A major life change for Gwen happened ten years ago when she went on her first missions trip and her first trip to New York City.  She went as a church secretary and while there experienced seeing and ministering to the poor, the lost, and the homeless up close and personal for the first time in her life.  Out of that experience, Gwen’s heart was deeply touched with the call of God to come back home and make a difference in Richmond.

     No one was more amazed than Gwen when God began to open doors for her to build relationships and trust, and she was able to follow the Henry Blackaby Experiencing God strategy of “finding out what God is doing and joining Him in it.”  When we walk in obedience to God’s call and His will for our lives, His blessing and favor can produce fruitfulness in what He gives us to do.  The Convoy of Hope was one of those events that drew the Body of Christ together in October of 2000.  That event was held at the old Armstrong High School in Church Hill with over 1050 volunteers and over 4500 people coming for free medical, dental, groceries, clothing, and over 900 making decisions for Christ.  Out of the Convoy of Hope, the Urban Ministries Hotline was born which is still going strong six years later, as an email networking communication tool to connect people, needs, and resources in the Richmond area.  To subscribe to the Hotline, email Gwen at mccsec1@comcast.net.

    Gwen was honored with a wonderful “retirement” celebration at Mechanicsville Christian Center in November.  As she enters this new season of her life, she has announced that she has retired from a “position”, but not from the call of God on her life to see God’s Kingdom come to Richmond and to see lives changed and our city transformed.  Gwen will continue to work with inner-city churches and ministries, especially those she has been involved with since their inception, such as The Richmond Outreach Center aka The ROC, The NOC in Highland Park, The Hanger in Tappahannock and the House of Mercy in Martinsville. 

Even in retirement, Gwen is still choosing to live her life to the fullest.  She is often quoted as saying, “This is not a dry run or a dress rehearsal.  This is it.  This is our time to make a difference.”  A recent quote she read in a magazine captures the essence of Gwen’s philosophy on living:  

 LIFE is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out and proclaiming, “WOW, WHAT A RIDE!”