A Life of Transformation - World Evangelical Alliance

A Festschrift for Colonel Doner
At age 40, Colonel was fast becoming the preeminent leader of
the Christian Right in Washington. All in one month, Doner appeared
in a full color picture on the front page of the Washington
Times, held a massive press conference on the steps of Congress, and
was targeted by left wing television producer Norman Lear, who
announced to the national media his one million dollar media campaign
specifically attacking Doner’s organization, Christian Voice.
Doner, however, had become increasingly dissatisfied with what
he later termed “political salvationism.” It was at this point that he
began to suspect that no matter who was elected — conservative,
liberal, whatever — it did not, could not, and would not provide the
answers people were looking for. After leaving Washington, Doner
began a period of study and reflection, the result of which was The
Samaritan Strategy, a New Agenda for Christian Activism, which would
soon become a handbook for a new breed of Christian activists, not
only throughout America but Africa and Latin America, as well.
During the same time period he became Chairman of the International
Church Relief Fund (ICRF) now known as Children’s Hunger
Relief Fund, which over the last decade has successfully pioneered
concepts of reconstructing Third World nations from the ground up.
Such “reconstruction” involves the usual mercy works, community
relief and development, and evangelism, but also adds new levels of
economic development and Biblically-based community and political
leadership. Of particular note has been ICRF’s success in
Nicaragua, establishing over 500 businesses and discipling leaders
from Congress, the Supreme Court, and the business community.
At age 45, he was the catalyst for the founding of the Samaritan
Group, an umbrella organization of over a dozen leading-edge
ministries from North America, Central America, Africa, and Europe,
working together for the purpose of discipling the nations to
follow God’s law (Matthew 28). Since penning The Samaritan Strategy,
working through ICRF and the Samaritan Group, he has been
responsible for providing over one hundred million dollars worth
of aid to hurting people in over 40 Third World nations.
Up Close and Personal
After first meeting Colonel in 1986, I remember trying to describe
him to a few friends back home. Part of the difficulty of
doing this for those who do not know him is that one does not
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