Ancient Path
It started back in 1998 with a question:
Does anyone in your country see us?
The woman asking the question was a poor villager from Mozambique attending a church conference in Malawi. Actually, she had walked from Mozambique in bare feet with a baby on her back, all her worldly goods balanced on her head, and a toddler in her arms. She wanted an answer to her question. The woman she was speaking to was Ancient Path founder, Patt Wadenpfuhl who was there to speak and teach at this conference. This was Patt’s first trip to Africa and, while she had expected questions about American culture and family life, she hadn’t anticipated such a pointed question. Does anyone in your country see us?
The real question was does anyone see that my child is sick and I have no medicines? Does anyone see that my children are hungry and dressed in rags? Does anyone see that my feet are battered and sore from walking miles every day on scorching hot sand, through thorn-infested bush? The real question was – am I visible? Do I exist for you?
This penetrating question set the course when Patt returned home and together with friends, formed what was then called WorldView Productions – a not-for-profit organization that used the arts to incite compassionate action and ignite hope in a hurting world. Incite Compassion, Ignite Hope became our guiding phrase.
We began to meet weekly for prayer in a donated house.
We used the arts to communicate the mercy and love of God and to lift the heads of the oppressed, staging productions like the Story of Love and Cries of the City. Funded by a grant foundation, we purchased recording equipment and began to create contemplative worship CDs to encourage people to grow in intimacy with their God. We watched as these CDs found their way around the world.
By the year 2000, we expanded to become WorldView International and added concrete humanitarian aide and education to our mission as an arts and compassion organization.
For the next 7 years, though we remained a separate not-for-profit entity, we functioned as the missional and arts arm of one local body – WorldView Community Church.
In 2003, when WVCC wanted to adopt an unreached people group, we traveled into the Mikea Forest of southern Madagascar and made contact with the little-reached Mikea tribe. Working closely with Malagasy pastors in the region, we have since established a school, clinic, and a church congregation in this remote place.
As WorldView International, we continued to create CDs and stage productions – locally and internationally. We started Worldview Academy – a training program that drew students from the nations. We opened a store called Sister to Sister, selling gently used clothing to and using all of the proceeds to clothe and feed impoverished women in Africa. In partnership with local leaders, we built what we called Hope Villages in the nations of Malawi and Madagascar – running schools, churches, orphan programs, literacy programs, and medical clinics.
And every year we took teams, of volunteers overseas – sometimes several teams each year. Nurses, dentists, teachers, professional musicians, visual artists, tradesmen, and bible teachers brought in tens of thousands of dollars worth of supplies and equipment to these nations.
In 2007, the season of being the missional arm of one local church came to an end. We continued our work and began to seek God’s direction as to the next steps for us as a distinct organization. Since we were no longer the missional arm of one church, we felt it was time for not only a keener focus, but a unique identity – including a unique name.
A scripture that holds deep meaning for us influenced our name choice: Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it
and you will find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16)
Ancient Path is not a new name to us – it’s the name we have used for our contemplative CD series as well as our community groups over the past several years. For our board of directors, and for the supporters who attended our recent tenth anniversary celebration, it seemed a natural choice.
Our mission also remains familiar:
Ancient Path is a global community of people who follow Jesus and use the arts to incite compassionate action and ignite hope in a hurting world.
Incite compassion. Ignite Hope.
In many ways, we have come full circle to our original call in God – seasoned with a decade of learning and experience. (We have also recently moved our offices into a house that the Vita-Mix Corporation is letting us use – rent-free.)
As Ancient Path we will continue much of what we have been doing for the last ten years as WorldView International . For instance, Chifundo’s Basket, our program that provides for orphans and vulnerable children – will continue and expand to nations outside of Africa. Last month, thanks to our supporters, we sent thousands of dollars to help children in the Mikea Forest, Antananarive, Madagascar, as well as children orphaned by the earthquake in Sichuan Province, China. And early this month, one of our volunteers in Boston – a professional opera singer – performed a benefit concert for Chifundo’s Basket raising over $6000 for the children we serve.
So as Ancient Path we will continue our work among the impoverished and unreached in Africa and other nations. As it was when we started in 1998, we will use the arts to incite compassion and ignite hope – and Ancient Path will continue to be a community of diverse people from every walk of life.