Pastor Cliff Boone, Cedar Crest Bible Fellowship Church, Allentown, Pa

I was born into a military family, which means that my younger years involved a lot of travel and living in different places - including Europe. To me the moving seemed normal and I don’t remember anything but enjoying the various places I lived. When we finally stopped moving it was in Maryland, and I went through middle school and high school there.

It was in my third year of high school that I heard the Gospel clearly explained and God drew me to Himself. I was radically changed - and I eagerly headed into this exciting adventure called ‘the Christian life’!

I went to college at West Virginia University and majored in Wildlife Biology/Management. I had always loved the outdoors (and still do!), and when it came time to think about a possible career my thoughts immediately went to those jobs that involved working in and with God’s creation. While in college I got very involved with The Navigators, a campus Christian group. I saw God use me to lead other students to faith in Christ. I began to lead Bible studies and help follow-up young Christians. All this time I was also a part of a church whose pastor preached expository messages - something which I had never heard before and which lit a fire within me that is still aflame today. It was an exciting four years, and before it was all over I was sensing that God wanted something from my life other than wildlife management.

After graduation I chose to stay in the college town and work for two years with The Navigators. Those were rich years, and God’s call became more clear to me. I knew that it would involve communicating God’s Word to others, and that somehow it would involve world missions.

I then enrolled in Columbia Biblical Seminary (a division of Columbia International University) and spent three years studying God’s Word with a depth and intensity and wealth of gifted teachers that I had never experienced before. During that time I married the love of my life, Becky, who I had met in West Virginia. We began our life together as poor seminary students - and have never regretted it!

After seminary I was called to Allentown, Pa. to be the Minister of Christian Education and Youth at Cedar Crest Bible Fellowship Church. I was new to the Bible Fellowship Church denomination, but loved it from the start. We served the church in that capacity for five years.

During that five years God stirred within the church and we began making plans to bring the Gospel to the Sandawe people of Tanzania. The entire Sandawe venture is a story unto itself, which I won’t try to recount here. (We were members of Africa Inland Mission.) But, in late 1990 we left for Tanzania, the first missionaries sent to bring the Gospel to the Sandawe. We ministered in Tanzania for eleven years. During that time God blessed enormously and we saw the beginning of six churches, a medical work, and the accomplishment of some development projects. We praise Him for that!

In 2001 the senior pastor back at our home church in Allentown retired. The church invited me back to be their senior pastor. This invitation coincided with other indicators in our lives that it was time to leave the ministry among the Sandawe in the hands of the Tanzanians. So, we came ‘home’ and have been ministering here since then.

Becky and I have three great kids that are the source of much joy to us! Our son has finished college and is forging ahead in his career. Both our daughters are in college.

Oh yes, one other thing. I recently finished a Ph.D. through Highland Theological College (Scotland) and The University of Wales. That was a long, very challenging, and extremely beneficial experience - but that is another story. (For my reflections on that experience, click here.)

Through it all God has “crowned me with lovingkindness and compassion” and I praise Him for His good hand upon me and my family.