During the 1930s to 1950s, numerous evangelistic activities took place across the Midwest regions of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and adjacent states. Figures such as Oliver Smith, Thomas McCullagh, Roger Greer, John Walden, John Elliott, Leonard Lindsted, Milo Vande Krol, Ben Parmer, Joe Balsan, Ben Tuininga, among others, contributed significantly to these efforts. The venues for these gatherings included tents, camps, vacant structures, and local assembly buildings.
T.B. Gilbert from Chicago and Lloyd and Betty Walterick from Fort Dodge, Iowa, identified the need for a tax-deductible funding method for assembly commended workers and their ministries in the U.S. and Canada. Many workers were commended by small assemblies with limited financial resources. Some were full-time, while others worked part-time and engaged in side-jobs or hobbies to support their families. During extended meetings that lasted several weeks, some commended workers assisted farm families with their chores when they were not visiting and sharing the gospel.
Godly people in the assemblies mentioned that they wanted to help support these men. So, in 1957, T.B. Gilbert and Lloyd and Betty Walterick founded a tax-exempt organization that would fulfill this need as the Lord provided. The Christian Workers Fellowship Fund (CWFF) held its first meeting in January 1957 with Lloyd Walterick, Betty Walterick, and James Gilbert present.
CWFF was incorporated on February 21, 1957, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, where James Gilbert very kindly offered to pay for the incorporation expense. The first CWFF Board of Directors consisted of: Lloyd Walterick (Chairman & Treasurer); James Gilbert (Board Member); and Betty Walterick (Secretary & Office Operations).
In June 1957, CWFF operations moved to Topeka, Kansas. In 1959 Raymond Williams from Kansas City joined the CWFF Board after the passing of James Gilbert. At that time, the “Nature of Business” or purpose for CWFF as stated was: “To receive gifts and donations of money and other property from Christians and distribute the same to preachers and missionaries, sound in doctrine and herein set forth and associated with assemblies of believers: who are devoting their time to the Lord’s work. It shall have power to own, lease, sell and convey real estate and to carry on any and all business in connection with the above-mentioned purposes…and to invest, reinvest, distribute the same according to the wishes of the donors. It shall have the power to make loans to groups of Christians known to us as assemblies of believers, for building and/or for any purpose calculated to help the furthering of the Gospel, which is being conducted upholding the following doctrines of faith, as given in the Bible…” Since that time, the “Nature of Business” has been simplified to receiving gifts and donations of money to pass on only to commended workers.
In April 1960, the CWFF office moved back to Fort Dodge, Iowa. In 1986 CWFF moved its office from Fort Dodge to Kansas City, Kansas, and operated from the Walterick Publishing office which was owned by John and Raymond Williams. John and Raymond had purchased Walterick Publishing on January 1, 1959 from Lloyd and Betty Walterick to minister to the Assemblies. They had given up an electric motor repair business in Kansas City and borrowed money from their father, Stanley Williams, to make the purchase.
In 1986 Ray Williams computerized the CWFF office operations using the Alpha4 computer program, and from then on checks were printed by computer. In 2001 the CWFF office moved a half hour west to Lawrence, Kansas, and office space was shared with Lawrence Bible Chapel. In 2013 CWFF moved back to Kansas City, where it is presently located. The affairs of CWFF are still managed by a board of directors which serves without remuneration.
All gifts of money received for commended workers are disbursed to them. Only gifts given specifically for office operations are used for that purpose. The by-laws of CWFF dictate that those receiving funds are to be “commended workers” among assemblies of believers and in assembly organizations. CWFF depends on the local assemblies to oversee their commended workers and to contact CWFF when a worker is no longer in assembly work. In those cases, CWFF can no longer pass funds on to them.
All donors receive a tax-deductible receipt as described in section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code section 501 (c) (3). All workers who receive $600 or more through CWFF, at the end of the year receive a 1099 tax form as dictated by the IRS. In 2023, 248 commended workers received a 1099 tax form from CWFF. At the present time, CWFF only accepts checks and “Bill Pay” from an individual’s bank, which then sends CWFF a check. Donations grew from $49,031.82 in 1966 to $2,585,738.81 in 2023. CWFF sent checks in 2023 to 412 commended workers and assembly organizations totaling $2,529,637.88, from approximately 3,436 donations.
For more information, contact us at:
christianworkersfellowship.org
PO Box 12347, Kansas City, KS, 66112
816-747-6677 | [email protected]