Joel and Renée Weathers

Children: Alden, Lily

Ministry Focus

SIM (Serving In Mission), Health Ministries - Serving the poor and destitute through SIM’s health -related ministries around the world as an integral part of SIM’s evangelism and church planting strategy.

Joel has a new position supporting SIM’s medical work overseas. We have always loved how SIM integrates evangelism and church planting with meeting basic physical and health needs. SIM missionaries are reaching needy people through work in 11 mission hospitals overseas as well as many clinics and church or community based health programs.  Alongside these programs SIM works in developing strong local church partnerships, evangelism among non-Christian populations, and discipleship of Christian staff.  Joel’s main job from the Charlotte, North Carolina home office is pioneering new funding opportunities for these medical projects, especially from government grants and secular foundations where SIM has not previously partnered.

Joel has another responsibility as the Bangladesh Projects Coordinator, relieving the administrative load of SIM’s team in Bangladesh.  He is also involved in strengthening micro-credit programs in areas where SIM is working among very poor populations. 

Personal Journey - Call to Christ

Joel: Jesus’ call on my life began when I was a toddler being raised in a Christ-centered home. My faith in Him alone for salvation deepened as I learned of His powerful presence He provides as we abide in Him daily. I continue to marvel at His great work of taking my sins on Himself so I can know God.

Renee: I became a Christian when I was four years old. My young faith was most clearly seen in my heart for anyone hurting and a desire to aid them. It was not until the beginning of 9th grade, though, at a youth conference with Doug Rutt that I began to understand the mystery of Christ within us and seek and experience a daily relationship with Him. 

Call to Missions Service

Joel: God brought me up in a missionary family, which gave me a willingness and readiness to consider missions myself. My heart grew for missions as I made trips to Kenya and Turkey. God has formed in me a deep burden for those who have no remote way of knowing the love of Jesus and His great salvation.

Renée: My first short-term trip with the CFC youth group was after 9th grade. It married all the works of compassion and mercy I had ever desired to do with the eternal, lasting effects of salvation in Christ. Through that experience and reading John Piper’s writing on the lost, the Lord gave me a deep burden for people would do not know Him.

Fruits of Our Labor

From 2004 thru 2009 we served with SIM’s team in a predominately Muslim country in Asia. We look back on those years and see some wonderful fruit in many areas of our own lives and in the places we served.

We were each able to minister to the small, growing community of believers there. Joel helped oversee a rural development project that aids several thousand men and women each year. Training village midwives, Adult literacy courses, basic health lessons with women, micro-finance lending, and practical training for farmers were the main aspects. Through this work, Joel was able to participate in the discipleship of the believing project staff and encourage the development of the small community of house churches in the area. 

The Lord used Renée to help establish a project in the capital city that reaches out to children at risk and women in prostitution. This project is growing and has plans to open a second center in the capital and another center in another city. It really is a privilege to have these experiences and we see them see as an important part of how the Lord has prepared us to serve here in SIM’s home office.

Prayer Requests

• Wisdom in finding just the right funding opportunities for SIM’s neediest medical projects
• That God will smooth the way for micro-finance partnerships so SIM can help many more impoverished people
• For us to develop deep friendships here and find a great church community to join

Support Needs

Current monthly shortfall: $1,050
Ministry funds: $4000 in the coming year for travel

Financial support can be sent to:
SIM USA
PO Box 7900
Charlotte, NC 28241-7900
Please attach a note that designates it for Joel and Renée Weathers; #19782

Give financial support online at:
usanet.sim.org/simgift/missionaries.php