Trailblazing Alumni . . . .

KEALY QUOTES

---

​In a recent article of the Alumni CONNECTION of Reach Beyond where the Kealys served for 25 years the Kealys were highlighted by veteran writer Harold Goerzen.
We share the opening here not for glory because that all goes to God. We are humbled by the recognition; yet we continue to go where God leads.
You know this if you follow our ministry.

---

Never one to shy away from a challenge, retiree David Kealy became a trailblazer during his 25-year career with Reach Beyond. Together with his wife, Sharon, they helped launch numerous ministries for the organization, changing the face of the mission and resulting in countless changed lives for His kingdom. And they’re not about to slow down, serving in new ways from their home in Banning, Calif.
“I guess I’m a starter,” said David with a shrug and a knowing smile.

David and Sharon were both 44 years old when they sensed the Lord prompting them to serve 2with Reach Beyond and both leave successful careers in finance, mass media, architectural design, health care administration and church leadership.

They were listening to former president Ron Cline speak at their church in the U.S. when “we raised our hands and said we would go,” David explained. “When we came to candidate orientation, I said we would do whatever was needed. We were called by God to serve, and there’s no reason why we would stop serving. The call is so important. I would always ask new candidates about their call to ministry. It needs to be as strong as what I experienced. My passion is no less now than the day we were first called.”

Barb Cline interviews the Kealys at a Reach Beyond dinner meeting in February 1987 at Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California.

Donor Development

---

After being accepted as appointees in 1987 and raising their support, the Kealys were initially assigned to the international headquarters in Miami, Fla., then Quito before returning to Miami in August 1988 to serve as director of stewardship. David became the first full-time missionary to work in donor development.

It was around this time that Cline launched the “World by 2000” challenge, a cooperative effort with other broadcast ministries to add gospel radio programs in all the world’s major languages by the year 2000. The Kealys were on board with the initiative, raising funds and helping where needed to put unreached languages on the air.

---

In 1990 David took two trips to the Soviet Union, documenting the changed lives of listeners who came to Christ via broadcasts from Radio Station HCJB. He also met with speakers of Georgian, Chuvash, Bashkir, Tatar, Uzbek and Turkmen—all World by 2000 languages. He later helped set up a recording studio for mission’s new partner in the Republic of Georgia—one of many firsts involving the Kealys—providing training in radio program production.

After the breakup of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, Sharon joined David on a return trip to see the region where she too got a firsthand look at the needs and opportunities to spread the gospel via radio.

“People would ask us about the new openness,” David related. “Would perestroika really last? Russia was as a swinging door—sometimes it’s open and sometimes it’s closed. Uzbekistan was very open in the early 1990s, but later missionaries had to leave when their visas were not renewed. They liked us because we were providing help with their people through financially difficult times, but when the gospel got too prevalent, they closed that door.”

David in Turkmenistan 1993

After the mission moved its international headquarters to Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1992, David and Sharon spent six weeks in Ukraine during which David helped develop a one-year radio production course.at Donetsk Bible College. He also taught 15 first-year students and spoke at the graduation of the first graduating class in 1993. This was the beginning of an ongoing Christian radio training outreach with courses that continue to take place across Europe and Eurasia. 

Looking back at this photo we reflect on the wonderful radio ministry many of these students had in the following years across Russia. David

That same year, David broadened his perspective to include India, encouraging the production of radio programs in Bhojpuri—another World by 2000 language.

In 1993 the Kealys prepared to move to the region to be closer to the mission’s new radio partners. “Landing in Moscow and hearing HCJB broadcast from a local partner station was the first of many ways we saw the Lord’s hand at work,” David said.