Our Story
Since our inception in 2007, 127 Worldwide has learned a lot through trial and error, we’re more confident than ever in our model, but still have a lot left to learn
Our Story
Since our founding in 2011, 127 Worldwide has learned a lot through trial and error, we’re more confident than ever in our model, but still have a lot left to learn.
It started under a tree...
The seeds of 127 Worldwide sprouted underneath an avocado tree in Kenya in 2007, and now the ministry is producing fruit all around the world.
After a year of emails pinging between continents, Sara Beth Fentress, founder of 127, and Rose Bugusu, finally met in person. This quick friendship immediately turned into a larger dream for partnership with local leaders who were in the throes of caring for the most vulnerable around the world.
In 2011, 127 Worldwide officially launched as a nonprofit with a vision to empower vulnerable communities by joining in on the efforts of local ministry leaders. Partnership with Rose multiplied into partnership with other leaders from East Africa to Central America and 127 began working to understand how God could use their collaboration to mobilize the global church. It soon became apparent that 127 played a facilitation role, bridging the gap between western Christians who wanted to care for vulnerable communities and the local leaders who were actively doing so.
James 1:27 has been a pivotal text from the very beginning of 127’s mission and vision, with 1 Corinthians 12 quickly emerging as an equally central passage to 127’s methodology. Our team quickly realized that Christians all over the world should and could care for the orphan, the widow, the impoverished, and the disenfranchised by operating as the global church comprising many parts with different gifts. 127 is convinced that together, believers can empower vulnerable communities to flourish in ways that the church could not if working separately. As an organization, 127 exists to help the most vulnerable by connecting and equipping the Church in the West to partner effectively with local leaders serving in vulnerable communities around the world.
Hear more stories of how 127 advocates found their role in carrying out the work of James 1:27
Dorothy Bowman at 127’s Ten Year Anniversary
In the Spring of 2011, I got a call from Sara Beth while she was working in Charlotte for another
How 127 Equipped Me for My First International Trip
During the spring of 2021, I discovered 127 Worldwide through a blog on Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Intersect Project. The
When the Textbook Meets the Trenches
Mutually-edifying relationships seem to be exactly what the New Testament authors had in mind when they wrote about the body
127 Advocates Pray for Partners
127 seeks to connect and equip the global body of Christ to work together to empower vulnerable communities. As we
How Mutual Edification Shaped My Time in Kenya and Beyond
Throughout my walk with Christ, I’ve participated in several mission trips, but it wasn’t until I served alongside 127 Worldwide
5 Ways to Help the Poor Without Hurting Them
When I boarded my jet for Kenya in 2015, I couldn’t wait to arrive at the Nairobi slums and get
A Decade Reflection: 127 and Me
Sandwiched between my top bunk and the ceiling at Tumaini Miles of Smiles, with my phone antenna pointed out the
Ten Lessons in Ten Years of 127
This December 127 Worldwide will celebrate a decade of ministry. God has exceeded my every expectation for starting a nonprofit