WHO ARE THE CAMPBELLS?
Many Above Rubies readers have asked me to share more information about our family. Here we go.
Colin and I both are both blessed to come from a godly Christian heritage. We are grateful for this legacy. I believe God's plan is for building godly generations so that His truth is passed on from one generation to the next. They say that the most difficult time of a relay race is to pass the baton to the next runner. We must be careful that we don't drop the baton as we seek to impart God's truth to the next generation. As a child I remember my godly grandparents and now I am seeing their great-great grandchildren (my grandchildren) being taught in God's ways - that's five generations in my lifetime following the Lord. Isn't that incredible? Colin's great grandmother was an intercessor and she prayed for the coming generations. They have felt the power of her prayers. Colin is one of nine children, the majority of whom are involved in full-time service for the Lord. His brothers and sisters have raised wonderful children who are now raising their children in the ways of God. What a blessing. Our parents were also godly people. They have now passed away, the most recent parting being my father, Ivan Bowen, who went to glory on the 29th December 2007. He was nearly 92 years of age.
We are New Zealanders and lived there until 1982 when we moved to Australia, apart from 1963-64 when we did missionary work in the Philippines. My husband pastored in New Zealand for many years and then pioneered a church on the Gold Coast of Australia. We lived there for nearly 10 years and came to America in 1991. We came to America for the purpose of ministering to families although Colin has also continued to pastor churches here in Tennessee.
What about our children? We raised six children who are all married and we currently have 33 grandchildren. Colin and I also adopted some older teenagers from Liberia, West Africa. Only Mercy is at home now.
Although we originally come from New Zealand, we are very blessed that all our children and grandchildren live near us. The three married daughters and their husbands and families live on adjacent land in Primm Springs. The three married sons and their wives and families live in the city of Franklin which is only an hour away from Primm Springs.
Wesley is the oldest. He is married to Sharon and they have four children-Chanel, Grace, Anna and John Wesley (Jack). Chanel, our oldest granddaughter is now 22 years. Wesley brought the Newsboys to America from Australia. He also was involved in setting up Inpop Records here in Nashville and continues to be involved in music management and a number of other companies.
Evangeline is married to Howard Johnson and they have nine children--Zadok, Sharar, Rashida, Crusoe, Jireh, Arrow, Tiveria, Sahara, Iqara and new baby Saber Truth. Howard is an inventor.
Stephen is married to Simone and they have three children-Gabrielle (Gabi), Josephine (JoJo) and Oliver. Stephen manages the Newsboys and other music productions.
Rocklyn is married to Monique. They have three children-Joshua, Harrison (Harry) and Maxwell (Max). Rocklyn trades the future markets.
Pearl is married to Charlie Barrett and they have five children--Meadow, Bowen, Rocklyn (yes, Rocklyn is named after his uncle!), Noble and Autumn Rose. Charlie produces all the Above Rubies music productions and also runs a pawn shop part time.
Serene is married to Samuel Allison and they have seven children--Arden, Chalice, Cherish, Cedar, Engedi, Vision and Shepherd. Cherish and Engedi are adopted from Liberia, West Africa, and Serene is expecting a new baby in November 2009. Sam has a painting business.
Nancy Campbell
as of June 2009.
CLICK HERE to go to Above Rubies USA website
YOUR AUSTRALIAN COORDINATOR
Val is the wife of Bill Stares and together they have three children who are all married and have given them 16 grandchildren between them; of which, one is in Heaven, and two are married. Now the great grandchildren are on the way, and to date they have two great grandsons.
Val has worked with Above Rubies from its inception in 1977. She was the first one Nancy shared the vision of the magazine with. “We’ll get it out across this nation of New Zealand Val, and turn the nation back to God’s truth.” This went down like a lead balloon as Val stared back at her blankly. What could Nancy expect when her name is Stares! That very morning Val had told God, “If Nancy comes up with any more bright ideas I’m not getting involved”. Within the week she was roped in and has been Nancy’s right hand man for the past 37 years.
In five years the magazine was established in New Zealand and was beginning to reach the rest of the world. In 1982 Bill and Val came to Australia to help establish Above Rubies in this nation. We printed the magazine in Australia and shipped it back to New Zealand. Teams began to go out into the nation and Val was always a part of the team bringing many to tears with her amazing testimonies of God’s power in her marriage. The teams had some amazing experiences and watched with grateful hearts as God moved by His Spirit in the marriages and families.
When God called Colin and Nancy to the USA for the establishing of the magazine there in 1992 they left Val in charge of the work in Australia. Since then Val has lead and taught at Ladies camps in all states except Northern Territory; outreach tours throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia and Family Camps predominately in Queensland.
No one works alone and she has had wonderful co-workers along the way for which we thank God.
Val has written many anointed poems and testimonies which, have been published in the Above Rubies magazines throughout the years. Hers was the very first testimony in the very first issue back in 1977.
It was Val’s vision to encourage mothers in song! The first recordings being: “Her Price is Above Rubies” and “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.” Most were written and sung by Lois and Janie. The vision continues through Nancy’s daughters Serene and Pearl.
Most of Val’s daily work is to manage the emails and mail in preparation to receive the magazine from the USA where they are now printed and to mail them out to the subscribers in Australia and Papua New Guinea. She loves it when the helpers come for this big task of distributing thousands of magazines. It is such sweet fellowship as they labour together in love.
Val was also a carer for her sister-in-law Mary for the past eight years. Mary now resides with the Lord, which means Val is freer to take Ladies camps once again. In 2015 she will be 70 years and looks forward to making an even greater impact in the lives of families in these her later years.
Val Stares
YOUR NEW ZEALAND COORDINATOR
It was January 1995 when I finally answered the call to be the New Zealand Co-ordinator for Above Rubies.
This was not because my sister was already the Director of the Australian branch, but because God had already revealed to me the message of the magazine to be true.
I first met Nancy around 1969, when I went forward at a Don Wilkinson crusade in the Palmerston North Opera House. Standing in a room at the back of the auditorium, lined up and waiting to speak to a counsellor, there was Nancy. She smiled at me as only Nancy could, and I was amazed that she could smile at someone like me, a sinner!! I felt the love of the Lord flow over me and His acceptance of me through that smile.
After this meeting, with my new overflowing faith, I was invited to their church and from there was frequently invited to the Campbell home for Sunday lunch. Also Evan and I belonged to their House Group and Nancy's Ladies Bible Study Group. In those days we had 3 small children, but at the time I met Nancy we didn't have any, not even interested until I heard the voice of the Lord "I want you to have a baby".
We moved away to the South Island just a couple of weeks after Serene was born, and it wasn't long after that, that Nancy began the Above Rubies magazine. My mum and Val helped her with the distribution, while I was in the South Island not interested in having any more children, in fact in those days the magazine grated on me a bit!
We eventually moved back to the North Island, to Wellington and then on to Mt Maunganui. God started to reveal many things to me after I transported Val around the North Island on a 'speaking tour'. I heard this message over and over again until it became entrenched in my spirit. It was not only me that received this revelation, but Evan also. We could both expound it to anyone we could hold long enough to listen to us. We found that not many wanted to!!
Joan Dewar was the Co-ordinator of the magazine at that time, but was finding the physical side of the magazine to be too much for her. God told her that I was going to be taking over from her, but He took a while to convince me. I thought all I would be doing might be to write a few letters and wrap up the magazines to send out to our readers. This ministry has become so much more than that, but it sounded easy enough!!
For the packout I was expected to carry heavy boxes of the magazines and also many heavy trays of mail, so I now realised why Joan could not continue. I did not think that I would ever be speaking at any meetings, it was something I did not want to do, however I have come to accept it as part of the ministry and to date have spoken at many retreats both here in New Zealand and Australia.
One of the great joys of my ministry is that I am so closely working with my sister Val. We could never have contrived this, it was all the Holy Spirits work and we are so grateful. Together we have met the most amazing women and have the most amazing fellowship two sisters could ever have. I phone Val practically every week day where we take Communion and pray together. A truly unique situation that we are always thankful for and rejoice in. We are both committed 100% to Nancy's vision and love and respect her dearly.
Heather Jones
"You are the queen of your home.
The more you act like a queen, the more your husband will act like a king."
Nancy Campbell
