From One Vision to a Growing Mission

 

In 2013, the Scarboro Church of Christ, under the leadership of Charles Caruthers, took a step of faith and established an international mission program. With no prior experience in global missions, Brother Johnny Taylor accepted the challenge of building the program from the ground up.

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After prayerful consideration, the mission team chose Belize as its mission field and began searching for a congregation with whom they could partner. That search led them to the Eastridge Church of Christ in Rockwall, Texas, whose mission team was already serving in Belize.

 

In 2013, Brother Taylor traveled with the Eastridge team to experience the work firsthand and learn from their efforts.

During that trip, Brother Taylor encountered the Garden City Church of Christ in Belmopan, Belize, and met its minister, Jason Garay, and his wife, Isela. He returned to Tennessee with an encouraging report of the work taking place and the dedicated people serving the Lord in Belize. After hearing his report, the leadership of the Scarboro Church of Christ committed to moving forward with the Belize mission effort.

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Growing the Vision

Two years later, in July 2015, Brother Taylor returned to Belize with a small two-person team of him and Bro. Charles Carruthers, to begin evangelistic work alongside the local congregation. But he quickly recognized that for the mission to thrive, the vision needed to reach beyond Scarboro.

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In 2017, that two-person team grew into an 11-member mission team. Word of mouth, personal relationships, and outreach to congregations across the country kept the momentum going. By 2019, 19 people joined the Belize mission team to share the gospel and serve alongside the brethren in Belize.

Then the world changed.

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Faith Through the Unexpected

During the COVID-19 pandemic, international travel and flight restrictions prevented the team from returning to Belize. Although the mission team could not physically be on the ground, the vision for the work remained.

In 2023, after the interruption caused by the pandemic, the Belize mission team returned with renewed energy and a team of 25 people. During their time in Belize, the team hosted Vacation Bible School and a gospel meeting, reconnecting with the local congregation and continuing the work that had begun a decade earlier.

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By 2025, the Belize mission team had grown to 37 people representing multiple states, including Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia.

The team served in a variety of ministries, including:

• Vacation Bible School

• Men's and Women's Seminar Studies

• The Orphanage Children's Home

• The Young Mothers Program

• Door-to-door evangelism

• Community outreach alongside the congregation in Dangriga, Belize

• Technology support, including donated computers for the orphanage

And after completing the work, the team took some time to rest, fellowship, and enjoy the beauty of San Pedro.

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Where We Are Today

What began in 2013 with one congregation, one vision, and a two-person team has grown into a ministry involving more than 38+ mission workers and expanding beyond Belmopan to support additional Churches of Christ throughout Belize.

The mission has grown in numbers, but more importantly, it has grown in relationships, partnerships, service, and opportunity.

We continue to believe that missions are not simply about traveling to another country. They are about building relationships, serving people, sharing the gospel, strengthening congregations, and working alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ.

What started as a step of faith has become a growing mission—and we are excited about where God will take it next.