Channels of God’s Truth and Grace

A summer mission trip in 1952 was the impetus that launched Dick Knox into a 30-year evangelistic ministry in the Middle East. Even though more than ten years would pass before the Knox family began their work in Cyprus and Lebanon, that was period of training in Bible conference leadership and church pastoring which would prepare them for the experiences that awaited them. The first half of their overseas work was in the country of Lebanon, specifically strengthening numerous local churches and training future leaders. When the political situation in Lebanon made it difficult to live their full-time, they moved to Cyprus and eventually stated a new church comprised of people from countries around the world. Christian camp ministry was also a vital part of their outreach to the locals as well as an opportunity to minister to those who were desiring a reprieve from the Lebanese civil war. They sometimes were caught in the middle of various political conflicts, but God spared their lives and helped them to flourish in spite of the difficulties. Two major tenets of Dick and Martha’s lives were prayer and evangelism. From the time of their marriage, they believed in the power of prayer and faithfully practiced it. Additionally, numerous people came to faith in Christ through their influence. They also emphasized mentoring and training those new believers to help them be faithful in living for Christ. Even after retiring, Dick and Martha took numerous trips back to visit their friends and churches, including leading two mission teams. Until they made their final journey to heaven, being channels of God’s truth and grace was uppermost in their lives.