Anita Frederick
Short Takes
Birthdays: Anita (11/19), Dave (10/17)
Anniversary: (1/9)
Family: Tehillah (4/24/90), Jeshua (8/4/91), Shiloah (6/5/94)
Education and/or Life skills: Trained as a School Social Worker in South Africa, Diploma in High School Education, Pastor at Vineyard Christian Fellowship for 20 years
Where we call home: Chicago, IL
Primary Ministry Focus: With the title “Ministry Developer” my primary focus is to cast vision for our work here in the States and to build bridges of opportunity that would make it easy for people to find meaningful ways to participate in bringing God’s Kingdom to the poor.
Find me at: http://what-matters-most.weebly.com/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/anitafred?ref=name
My Story
I was raised in South Africa where my grandparents’ love for God and service to others laid deep tracks in my life. I discovered that nothing satisfies as much as loving and serving Jesus, and I set out to do just that. With seminary closed to women, I pursued School Social Work and participated in short term missions. In 1985 I came to the States to work with Cambodian refugees and met Dave. Two years later we married and planted a church in the inner city of Chicago. Our three children Tehillah, Jeshua, and Shiloah grew up loving and serving God with us.
In 1995 we moved to Oak Park, IL to lead another church plant. During our time in that church the Lord catapulted me into missions. My Dad died and I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was plagued with the question: If I die, how much of my life really counted?
Upon healing, my quest was to find out what it means to live for what matters most. I embarked on a 40-day journey to Africa and found the answer in a little roach-infested hospital in Dondo, Mozambique. I found people teetering between the torment of AIDS, starvation, and Malaria and the formidable thought of eternal death without God. Here God allowed me to snatch a woman from the gates of hell before she fell in and I finally knew what matters most to God: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these you did for me.”
Dave and I are now pastoring our third church plant in Illinois, and I am working as Ministry Developer for CRI. I endeavor to be a voice to the voiceless and a window to the invisible. I help people just like me find meaningful life by giving theirs away.
To support Anita’s work with CRI click here.