Muller’s
Model
Grants Pass
Model
George Muller had strict
standards. He didn't accept
all orphans, only those who
had lost both parents and were truly needy. This followed
the Biblical model that requires the immediate family to be
responsible first, for the welfare of family members.
Like Muller, our Mission
needs structure and rules
of conduct in order to
maintain security and stability. We help homeless people
from all walks of life & circumstances. Our job is to follow a
Biblical model stressing family and personal responsibility.
Muller’s children weren't lazy. They worked and learned
valuable skills that helped rebuild the local economy. And
when it came to discipline Muller was no "push-over." Those
children who didn't follow the rules were evicted. Children
attended mandatory chapels, general education, completed
daily chores and maintained civility. Just like Muller's
orphans, our residents are productive and work hard, too.
A Serving Mission
Of most importance, Muller studied and relied upon the
reading of God’s Word everyday for guidance and strength.
The rules to operate and maintain a successful mission
have not changed over the centuries.
References & Recommended Resources:
J. Piper, "George Mueller's strategy for showing God"; desiringgod.org.
2014. No Safe Place: The Criminalization of Homelessness. nichp.org.
the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty .
Meals - Three Times Per Day
Chapels - All Ages - Morning and Evening
Beds - Showers - Bathrooms - Laundry Services
Clothing & Supplies Distribution
Volunteer Doctors, Dentists and Nurses
Smoking & Nicotine Cessation Programs
Social Services Counseling
Medication Assistance & Provision
A Working Mission
Thrift Store
Community Recycling Center
Two Commercial Kitchens - Catering Services
Street Maintenance Services
www.georgemuller.org
Glenn Sprigg is the Mission
Thrift Store manager and has
helped us raise close to
$1,000,000.00 for the Mission
during four years of service.
Matt Miller is the warehouse
manager at the ROC food
pantry. Matt helps distribute
over 4,000 meals every month
to low income families. ROC
is the largest pantry of its kind
in Grants Pass.
Two of My Personal Heroes
Courage may come to a man after he has lost everything, or when he
faces himself and his demons and knows that he has failed utterly. He
no longer has the facade of false pride. No one gives respect and his
advice is no longer sought or cared for. It is at this moment that God
may grant courage and hope, and a hero is born where a dead man was
walking before. I respect such a man and I want to be like him.
There are some brave men at the Gospel Rescue Mission and I am
honored to know them. Two of my personal heroes are Glenn Sprigg
and Matt Miller. Both men lived at the Mission and both have gone
from despair to faith in Christ and a new life of respect & responsibility.
Men like Glenn and Matt are the reasons why I work at the Mission.
Grants Pass is richer for them.
Ken Emilio
Executive Director
Economic Forces for Good
Local Communities & Missions That Work
Bristol, England in 1870
Grants Pass, Oregon in 2014
Gospel Rescue Mission of Grants Pass , Oregon 2014
Living in the mid 1800s George Muller
witnessed the birth of the Industrial
Revolution, the Great Awakening of
1859, the end of slavery in England and
the American Civil War. He worked
with D.L. Moody, occasionally preached
Muller Orphanage of Bristol, England built in 1870
for Charles Spurgeon, and earned the
respect and support of Charles Dickens. He gave inspiration to groundbreaking missionaries like Hudson
Taylor in China. Muller knew Presidents, Kings and he was famous worldwide. During his life, Muller raised
the equivalent of 170 million dollars for his work yet lived in self-imposed poverty his entire adult life.
In Muller’s time homeless orphans ran amuck in the streets of Bristol begging for bread and stealing from local businesses.
Orphans were thought of as street urchins, "filthy vermin" and savages without proper breeding or training. To be sure, these
children became a nuisance to struggling shops owners and their patrons during times of economic downturn and crisis.
The economy was in crisis because men like William Wilberforce banned the slave trade in England, depriving port cities like Bristol
valuable revenue. To make matters worse, diseases like TB and Cholera wiped out
many parents. There were no Social Services, only government work houses.
In this atmosphere, relying solely on God’s provision, Muller & his wife Mary
founded their orphanage where ultimately more than 10,000 homeless orphans
received food, clothing, shelter, the Gospel... and a purpose for living.
Parallels to Southern Oregon
Like Bristol, Grants Pass has lost a thriving industry (timber) where thousands
found employment. Today families struggle to find work in a part-time service
economy. All too many have been forced into homelessness.
Homeless Children - 19th Century Bristol
It is important to remember, there is a difference between the truly homeless
and "professional vagrants" who indulge in drugs and alcohol while refusing to
work for food and shelter. Vagrants camp in alleys behind stores, shops and
homes, spreading trash and filth in our community. It has become a public health
concern and nuisance for our local neighborhoods and cities across the nation.
As a result laws against helping the homeless have increased dramatically. A
recent study of 187 U.S. cities revealed that since 2011 citywide bans on camping
in public have increased by 60 %. Bans on begging have increased 25%. Loitering
and vagrancy laws have increased 35%. Bans against sitting or lying down in
public have increased by 43% and sleeping in vehicles by 119 %.
Homeless Children - 21st Century Grants Pass
Help the Poor While Supporting Our Local Economy - Using The Biblical Model
It is understandable that frustrated communities would pass such laws. But does
“banning” the symptom solve the underlining problem? We have to ask, what does God want us to do? How do we empower the
homeless and rebuild our local economy at the same time? Perhaps one thing we should do is to study great men like George
Muller to learn what they did in similar circumstances. In fact, we suspect that if Muller lived today he would take steps to help
improve the lives of homeless people while improving the community at large. Mueller proved it could be done. And the first thing
Muller did everyday was present his needs and challenges to God in prayer and the daily study of the Bible.
The Board of Directors and the Staff at the Grants Pass Mission are committed to help - not hurt the Homeless.
We recognize our responsibility to operate the Mission so as to become an economic force for good in our city.