Living a Legacy:
Warren & Velma Hardig
the MFM international executive director, stepping into the role that Harry Burr
had held for many years. Warren continues in that role today.
Warren’s impact on MFM has been
immeasurable. As executive director, he
works with OMS leadership to develop
strategies to grow the ministry and encourage men and women to follow their
calling to “DO whatever God asks us to
do, to GO wherever God asks us to go,
and to GIVE whatever God asks us to
give.”
As a servant leader, he has shown
that no matter where he is, he has the
ability to speak to people in all stages
of life—no matter who they are, he will
eventually tell them about Jesus. He
never misses an opportunity to share his
faith story. Because of this, he has seen
dozens of men and women respond to
God’s call on their lives.
Over the years, I have witnessed
Warren and Velma continue to faithfully
do, go, and give whatever God has
asked of them, which has been an inspiration to many men and women who
now serve with OMS through God’s
calling and the Hardigs’ example in
their lives.
And despite dealing with some difficult situations, Warren and Velma’s
complete trust in their Savior has never
wavered as he has seen them through
storms that have battered them.
Wherever God calls them to serve,
they will serve with distinction, grace,
and a passion for people to know Christ
as their personal Savior.
By Bill Anderson,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
OMS United Kingdom
I met Warren and Velma Hardig in
Greenwood, Indiana, while attending my
first Men for Missions meetings in 1983.
At that time, I served as the OMS
UK national director of MFM,
and Warren had just begun in his role as international executive
director of Men for
Missions. That was
the start of a deep
friendship that has
lasted for more than
30 years and continues to grow today.
Warren, born on a
farm in Newton, Illinois,
was taught to live a decent life of high moral standards, one in which his word was
his bond. These principles never left him.
But when Warren met Velma Williams, who
at the age of 12 had accepted Christ
as her Savior, he realized he
didn’t know the God that
Velma knew. In 1961, the
Hardigs married and
later had two children,
Roger and Renee.
They enjoyed their
lifestyle, and things
were going well;
however, Warren knew
something was missing …
In 1968, Warren surrendered and asked
Jesus to come into his
life. He then learned about
Men for Missions in 1969 when
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Velma invited him to an MFM dinner.
He attended reluctantly, but after being
challenged by the speaker, Harry Burr,
Warren went on his first short-term mission trip to Haiti in 1970. On a mountain
trail, a Haitian beggar dropped to his
knees, urging Warren to “make him” a
Christian.
I don’t think he had a clue what impact this trip would have on his life, but
it led to what has been an incredible,
life-changing journey for both Warren
and Velma. In fact, this God-directed
event became the catalyst for Warren’s
missionary commitment. Convinced of
lay-witness effectiveness and following
the Lord’s leading, he left his business
in 1973 to begin ministry with Men for
Missions as an MFM regional director.
Then, in 1983, Warren was elected as
photos page 18: Warren and Velma
Hardig have been leveraging laymen (and
women) for OMS for more than 40 years.
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