SPOTLIGHT ON... Paula Hewitt A Professional and Personal Overview of BBI's Chairman of the Board "I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation." I was born into a family that did not go to church but I have always wanted to help people through social and government programs that are available in the United States. I got an education so that I could do that. But when I met Jesus, I found out that He is the only One who can really make a difference by changing people from the inside. I grew up in Southern California and remember that early on it became my goal to help people - particularly those less fortunate. After completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work, I joined the Peace Corps, spending a year in Turkey. Several years later I moved to Oregon where I met the Lord. Inviting Jesus into my life set me on a new course and gave me the real foundation for bringing about change in people's lives. Through my church and Campus Crusade for Christ, discipleship became a focus for ministry. Because I seldom went to church when growing up, I knew very little about the Bible so going to Bible school seemed like a good thing to do. I completed the one year Graduate Course at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon. Two years later I joined Campus Crusade, living in inner city Los Angeles for almost 10 years. I served as secretary for Agape International Training, a three-month program that prepares people to minister in other cultures. In 1989, I moved back to Corvallis, Oregon and worked 8 years in the office at Northwest Hills Baptist Church. In June 1998, I became the Director of Community Life at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Corvallis. At Calvin I was introduced to the ministry of Bridge Builders. Our sister church in Tilza is the focus of our outreach in Latvia. Along with three others from Calvin, I participated in Hope '99. Since then I have helped with three English Language Camps in Tilza and spent three months there in the summer of 2002, learning Latvian and developing relationships with people from the Tilza church and community. I became a board member for BBI in 1999, subsequently serving as the secretary for one year and now taking on the responsibility as the chairman since the summer of 2002. Last revised July 2003   PDF VERSION (235K) TOP