American Missionary Fellowship

The early days of the American Sunday School Union (the organization that became AMF) were on our minds as we arrived at the Salish Language Project on the Colville Reservation. The ASSU helped people learn to read English by using God’s Word as the text. Now we would see if some who were trying to save their own tribal identity from extinction would be open to translating Bible verses into their native language. We brought with us copies of the New Testament in the New Life Bible translation, designed to respond to tribal culture.

I believe every church is to be a singing church. After all, joy for the Lord should be audible when there is an opportunity. For the church in Wilhoit [Arizona] to become a singing church, we needed two things: hearts for the Lord and a new piano player.

I asked, “Do you want to know how get a clean heart?”

Sue shook her head yes.

I had Carly take over, and she had the joy of leading her camper to a new life in Christ. Then we saw a smile on Sue’s face, ear to ear.  Praise the Lord!

Our small town of 750 has no Bible study for men, and the adult Sunday school class held in the local church is not being attended very well, for several reasons.  The Lord has led me to meet weekly with a small group of five to eight men.  These men vary greatly in spiritual depth and maturity.  However, just holding the Bible Study is meeting a very real need. 

Memoirs of My Early Days with AMF
By Betty Glover

I lived near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, south of Pittsburgh, and in 1957 received a letter from Reverend Warren Cleveland of Knoxville, Tennessee.  He was the superintendent of the American Sunday School Union (now AMF), and he asked if I would be interested in becoming a missionary nurse in the Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Tennessee.  He sent an application for me to fill out.  All I knew about the ASSU was what I had studied in missions class, and all I knew about Tennessee was that it was a state somewhere south of Pennsylvania.  But I filled out the application and sent it in.