Our Mission: Advise, promote and facilitate a locally led Christian boarding school and associated facilities in western Kenya.
Our Vision: To rescue orphans and vulnerable children, provide them with hope, and to equip them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to empower them to impact Kenya and the world for His Kingdom.
Since our founding by Naphtaly and Nerea Mattah and a small group of men and women from Calvary Church, we have had a clear calling to serve the orphans and widows (James 1:27). When the HIV/AIDS crisis struck in the mid-1990’s, Naphtaly was involved with translating the Bible into the Suba language. Many people on the island were dying from HIV/AIDS and they saw Naphtaly as a man of God and asked him to take care of their children. By 2003 there was a crisis with the number of widows and orphans and something had to be done. In 2003, GGCC was born! In the humble beginnings of just over 100 students the school was started, by faith, without any school buildings, housing for students or funds. The one thing we did have was a visionary leader called by God to serve! Today we have over 725 students, a grade school/middle school and a high school, over 100 graduates and we are getting ready to see our first group of GGCC graduates become university graduates. Our hearts desire is to see Christian leaders from GGCC become Kenya’s Christian leaders of the future.
Greg has been involved in the ministry on Mfangano Island since 1996, going on the first missions trip to Mfangano Island from Calvary Church. Since then, he has participated on and even led several trips, including our June 2019 trip. Greg, along with his wife, Autumn, and their 6 children, is excited to serve as Executive Director during this time of transition for GGCC. Greg will be working approximately 20 hours per week in the office while he continues to work in his counseling practice.
Please continue to pray for GGCC as we seek God to lead us!
On June 1, 2019, GGCC was pleased to welcome long time board member and immediate past Board Chairman Mark Ladnier to the role of Director of Development for GGCC. Mark will be volunteering his time in this position while maintaining his current role at South State Bank. Mark brings a wealth of experience in development as well as an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of GGCC to this new position. Mark is most excited about connecting with you, our supporters and partners, and continuing to develop relationships that bless our GGCC students. Mark and Greg look forward to working together as GGCC enters this new season of leadership! Please pray for Mark and his family as he makes this exciting transition.
Ric Hinson, Chairman
Matthews, NC
National Gypsum
Chuck Estes, Vice Chair
Waxhaw, NC
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Marc Oppenheimer, Treasurer
Waxhaw, NC
Retired
Ric Hinson, Secretary
Matthews, NC
National Gypsum
Jim Bronsink
St. Augustine, FL
Retired
Roger Bosma
Jacksonville, FL
Retired
Chris Linke
Charlotte, NC
Retired
Teresa Hucko
Charlotte, NC
Retired
Lisa Smith
Charlotte, NC
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Nancy Taylor
Charlotte, NC
Community Volunteer
1. The Bible (Old and New Testament) is the divinely inspired and only authoritative Word of God. It was originally given by God, is inerrant in the original writings, entirely trustworthy, and is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (II Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; and Psalm 119:105)
2. There is one God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.(I John 5:6-8). I Corinthians 8:6 indicates the equality of the Father and Son, and Acts 5:3-4 the equality of God and the Holy Spirit. God is the creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-2 and Colossians 1:16). He is perfect (James 1:17), righteous (Psalm 145:17), just (Psalm 89:14), kind (I John 4:8, 16), holy (Revelation 4:8), omnipotent (Jeremiah 32:17, 27), omniscient (I John 3:20), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12), eternal (Isaiah 57:15), and He desires to know man personally (Ephesians 1:5).
3. Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:11) and is God manifest in the flesh (Col. 1:15) having been born by Virgin Mary (Luke 1:27). We believe in His sinless human life (2 Cor. 5:21), His divine miracles (John 10:25), His vicarious and atoning death on the cross at Calvary (1 John 2:2), His bodily resurrection (Matt. 28:6; Acts 1:22; Rom. 1:4), His ascension (Mark 16:19), His mediatorial work (1 Tim. 2:5) and His future return as Judge and King (Acts 1:11). (John 3:16; I Corinthians 15:3-4; I Peter 2:18-24)
4. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, enabling him to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:6; Gal. 5:16-22). The Holy Spirit brings about conviction of sin and the new birth, bears witness of our adoption into the family of God, and is the power behind Christian growth and ministry. (Matthew 3:11; John 14:16-17; 16:5-15; Acts 1:8; 2:4; 19:1-7; I Corinthians 12:7-11)
5. All men have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Salvation is for all sinners and can be attained only through the blood of Jesus Christ (Act 4:12, John 14:6; Romans 3:21-30; Galatians 4:4-7; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 22:20), which was shed at His death for all mankind, through faith apart from works (Eph. 2:8-9), and the regeneration by the Holy Spirit resulting in a new godly life (2 Cor. 5:17).
6. There is spiritual unity (John 17) for all those who have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation and have been regenerated (changed) by the Holy Spirit regardless of their church affiliations. Such believers make up the Church which is the Body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, of which He (Jesus) is the head. (John 3:5-18; Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:13-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:13-22; 5:23-32)
7. Satan is a created being, a fallen angel, and exists as a person in the spiritual realm, the once archangel who rebelled in heaven and was cast down to earth by God. His (Satan’s) intent is to counterfeit the work of God and to frustrate the purpose of God. Satan knows that his destiny is eternal doom in hell and therefore does all within his power to lure mankind away from the only way of salvation, Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3:1-19; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; II Corinthians 4:3-4; 11:13-15; Ephesians 6:10-12; II Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:9; 20: 1-3, 10)
8. All the dead will have a bodily resurrection (Dan. 12:2), believers in Jesus to everlasting life and joy and happiness, while unbelievers unto judgment and everlasting torment in the lake of fire, Hell (Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:24, 28-29; Rev. 20:11). We, also, believe in the second coming of Christ, and that this “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) has a vital importance on the personal life and service of each believer on a daily basis. (Luke 9:23; John 10:10)
9. It is the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to Christians to attend to the needs of the orphans, widows, poor, sick and powerless in the society (Luke 11:41; James 1:27). However, the material good done to them is not ministry enough unless we present the way of salvation to them as their most basic need: Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6).
10. Quality and excellence is the goal for the academic programs of Gethsemane Garden Christian Centre at all levels of education (primary, secondary and post-secondary). Further, we believe that this quality and excellence extends first and foremost to the spiritual well-being of the students, staff, and community. Therefore, the ministry of evangelism is a responsibility of both the local church and each Christian. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15).
Coca-Cola Consolidated
Carroll Financial
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View our 990 filing here.