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HISTORY OF PCI
Love flying, but love the Lord more
The Lord led Reverend William "Bill" Starrs of Parkesburg, Pennsylvania, to organize Pilots For Christ International. It is the very nature of pilots to be more than dedicated to their love of flying. Sometimes they have a tendency to let it dominate their lives. This frequently leads to the Lord taking a back seat, and this was happening to Reverend Starrs. Realizing this, Bill began praying that the Lord would show him the way to re-channel this love of flying to a greater love of God. For the Lord said: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:34 NRSV).
Put the enthusiasm to work
After much prayer, God led Bill in a different direction. The thought was, "Instead of trying to curtail this tremendous enthusiasm pilots have for flying, let's take the enthusiasm and use it in the Lord's work." It was a new concept! Airplanes had been used in missionary work for some time, but usually as only a means to reach areas without adequate transportation systems or to enable missionaries to cover more territory. So Bill designed a logo and a set of wings, mapped out a plan and prayed for guidance.
Prayer and perseverance
He then mailed out 4,000 invitations to pilots in the state of Pennsylvania to join "Pilots For Christ." The results of this invitation were very disappointing. So he took out an ad in a flying publication with national circulation, continued to pray, and things began to happen. "Pilots For Christ" was then born in January, 1985.
Bill prayed that God would send 100 members the first year. On December 31, 1985, he received a membership application in the mail from a new member in New York. That person was member number 200! The Lord had exactly doubled his prayer request! But the Lord had only just started. "Pilots For Christ" has continued to grow, and its present membership now includes people from all over the world. "Our Lord's Air force" is doing more and more of His work with no end in sight.
Where is God?
In the early 1960's my family and I were serving as lay missionaries in the Sangre de Cristo mountains of New Mexico. During the school year I taught seventh and eighth grade Spanish American boys. In the summer I was free to be assigned wherever needed. This particular year the priest asked me if I would go to a small town about a hundred miles away to assist the chaplain at the state correctional school. We were to live in an abandoned school and receive support for our material needs from the main mission. Things went well at first, but eventually those responsible for our financial support forgot us until our cupboards were almost depleted. Each day I would look at our supplies and say, Lord, I think you're going to have a problem. I don't know how you're going to solve it, but I think you are in deep trouble. Sure enough, one day we got up and discovered the cupboards were bare.. I chuckled to myself thinking, Lord, you sure have a sense of humor. You're bringing us right up to the line. Nothing happened until ten a.m. when there was a knock on the door and Joe, a friend from the correctional school, brought us two buckets of skimmed milk. Joe said, "The farmer was going to throw this skimmed milk away and I thought maybe you and your family could use it." He had no idea of our dilemma and how much we needed it. My wife had enough flour and other ingredients to bake bread which our five little ones immediately devoured. Later in the afternoon we received some money from Irene Gardner and her friends who were L.A.P.D. police officers.
This is very interesting when you consider whom God chose to manifest Himself in charity. Irene and her friends were upstanding members of the community and loyal supporters. Joe was an unrepentant sinner, an alcoholic and seducer of young girls yet it was Joe, not the bishop, the priest or the mayor whom God used to manifest his majesty and love. What does this prove? God is everywhere, especially where you least expect Him. He will use whom He chooses to do his work. We should be humbled by this thought, less inclined to judge and willing to reach out to all of God's children no matter who they may be.
Bill Starrs, Founder PCI
OUR MISSION
We are sharing Jesus Christ and His message of love and salvation with people, by utilizing our skills and abilities to fly to provide air transportation, especially to the sick and most needy. Pilots for Christ in Cincinnati, Ohio are just one of 20 chapters prepared and ready to transport afflicted individuals and families, with financial need, safely by air or ground without charge.
Cinci PCI Leadership: Officers & Coordinators
Our Executive Committee is made up of the 4 main Officers that serve our Chapter: President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, plus Flight Coordinator and Chaplain:
PRESIDENT: Brian Metcalf
VICE PRESIDENT: Chad Hedrick
TREASURER: Hank Gieseler
Well travelled New Orleans native having lived in Orlando, Fla., Memphis, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn. And the Cincinnati Tristate Area since 1992. I learned to fly as a hobby in Memphis at a large flying club named “The Lazy Eights”. I obtained my license in 1976 and the instrument rating in 1982 all in Memphis. Debbie Guillory lead me to Christ through baptism in 1977 and to marriage the following year. In those early years of our marriage we enjoyed flights to New Orleans, Lake Charles, La., Houston and Laredo, TX to visit family and enjoy family trips. When our family grew I felt compelled to take a break from the expense of flying to raise our 2 sons. Our oldest son is an electrical engineer working in Seattle, WA with his wife, Theresa and two children, Lucas and Penny. Our youngest son is in home improvement sales and marketing living in Cincinnati with his wife, Jenni and 2 sons, Ryan and Jake.
God and our empty nest made it possible for me to resume flying in 2019. My dear friend, Donald Burt led me to the Tristate Chapter of Pilots For Christ International which has truly enhanced my enjoyment of flying and opportunities to have fellowship with like minded Christians.
SECRETARY: Dennis Estell
I came to saving knowledge of Christ in 1972 while living in southern California and earned my pilots license in 1978 at the age of 35. At the age of 72, I am still grateful to God for the gift of flight. Back in the 1980's I had the opportunity to fly into Mexco many times in support of medical clinics that ministered to the body and soul of the impoverished locals. After 32 years in California I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to live with my new bride Erika,“He who finds a wife finds a good thing.” (Proverbs 18:22). Erika and I have been members of the Cincinnati Tri-State Chapter since 2006, she is the Treasuer and I head up our Amaizing Grace Kettle Corn “Biznistry”- a business whose profits all go to ministry- and fly mercy missions.
I have had many exciting flights to wonderful places but still yearn to experience the “Ultimate Flight” to the “Ultimate
FLIGHT COORDINATOR: Dick White
Dick White learned to fly in a Navy Flying Club in Memphis, Tennessee. After the Navy he enrolled in the G.I. Bill Aviation program and obtained his Commercial, Instrument and Multi-engine Ratings. He then obtained his Certified Flight Instructor, Certified Instrument Instructor and Multi-engine Instructor Ratings in the 1970's. In 1990 he obtained his Airline Transport Pilot Rating. He is a firm believer in Jesus Christ and can never thank Him enough for what He did for us on the cross.
"Flying with Pilots for Christ is a wonderful Ministry and personally rewarding."
CHAPTER CHAPLAIN: Donald & Joslyn Burt
Donald Burt Sr. is the current Chapter Chaplain and is also Chaplain for the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Tuskegee Airman.Donald served in the United States Air Force and retired with a Medical Discharge. In 1989 he accepted the Lord and was spiritually transformed and has led a life of ministry as a staff member of Mariemont Community Church, City Gospel Mission, Fairhaven Rescue Mission, YMCA and Boy Scouts of America. He has earned an Associate Degree from the Community College of the Air Force Applied Sciences, Tripp Bible Institute and has attended Cincinnati State. He is a deacon and Sunday School Teacher at his church and has been a volunteer at the Cincinnati V.A. Hospital's Fisher House for 9 years.Donald has received a Presidential Service Award for his many years of community service from the President of the United States.
Joslyn Burt accepted the Lord into her life in 1978 and is blessed with the gifts of art, singing, teaching and serving in Childrens Sunday School. She has been employed by the City of Cincinnati Recreation Commission for over 20 years and is currently working at the Madisonville Recreatiion Center as a Community Center Director providing prorams for the 50+ participants and has received numerous service awards. She is also the Sargent-at-Arms for the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Tuskegee Airman Inc.
She and Donald have been a huge blessing to our chapter since joining in 2015 and Joslyn maintains contact with those who we have transported to let them know we remember them in our prayers
Cinci Pilots "...whatever you did for one of the least of these....."
for Christ
Phn: 513.800.0358 email: cincipilotsforChrist@gmail.com
USPS Mail:
Cinci Pilots for Christ, 1641 Brandon Dr, Hebron, KY 41038
