The Van Horns
Dr. Mike Van Horn
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE WALLACE LEGACY FOUNDATION
Dr. Van Horn served in the United States Air Force from 1980-84. After his enlistment, he was self-employed in the residential construction business for thirteen years before answering the call to be a Gospel Preacher. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Education in 2010 and earned a Master’s Degree in Religious Education in 2011. Dr. Van Horn went on to earn a Doctorate Degree in Religious Education from the Rock of Ages College of Biblical Studies and Theological Seminary.
He was called into full-time ministry in February of 1999, ordained as a preacher of the Gospel, and sent out of the Mansfield Baptist Temple in Mansfield, Ohio. After answering the call to preach, he joined the Rock of Ages Prison Ministry on May 22, 1999, as a full-time missionary. He faithfully served in many areas of the Rock of Ages for 21.5 years.
After raising his support and serving on the Rock of Ages Revival Team, he answered the call to reach the troubled youth of America; this led him to become a part of the Juvenile Department of the Rock of Ages. Dr. Van Horn served on the Juvenile Team until 2009 when the LORD called him to the International Division. During his tenure on the International Team, Dr. Van Horn recognized the need to help empower national men of God as they endeavored to reach the lost in their own countries. He developed the Partnership Program and began to train Rock of Ages men to gain national partners to serve in the field. This program freed the missionaries to work in other countries and fulfill their USA duties. In addition, he served as a Rock of Ages Foreign Field Representative until God redirected him to develop this new partnership ministry. With a passion for assisting men of God worldwide, on December 15, 2020, Dr. Van Horn officially founded the Wallace Legacy Foundation. He currently serves as President and Executive Director.
Our Testimony
I was saved as a young boy due to my mother’s faithfulness to take us boys to church. We continued in church until I was in the ninth grade; when we moved mom was not able to find a church.
After graduating high school, I joined the U.S. Air Force and served for four years. During my tour of duty I was stationed in KS; this is where I met my wife Paula.
During our dating period I asked my wife about her salvation. She, being raised Catholic, was unsure of her eternal destination. I praise the LORD that I was able to tell her of the Wonderful Grace of Jesus. She accepted Christ that same day! After my release from active duty, we moved back to Loudonville, Ohio. When my wife became pregnant with our son I knew that I needed to raise my family in church. We found a little independent Baptist work, which was just getting started, and joined. We served on the bus route and taught Sunday school.
It was when we moved our membership from Faith Baptist in Loudonville, OH, to the Mansfield Baptist Temple that we surrendered to full time service. I had owned my own business for 13 years and was now ready to join the LORD’s Army. It was a year and a half of waiting on God before He revealed to us the Rock of Ages Prison Ministry. It all fell into place then. I now understood why it seemed as if I was always helping teens that were from dysfunctional homes.
It was in March of 1999 when we surrendered to go with Rock of Ages. We met with Dr. Gearis and the staff in April and he asked me how long we had volunteered with the ministry. I told him that I had never been in a prison or volunteered at all. He sent me home with this; “Go home and volunteer and see if you like it or not.” My reply to him was, “I will be glad to go back and do some volunteer work, but it will not matter if I like it or not, God has called me to this ministry!
The LORD used I Thessalonians 2:4 to call me into the ministry. “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” The LORD spoke to my heart and said that He had trusted me with the Glorious Gospel, now what will I do with it. I thank the LORD that He found us faithful and called us into His work.
We have two children, Joshua and Jessica. Joshua is 26, married to Sarah, and has given us two grandchildren, Aiden-3 and Abriella will be one on September 27th . Jessica is 21 and is in her fourth year at PCC. I praise the LORD He has given me two wonderful children, two grandchildren and a beautiful wife. We will be married 31 years this April 16, 2014.
My position on the Bible is simple. I believe that the King James Bible IS God’s Word. It is the only Bible that I will ever use. I use it in every thing I write and it is my light, my path, my faith, and my practice! I read it daily to keep from temptation and to build my faith.
We labored with the Juvenile department of our ministry for over ten years. God used Numbers 13:30 as our theme verse to “Reclaim America’s Youth.” In the year 2006 God enlarged my coasts to have a burden for the troubled youth of the World. The LORD gave me Psalm 2:8 as my verse to reach the youth of the World. The motto for the Juvenile Team is now; “Reclaiming the youth of the World, one soul at a time!
As of October, 2009, I have began to work with our Foreign Team training national around the world in the area of prison and public school ministry. It is our burden to develop indigenous ministries in local churches around the globe. We also assist national pastors in planting churches in regions that have no other Baptist church and is close to a prison.
The LORD allowed me to develop a New Testament cover called the Ultimate Truth. This cover is used on a Bearing Precious Seed marked edition of the Bible. We have placed inserts that document the legal rights a public school student has to distribute Gospel material, read and carry their Bible, wear Scripture on their clothing, and other legal rights they have on school grounds. It has been greatly used in the public schools of America. You can obtain copies through the Rock of Ages Ministries website-www.roapm.com
The LORD has also allowed me to work in the National Youth Workers conferences and a few Bible colleges to encourage folks to find the incarcerated children and reach them for Christ. Many churches have jail ministries, but have failed to find the children. We have been able to see many works started in different areas of the country. The LORD has also allowed me the privilege to do some writing. I have been writing for the Glow in the Dark Teen Devotional book for many years and I have finished my book, God’s Approval of Your Minitry.
The troubled youth of America is a great mission field. This is a testimony I received of a young man that had previously been in a juvenile prison in Florida. I thought I would share it for you. “Hey its Anthony. I don’t know if they remember me but I promised them I would let them know im still keeping faith 100% and that I’m getting baptized this upcoming Sunday March 2nd. I wanted to thank Brian Heath, Jimmy Nicholls (I think thats how you spell it), and Mike VanHorn for coming to the juvenille detention center and opening my eyes to the word of God. God Bless and I hope you guys continue to open more eyes as you continue on with this ministry.
I will, by the Good Grace of God, continue to reach the troubled youth of the World until I cross over to Glory or until Jesus comes to take us home!