Owen L. Alston
My wife Rose and I are privileged and honored to know that God has chosen us to stand at the head of such an incredible work.
A life in the Spirit is most interesting and sometimes even difficult for the mind to comprehend. Although I knew nothing about establishing a ministry when God called me, it was not hard for me, as my heart’s desire was to please God.
I had long been called into public ministry, so I was quite busy doing whatever God led me to do in visiting the prison, nursing home and homes of the sick.
I have been to the foreign mission field at Harmony Ministries in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which inspired the name of our ministry: Harmony Ministries USA, Inc.
Harmony Ministries USA, Inc. humble beginning started with incorporated on July 12, 1990. The first formal worship service for Harmony Ministries Church was conducted the first Sunday in January 1991, in the basement of our home.
Not too long after we were established, God opened a door and we relocated to 108 Indian Head Road, Toms River, where we shared the facility of the Moravian Church. As we continued to serve and grow, another door was opened and on February 2, 1996. We purchased the property at 401 Chestnut Street, Lakehurst, New Jersey, which is now the home of Harmony Ministries USA, Inc.
At the time of the purchase, there were two buildings on the property: the Church building and the parsonage. In 2000, we did a major renovation of the property. The Church building, being an older building, was torn down to the deck and the new facility, which combined the parsonage and the Church, created a single facility. The parsonage section has now become the administrative wing.
On November 12th 2016, I received an honorary Doctorate from St. Thomas Christian University in Jacksonville Florida.
As I reflect on the past 30 years of ministry, I would like to share some things from our experiences that prayerfully will be an encouragement to someone:
(1) Excellence of Ministry-Be the best that you can be (Phil 1:10)
(2) Love is not an option (Phil 1:9)
(3) Be Mission minded– Be a giving Church.
(4) As head of ministry, you MUST live what you preach and teach.
I have learned not to just “say” I trust the Lord, but to actually trust God’s wisdom to operate the Ministry. I do not believe that Jesus would give me a vision and not give me the resources to fulfill it. The vision given to Harmony Ministries is to make God’s word alive, first in me, then in others.
Harmony Ministries’ involvement in ministry, which includes ministering to the homeless, nursing home ministry, foreign mission and community affairs, still continues. I applaud all of of our partners and friends who labor with us in fulfilling the vision given to this ministry.
What we have experienced here in the past, serves as a springboard for the future. We are looking forward to a greater manifestation of God’s Glory that is yet to come.