Thomas Henry

New York City to Asbury Seminary: A Season of Preparation

After college, Thomas reconnected with a woman he had known since early childhood, Cheri, who would soon become his wife. After getting married and settling in New York City, Thomas and Cheri felt the Lord leading them to pursue mission work together. Their mission-focused church in New York City, the founding church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, encouraged their missional call. However, they were ultimately appointed to mission work by an organization called Christar. Concluding they needed more of a biblical foundation, they decided to apply to Asbury Seminary before starting the process of moving overseas.

“We moved [to Wilmore] and it opened up my whole world to God’s word on a deeper level,” Thomas says. “I had read parts and some parts twice, but it was there that He gave us the tools to know how to study the word and open our eyes, especially through the E. Stanley Jones school.” Thomas names professors such as Dr. Darrell Whiteman, who helped them navigate the reality of successfully getting on the mission field.

One particular lesson from an Asbury Seminary professor, Dr. Ben Witherington III, left a lasting impression on Thomas. “He just said, ‘I have one word for you: give ‘em Jesus,’” Thomas says. “That has stuck with me ever since. Jesus is why we went to Turkey. He is who we’re holding out to people. He is the means and the end.”

Serving in Turkey: Church Planting and Member Care

After graduating from Asbury Seminary and spending a year support raising, they finally traveled to the mission field with two baby boys in tow. They spent the first few years getting to know the team, learning Turkish, and learning to seek and trust in the Lord in the face of many new challenges.

Two of the greatest challenges were the lack of obvious fruit from the ministry and relational challenges within their teams. The church in Turkey at the time was very small, and, according to Thomas, the Turks are a resistant people. Thomas explains, “We did enjoy living there. We had friends, and some believed. But after 15 years of ministry, not all of ministry life was as we had hoped it would be. You’re living in a crucible. Many suspect you work for the U.S. government. Team conflict damages the reputation of believers. And some workers leave the field after just one or two terms. The cumulative stress of such a life is discouraging and wears you out.”

Despite the challenges, all three of Thomas and Cheri’s children were raised in Turkey through high school. Including their kids in their work and discipling them while living overseas were all part of the process for the Henrys. “All part of our sanctification,” Thomas says.

After many years, the Henrys began to wonder if mission work in this way truly was within their giftings and the best fit for them. Returning to the question of where they belonged, they felt the Lord show them that they are more naturally gifted in pastoral care. “If you look at an arrow shooting at a goal, the tip is like apostles and evangelists,” Thomas says. “We had a sense that we were on the back of the arrow, the fletching, which guides and stabilizes it so that you’re hitting the target of church planting.”

In light of this revelation, Thomas and Cheri transitioned into member care. With their years of experience in the field and navigating team conflict and unhealthy relationships, they now wanted to help other missionaries. “We started working with other teams in the country and we just felt for the first time in ministry this is what we were designed for,” Thomas says.

Sabbatical and Transition to One Another Ministries

After about 10 years of ministering this way in Turkey, Thomas and Cheri were facing potential burnout. They took a nearly two-year sabbatical in Kentucky and ultimately felt ready for a new assignment. They joined One Another Ministries, a small organization based in England that focuses on the development and care of missionaries. “We’re now doing these four-day intensives called relational skills intensives with couples or singles or teams,” Thomas says. “We look at it and we’re combining the Great Commandment with the Great Commission by helping missionaries on the front line to love each other well so that they have healthier teams.”

England is a strategic home base for One Another Ministries for reaching and supporting missionaries, especially in the eastern hemisphere. However, Thomas and Cheri spend about 80% of their time visiting missionaries on the field, providing the kind of vital care that they needed on the field just years before.

Looking Ahead: Vision for the Future

The Henrys envision themselves continuing to serve the Lord and serve missionaries as long as they are able. Additionally, they want to equip other facilitators for these pastoral care intensives to make the resources available to even more missionaries. Their sabbatical and new appointment with One Another Ministries made it clear that the only thing they desire is to help the Kingdom of God in this way.

Harkening back to Dr. Witherington’s exhortation to “give ‘em Jesus,” Thomas says that one of the primary lessons God continues to teach him is the importance of keeping devotion to Jesus at the center of all he does, remembering his belonging to Jesus. He points to a quote in “The Heart of a Servant Leader” by author Jack Miller: “The essence of serving the Lord is getting the gospel clear in your own heart and mind, keeping it there, and making it clear to others.” Thomas says, “This gospel, throughout my life, reminds me that I belong to Christ, as a brother to many in his Body, and in the service of his Kingdom, especially to missionaries.”