a uniquely Christian perspective, seeking to introduce boys to our Heavenly Father who will never leave nor forsake them.”
“I love this ministry for many reasons. It is a very practical, hands-on ministry of one man to one fatherless boy that promotes faith, forgiveness, fun, relationship building and evangelization of Field Buddies. I love that it started in the PCA, the denomination I love most, but is not tied to a particular denomination. I deeply admire founders John Smithbaker and Scott MacNaughton for seeing a need and meeting it. I know the curriculum is theologically sound because of its authors.
The ministry can be adapted to many different interests and activities that men and boys like to do, although I think the emphasis on outdoor activities is healthy and refreshing in this electronic age where addiction to devices is becoming rampant. I like that it gives men in churches a chance to become actively involved in ministry and encourages them to live out their faith. Too often we forget about the single mothers and often grandmothers that raise these boys alone, surely this ministry is an answer to their prayers. A woman simply cannot demonstrate to a boy how to become a good man. For non-Christians, it is a beautiful picture of the church functioning as it should, carrying out the biblical mandate to care for widows and orphans. Lastly, there are very few people who would question the benefits of a fatherless boy having a Mentor Father under whose wing he can take shelter to learn, play, and grow into Godliness.”
Dr. Maddox has invested significant money and time in Fathers in the Field because she sees how powerful and effective this ministry is. She and her late husband Fleet have included the ministry as a beneficiary of their estate. Additionally she helped to raise funds to start another missionary in the South and is an advocate for the fatherless.
Will you join Dr. Maddox is helping Fathers in the Field champion the cause of the fatherless boys in our country?
Here are some ways you can help:
- You can give financially now and/or through your estate
- Is God calling you or someone you know to be a missionary to the fatherless?
- Help your church start the ministry
- Become a Mentor Father and matter greatly in the life of a fatherless boy
Be a Champion of the Fatherless and Contact us today!
