Who we are: our history
Although Philosophia International is in its infancy as an organization,
its history goes back to the original vision that God gave Clark and Ann Peddicord
for their work in Germany in the spring of 1975.
That vision, encompassing society, academia and the church,
guided their endeavors over the past 30 years, during which they directed the ministry
of Campus Crusade for Christ in Germany and were in the leadership team of the
German Lutheran community, the OJC, for ten years.
Philosophia International was finally established in 2004 to
give structure for the vision in the future.
As Pete Stewart, a board member of Philosophia, recently put it:
"The vision for Philosophia doesn't 'belong' to any of us, not even Clark and Ann.
We are caretakers of God's vision. We've been entrusted with it for a time and are
responsible to pass it on to the next generation when we are finished."
The Apostle Paul's said, regarding his life's work (1. Corinthians 4:1):
“One ought to regard us [with responsibility in
Christ's church] as servants of Christ and as stewards
entrusted with God's mysteries.”
Stewards = "caretakers", custodians entrusted with the administration of the possessions of another.
This is the true role of each of us who have come to know God in Jesus: our life, our breath, our ideas,
the mercies we experience - large and small - are all entrusted to us by a loving Master.
It is sobering to realize (even at the beginning of things!) that we are to administer and care for the
vision of Philosophia as a "custodial account". We are to work while we can; the day will come
when God will ask us to "reckon up" the books and pass things on.
This awareness of our stewardship, our "custodial responsibility" for the vision
lies at the root of the founding of Philosophia International.
