Greens give a “mental hug” of farewell after 10 years in Houston
By Nell and Butch Green
Note: This month marks a transition for longtime Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Butch and Nell Green. They are moving from Houston, where they have served the past decade, to South Carolina to be near family. This is their farewell letter:
On Oct. 25, we will preach at Agape Baptist Church in Fort Worth. Before becoming Agape Baptist, it was Ridglea West Baptist Church, the congregation that sent us out as we began our missionary journey in 1986. It seems appropriate to us that this church be the last place we speak before leaving Texas.
Our journey has spanned more than three decades and three continents.
West Africa was our first place of service with the International Mission Board. Butch directed a social center, and Nell held well-baby clinics. We also helped start a church in the local language of Wolof.
In 1994, we began serving with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. We were the founding directors of Touching Miami with Love Ministries. Belgium was to follow, and we ministered through the Centre Oasis and a local Arab Evangelical church.
In 2010, we ended up in Houston. Returning to Texas seemed strange to us. We thought missionaries do not go home! Houston, however, was not as we remembered it. In one of the most diverse cities in the United States, we have had endless opportunities to come alongside refugees, immigrants, asylum seekers and international students. We have worked to address human trafficking, both labor- and sex-trafficking. We have enjoyed fruitful relationships with our CBF churches and partners. It has been an amazing 10 years.
And now? We move into a new phase of life.
As of Oct. 1, Butch retired from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Nell is taking up new work with CBF. We have loved being near our families and the return to our Texas roots. Now, we rejoice at the opportunity to be nearer our children and grandchildren in South Carolina. Ava is 7 and Jack is 3. They are excited that MiMamie and Poppy will be nearby and ready for lots of hugs and fun.
What does this mean for The Off Ramp and Threads by Nomad? Nell and daughter, Christen, began Threads more four years ago and The Off Ramp is almost two years old. We will relocate both ministries to South Carolina, and they will continue uninterrupted. We will continue to undergird efforts to help displaced people thrive. We will continue to come alongside partners and artisans as they work toward economic security and decrease the risk of displacement.
We regret time and a pandemic hinder us from expressing our love and appreciation in person. We have been wonderfully blessed these past years by the opportunities to minister alongside you and be ministered to by you. To each of you, a “mental hug.”
Our email remains bgreen@cbf.net. Our new address is 984 Normandy Way, Rock Hill, SC 29732. We would love to hear from you!
With deep gratitude, Nell and Butch
Some photos of Nell and Butch through the years of their ministry:
