MONDAY MENTION
Larry Henderson ‘91 Larry Henderson is a graduate of the Southeastern University class of 1991. Larry completed college with a major in missions and met his wife Melinda in the process. They served together on a church staff in Alabama and Mississippi till 2001, first as youth pastors, then as associate pastors. In 2001, they received an appointment to Europe with Assemblies of God World Missions. They next served by planting churches in Spain for ten years, till their move in 2011 to Vienna Christian Center. Melinda Henderson, the wife of Larry, founded the Inspire Project (inspirevienna.com). The Inspire Project is an incredible ministry created to reach women across Europe, connecting them through His purpose for their lives. Larry continues to lead The Fellowship of European International Churches (feic.org), while together they serve as Area Directors for Northern Europe. Larry and Melinda were married in December of 1990 and recently celebrated their 30th anniversary! Melinda began her degree at Southeastern University, studied for the next two years, then finished through SAGU distance learning. Together they have three children, a daughter-in-law, and two precious grandchildren. Their son is Austin, is 28, and married to Tsehaynesh for three years now. Their son Atlas, who is 16 months old, is awaiting the arrival of his brother in September! Jake, their other son, works in Charlotte, North Carolina, serving with his local church. Their daughter Olivia has finished her first year at SAGU and is pursuing elementary education.
“My time at Southeastern was instrumental in preparing me to fulfill God’s call as a missionary these last 20 years,” shared Larry. The learning opportunities prepared him perfectly for the experiences and careers he has served. Between contextualized training, practical ministry experience each semester, and serving in diverse local and regional ministries, SEU could not have prepared them better. They were blessed to have the relational investment of professors pouring into their lives, as well as their academic training and spiritual climate on campus. These elements were critical to forming their spiritual lives and firm foundation. Despite many pathways for higher education, they feel Southeastern was where God called them to prepare for their future in full-time ministry. They have exceptional memories of their time at Southeastern, especially in the relationships they built. They made several lifelong friends, whom they are still close to today. Reconnecting with them brings the Hendersons genuine joy as they share their experiences serving in both the ministry and marketplace. They cherish memories in chapel services and hold tight to specific moments when Larry felt God speak to them about his calling to missions. He remembers prayer meetings on the sports fields and feeling confirmation of his life path. Southeastern was the perfect place for Larry and Melinda and created a mixture of classroom time, practical ministry, campus, and social life.