
	The Call of God
	Since graduating from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1979, Dr. Steve Hale has faithfully served the Lord in the field of vocational evangelism. Steve says, “The conviction and call to preach was as clear as my salvation experience. During my sophomore year in college I had an internal restlessness and could sense that God was re-directing my career pursuits. Desiring God’s best for my life, I needed clarity on what I believed God to be saying. I knelt by my bed and asked the Lord to speak through His Word. His Spirit led me to 2 Timothy 4:1-5 and applied these words to my life: “Preach the Word….Do the work of an evangelist.” Since that day in 1972, I have devoted myself to the pursuit of God’s high calling and throughout these past three decades of ministry, I can truly exclaim, “Great is Thy faithfulness!” After serving as Indiana’s only vocational evangelist for 13 years, the Lord once again created an internal restlessness that it was time to move elsewhere. Steve and his wife, Debbie, began praying for God to give wisdom and discernment in recognizing the door of opportunity. For two years, they prayed and waited. It was when Steve was preaching in a Bible conference that Dr. Johnny Hunt asked Steve to prayerfully consider being the first preaching evangelist to join First Baptist of Woodstock, Georgia. Instantly, it was apparent this was the door he and Debbie had been praying about. Since 1992, Steve’s ministry has been based out of this 15,000 member congregation where he maintains an office and honorary title of Staff Evangelist.

Traces of God's Blessings:

	Invited numerous times to preach at the exciting 15,000-member church of First Baptist in Woodstock, Georgia.

	Preached at the Pastor’s Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention.

	Preached at the Real Evangelism Conferences.

	Preached the campus revival at Southwestern Seminary, the world’s largest theological institution.

	Elected by his peers on two occasions to serve as national president for the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists.

	Privileged to be one of a select few evangelists to meet with Billy Graham’s staff for eight hours on two separate occasions.

	The first preaching evangelist invited by Dr. Johnny Hunt to join and serve out of First Baptist Woodstock.

	With a high standard of integrity, Steve has faithfully and blamelessly conducted hundreds of evangelistic crusades over the past 30 years.

	Authored the book, Truth Decay, which has received high acclaim from Christian leaders throughout the nation.

THE HALE FAMILY
It’s undeniable that a sovereign God brought Steve and Debbie together through countless circumstances and repeatedly created divine appointments leading them to conclude, “God is in this relationship, and it goes beyond being casual friends.” After breaking off a 2 ½ year dating relationship, Steve chose not to date for the next two years. It was during this time that God called Steve to preach. It was also during this two-year period that Steve was fervently praying and patiently waiting for God to lead him to the person whom he was to marry. Debbie was the Baptist Student Union pianist at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky and Steve was a young “preacher boy” traveling throughout the state conducting weekend revivals. After a lengthy engagement, the two of them graduated from Murray State and Southwestern Seminary and having married in 1976.

STEVE
Having played most sports in high school and a year of college basketball, Steve still has a passion for whatever sport is in season. Being raised in Kentucky, he is an avid UK basketball fan. When it comes to football, he cheers for the Georgia bulldogs and Florida State Seminoles. Professionally, it’s the Falcons, Cowboys, and Braves. Steve is also an avid reader. Put him in a Christian bookstore and he’s like a kid in a candy store. For 27 years, Steve has jogged four miles a day five days a week. Yes, he’s in good physical condition, but eating restaurant food on the road late at night still presents a challenge to keep off the pounds. Steve also enjoys golf. On a good day, he’s about a 10-handicap. Spending time with family is something Steve thrives on. Being on the road 35-40 weeks a year makes family time very special.

DEBBIE
Dr. Johnny Hunt, Steve & Debbie’s pastor, describes Debbie as the epitomy of an evangelist’s wife. Indeed, she is. For 30 years, Debbie has stood by “her man” and has spent many nights alone praying for Steve as he preaches God’s Word. She has been, and remains, an incredible support to Steve’s ministry. Debbie is an awesome mother and will go to the ends of the earth for her kids. Debbie sings in the choir and is an assistant for the church’s children choir. She also teaches piano to approximately 30 students. She is a busy woman who claims to have never known what it means to be bored. Through the years, God has confirmed that she is the “perfect” companion for Steve in this unique ministry to which he has been called.

MELODY
As our daughter's name implies, Melody is musically inclined. She has taken piano for 10 years. God favored this young lady with extraordinary recognition in high school including being voted Homecoming Queen and being selected by the high school faculty as the best all-around student of her senior class. She participated in Student Leadership University all four years in high school and she has gone on various mission trips abroad. Melody is at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary pursuing counseling/women’s ministry studies.

JOSH
Our son Josh is in college pursuing communications degree . He has performed in leading roles for his church and school. In one international competition that was held in Charleston, South Carolina, Josh scored in the top three out of eight different categories.

SHEA’S FINANCIAL POLICY
The Steve Hale Evangelistic Association is a faith-based ministry. Other than requesting a love offering to be taken during each service, SHEA has no minimum financial requirements. The expenses of lodging, travel, and meals should be provided from the church’s budget. Like every Gospel ministry, SHEA does have financial demands that exceed what is seen on the platform. But rather than requiring a minimum fee, Steve continues to accept invitations from churches of all sizes, believing that God will meet our ministry needs through the generosity of His people.

SHEA’S EXPECTATIONS
The day of posting an announcement on the church’s marquis or simply distributing handbills and expecting people to attend is, for the most part, a thing of the past. For that reason, SHEA has compiled an excellent preparation manual and prayer manual which are designed to maximize our potential for the week. When conscientiously followed, the power of God most often is experienced. Almost every detail is covered and questions are answered in the manual. The prayer manual mobilizes God’s people to pray as never before. Our ministry does not impose its demands upon a church, but simply provides guidelines, ideas, and suggestions that can be adapted to any church setting. We merely expect the church to be intentional in preparing and praying for the crusade.

SHEA is an IRS approved 501c (3) non-profit organization.
all donations are tax deductible.