The Journey – Dan Winters
Carl Richardson
Carl Richardson Ministries
Carl Richardson grew up in Ohio and when he was a teenager Rev. William (Bill)Winters, my uncle,was his pastor. After college Carl became the pastor of a Church of God in Ashland, Ohio and at the age of 24 he moved to Lakeland, Fla. My first remembrance of Carl is when I went with my uncle Bill Winters to visit him at the Lake Wire Church of God.
Carl was 31 he became speaker of Forward in Faith International Radio Broadcast. and lived in Cleveland, TN. I knew who Carl was however I did not really know him. I knew he was a important minister, was well know and had a host of friends as an international speaker and singer.
In 1976 Vision Foundation was formed and readers can refer to tab below to read more about this and you can also refer to Vision Foundation page here
Carl was 44 when he resigned from Forward in Faith on April 10,1984 after serving 12 years. when Carl was leaving the headquarters in Cleveland he and his wife Beverly came to my home in Winter Haven and shared his decision with me and Mary Nell. From this time forward we have developed a deep and meaningful friendship. He says since that date we have been a very vital and important part in all that we achieved for the Lord, and that God has given us more souls saved than during any other period of his ministry.
After arriving in Brandon he opened a Media Central business in Brandon but did not have any office equipment. I had recently closed my Southern Guaranty office in Houston, so I gave him a choice of modern office equipment to fully equipment the office of his new facility. Jan 20, 1985, CRM acknowledged receipt of about 20 pieces of office equipment valued at about $20,000.
Jan – Feb 1988 Carl wanted to launch a Network to provide tapes of sermons that pastors could use. He had tested the direct mail marketing approach and it had been successful. Carl had a mailing list of pastors plus he knew what tapes they would be most interested in subscribing to. He projected a net income of between $18,000 and $45,000 per year. This ministry idea excited me so in September 1989 I recommended to Pastor Karl Strader that the Mary Nell Winters Foundation advanced $50,000 to Carl for this tape ministry. Carl requested Mary Nell Winters to fund Ministers Tape Network. Her foundation at Carpenters Home Church provide the $60,000 grant.
March 1988 Carl inquired about my recent trip to Philippines; I wrote Carl making him aware of Eduardo Tinsay in the Philippines agreeing to donate land per the attached scanned document.
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March 1989 Carl completed the Media Central Recording Studios at 304 East Lumsden Rd in Brandon.
Carl invited Mary Nell and I to join him on a trip to S. Africa in June. Along with us Teri and Tami planned to go and lead worship. However before we could leave Mary Nell was not feeling well so she stayed in the USA. After we arrived in S. Africa Mary Nell phoned and said the doctor removed 3 liters of fluid and want her to go to hospital for surgery on July 5th. I caught the next flight back to USA.
April 7, 1989, Letter from CRM acknowledging gift of $2,000 to cover cost of trip for Mary Nell and me to join them in the South Africa evangelistic crusade.
Nov 3, 1989 Carl acknowledged our help with his worldwide ministries; their praying for Mary Nell’s Chemotherapy treatments; reimbursed me $15,000 I had advanced him. On February 10, 1990, I received an encouraging letter from Carl reporting the mailings surpassed his expectations. On Dec 3, 1990, after Carl reported that no substantial results were being realized, I requested any unused portion of the $50,000 be returned to Mary Nell Winters Foundation. No funds were returned. I am disappointed that this effort did not bring satisfactory results.
Jan 12, 1990 – April 28, 1990, Reported $10,140 contributions to CRM (yr. of 1989). Jan 16th Mary Nell had cancer operation.
May 1990 Carl’s right leg became semi-paralyzed and spent two months on crutches unable to travel to minister.
Quick Summary of Ministry Accomplishments with Carl and I during the 1990’s. More information can be found under the different nations on this website.
Oct 1990 Carl wrote that he and Dr. Lamar Vest would be ministering In Moscow. Dec 1991 the communism flag was taken down in Moscow.
June 1991 Victor Belykh and Sergei Ryahovski visited for 4 days with Carl and Beverly. Belykh spent 26 years In prison for the so-called crime of preaching he gospel.
Feb 7, 1992, Letter from Carl acknowledging my report of over 1700 new converts In or first month In Russia.March 20, 1992, Ltr from Carl wants to train 1,000 Russian Pastors and Evangelist.in a Moscow School of Ministry
May 8, 1992, Ltr from Carl that Dr. Yung Chul Han In Seoul, Korea confirmed he would host Dan and Teri and escort them to Pray Mountain and to Paul Youngi Cho’s church In Seoul
June 5, 1992, Ltr from Carl with $2,000 support for Moscow Embassy Project.
Oct 7, 1992, Ltr from Carl – he and Lamar Vest plan to complete negotiations with the brethren of the unregistered Pentecostal churches on Oct 19th.
Nov 4, 1992, letter from Al Taylor, President of Vision, the dedication of the first Church of God In Moscow took place Sunday Nov 1, 1992. 4,137 conversions this first week.
Dec 11, 1992, I sent letter of request to J.A. Perez to send $2,500 fro Mary Nell Winters Fund to Carl Richardson Ministries for orphans In Moscow.
Dec 14, 1992 Mary Nell Winters Endowment Fund sent Carl Richardson Ministries for Christmas gifts to children in the Moscow orphanage.
Feb 14,1994 CRM acknowledged $12,500 gift for China ministry Inside mainland China.
Carl said “We have a history together of more than 25 years.
Feb 1, 1993, Ltr from Carl -during the week of May 24, 1993 plan to conduct ten simultaneous church planting In Russia.
Oct 7, 1992, Ltr from Carl – he and Lamar Vest plan to complete negotiations with the brethren of the unregistered Pentecostal churches on Oct 19th.
Nov 4, 1992, letter from Al Taylor, President of Vision, the dedication of the first Church of God In Moscow took place Sunday Nov 1, 1992. 4,137 conversions this first week.
Dec 11, 1992, I sent letter of request to J.A. Perez to send $2,500 fro Mary Nell Winters Fund to Carl Richardson Ministries for orphans In Moscow.
May 26, 1994, CRM acknowledges our building three full-time ministry facilities Inside Mainland China In honor of Mary Nell.
As of March 13, 2024 I am reminissing of how Carl and I have endured some health problems however we remain the best of friends. Knowing Carl has greatly enriched my life.
Freedom Celebration in Constitution Hall 1976
I felt highly honored when Carl invited my family to participate in the April 9, 1976, Freedom Celebration in Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. My family enjoyed the special box seating for the special occasion. I was 43 and Mary Nell was 39. Attending this event we became aware of the wonderful singers and other talented people who partner with Carl, he made my family feel highly honored to have him as our personal friend. Carl and his wife Beverly became a real friends to me and my wife Mary Nell and remain some of our best friends. Watch celebration here.
Vision Foundation formed September 23, 1976
When I was 46 years old.
(page 51 of Catching Your Second Wind To Finish Well by Carl Richardson) ” in 1979, upon my return from yet another ministry trip to South Africa, Hugh Statum calmly announced, ‘Brother Carl, while you were in Africa, your friends in Vision Foundation bought you a building and will sponsor the constuction of new production studios.'”
“In 1980, our team built and dedicated new state-of-the art recording facility on land purchased by Vision Foundation and donated for that express purpose. This grop of successful businessmen and women blest man ministries over the years — including ours.” (page 51)
(Following article was written by Peggy Scarborough and published in The Power of Vision.)
When Carl Richardson founded Vision Foundation in Gatlinburg in 1977, Dan and Mary Nell became charter members. Being a member of the board of Vision Foundation has had a great effect on Dan’s life. Vision provided Christian friends, fellowship and a vehicle to utilize his talent and resources for the Kingdom of God. When you operate a large business, sometimes friends who don’t understand money tend to set you aside or make a difference in you. Dan did not want his local church brethren to exalt him or treat him differently because of his giving or business success. It had become awkward making large financial contribution in a small local church. He desired a place through which he could channel his contributions without being so visible. He knew the money that God had blessed him with could help to pave the way for sinners to hear the gospel message. Giving brought such joy to His heart, and he wanted to sow into good ground. Vision provided a niche for businessmen to minister without being spotlighted by their local brethren. Being able to fellowship with other successful Christian businessmen who were a part of Vision Foundation was a tremendous experience that was not available with any other group he knew. He felt the spirit of the Lord was present and blessed him in a special way at every Vision meeting.
He always looked forward to attending the board meetings. One event that was special to him was traveling to Cleveland, TN and being there with Al Taylor to throw the switch for the new WQNE Radio Station on behalf of Vision Foundation. Knowing that he was a part of something so great was very important to him. He had dreams that the radio station would become a training center for Lee College students. Another exciting venture was participating in acquiring the Pan Southern Office Building in Cleveland in December 1978. It was then transferred to the Church of God International Headquarters and became the home of Forward in Faith and other ministries of the church. Members of Vision have become some of the most important friends in his life. Dan held the office of president of Vision Foundation from 1979 to 1983 and has served as chairman since that time.(end of Peggy’s writing)
A special plaque was awarded to Dan in 2002 for 25 years – scan and add to page.
Letters from Carl Richardson to be considered for scanning and posting on Dan Winters.net
1990 - Sending gospel to Russia with Jesus Film in russian la
In early 1990s the Life and Times of Jesus was filmed in the Russian-language. I purchased 3 copies of this Jesus Film and purchased a new vehicle and equipped it with a generator and electronic to travel and show the film.
I hired full-time Russian Russian evangelist and pastors to travel nightly showing the Jesus Film and winning souls to Jesus. The greatest havest field was the area where the prisioners had been sent to work in the salt mines. At every showing of the film many people accepted Jesus. For many months the workers sent me a report of the numbers. (Carl Richardson’s book page 164 reports more than 40,000 people accepted Christ).
I thank the Lord for allowing me to work in this harvest field.
May 1990 sending Karl Strader to Moscow
Our pastor Karl Strader of the Carpentein Home Church in Lakeland Florida would often speak of how he had studied the Russian Languge in college and expeccted to someday go to Russian. The door was beginning to open and Mary Nell and I visited Karl and told him we would pay his expenses to attend a meeting in Moscow. He gave glorious report that the “Door was finally open and he wanted to return with volunteers to plant a church.
Mary Nell and I voluntered to participate go and tell these unreached people the good news that Jesus Saves. On Dec2, 1990 we went on this missionary journey.
Dec 1990 Dan's first trip to Moscow with Rev. Karl Strader
I paid the expenses for Rev. Karl Strader and me to attend a meeing in Moscow.
Mary Nell and I felt our pastor Karl Strader should visit Moscow and provided funds for him to travel there with Terry Law and others in May 1990. His heart was very touched to witness the great revival and the hunger for Jesus in the hearts of the people.
Opportunity in the Soviet Union
1989-1990 Jesus Film taken to Moscow and Siberia
The door to Russia was opening some. To help proclaim the gospel to the people in Russia I heard that Jim Puhr and Don Sims from Calvary Ministries International in Jacksonville were visiting Moscow and telling some people about Jesus.
I heard that the Jesus Film was available in the Russian language. I wanted to be a part of proclaiming the gospel. I provided the necessary funds for Calvary Ministries International to order the Jesus Film in the Russian language from Campus Crusade for Christ so it could be shown in the unreached villages of Russia. I also purchased a new 15 passenger van with the seats remove. It was used to transport the video projector, speaker, generator, and other equipment. I paid a couple of the young Christian to show this Jesus Film in various communities. They also carried it to Siberia where there was great success in wining souls to Jesus. Thousand were saved from these efforts.
Jim Puhr wrote me a letter reporting that my Jesus Film had recently been shown by my evangelism team over 100 times and had registered over 20,000 conversions.
My First Trip to Russia
Pastor Strader was soon invited back to Moscow to teach the Russian ministers more about the Bible and how-to better minister. I was thrilled when he invited me to join him in his ministry effort.