The Encounter WO weekend held March 15-17 exceeded all expectations as about 50 people gathered the first night consisting of members of the denominational World Outreach Committee, office staff, field staff, missionaries on home assignment, and missionaries on the way to the field along with inquirers into EPC World Outreach. 

Survey responses from the group reflected overwhelming positive exposure to EPC World Outreach was gained from the weekend. The group was welcomed to the EPC headquarters office by Assistant Stated Clerk Ed McCallum on Thursday evening. There were 19 people who attended for the purpose of being exposed to EPC World Outreach Ministry. Several are, in fact, proceeding down the road to becoming EPC WO missionaries. The featured speaker Thursday and Friday evenings was Greg Livingstone, Coordinator of Engage 2025. Former World Outreach Director, Dick Oestreicher encouraged the group from the perspective of a veteran of 40 years with SEND Mission Agency and six years as WO Director. Associates For Missions Advancement, Phil Thrash and Don Kearby, ministered to the group along with the office staff of Patti Moore and Amy Rose. Bruce Anderson, Coordinator of the International Theological Education Network along with WO Member Care Coordinators, Jim and Barb Murphy, also ministered during the weekend.

EPC World Outreach Director, George Carey said, “Words can’t describe the sense of God’s presence and the clarity that He brought to all of us about reaching out to ‘where the church isn’t.’ We see the interest and participation in Encounter WO 2012  as an evident illustration that God is going to use the EPC denomination in a very significant way to plant churches among the last people groups on earth who are without a witness of our Savior.  Encounter WO 2012  was a smashing success.”