February 26, 2019 | Mikayla Heldt
What started as a kind gesture to people in a North Texas city has grown into eight locations around the state. Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) alumnus Tim Wiseman founded Wiseman Ministries in his town of Longview, Texas, after seeing a need to help the homeless.
“We’re currently housing several hundred people…and serve a few hundred thousand meals every year through our programs,” he says.
Recently, through President Trump's Faith and Opportunity Initiative, Wiseman is looking forward to taking his ministry to the national level and giving more people a chance at a better life.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to open up these locations all across America.”
In 2003, Wiseman established House of Disciples – a life recovery center dedicated to helping the homeless and those struggling with addictions, and the headquarters of his ministry.
His ministry abides by the “Matthew 25 principle”, which follows a passage in the Bible about helping people in five important areas – feeding the hungry, ministering to prisoners and the sick, giving to the needy, and sheltering homeless people. Since its establishment in Longview, Wiseman Ministries has expanded into a few different areas: House of Disciples, Gifts of Grace Resale Store, Ride for Recovery, and Isaiah 58 Farms.
“My relationship with Christ inspires and drives me each and every day to help someone else. What He did for me is why I try my best to do it for others,” he says.
In 2018, Wiseman’s ministry was one out of 20 organizations nationally that was selected by President Trump for his Faith and Opportunity Initiative.
“The idea behind it is to select organizations and communities that are doing what’s called ‘best practices’ and mixing their faith with social services,” Wiseman says. “It’s a pretty amazing accomplishment, and we’re really truly honored to be one of those 20.”
Wiseman travels to Washington D.C. frequently to discuss his ministry and train and support other organizations in the same business of social services.
“We’re coming up here and training and teaching other organizations, and also learning how we can receive greater funding opportunities for us through grants and also learning how we as an organization can become better ourselves,” he says.
Wiseman graduated from SAGU in 1996 with a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Development and an Associate’s degree in Business Administration. He credits much of his success to the academic and spiritual education he received during his time on campus, especially during Spiritual Saturation Week every semester.
“I really felt like God spoke to me every time those weeks rolled around each semester. It gave me clear direction for my life and gave me clear direction for my calling of what it is God wanted me to do.”