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History
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 et my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God." Bob
Pierce wrote these now-famous words in his Bible after visiting
suffering children on the Korean island of Kojedo. This impassioned
prayer is what guided him as he founded and led the ministry
of Samaritan's Purse in 1970. His mission for this organization—in
his own words—was "to meet emergency needs in crisis
areas through existing evangelical mission agencies and national
churches."
After World War II, Bob Pierce traveled throughout Asia as an
evangelist and journalist with Youth For Christ. While on a university
lecturing circuit in China, he stumbled across some courageous
women who were living among lepers and orphans, sacrificing everything
to share the love of Jesus Christ. Through their selfless love,
God gave Pierce a vision for ministry. He dedicated himself to
finding and supporting other such Christians who were caring
for the poor and suffering in the distant corners of the world.
In the summer of 1973, Bob Pierce met his eventual successor,
an adventurous young student—Franklin Graham—with
a growing heart for world missions. Intrigued by his many stories
from the field, Franklin began to spend more and more time with
the seasoned Christian statesman. In 1975, he accompanied Bob
on a life-changing tour of some of the world’s neediest
mission fields, where Franklin saw the poverty of pagan religions
and the utter despair of the people they enslave. God had captured
his heart for missions.
In 1978, Bob Pierce died of leukemia, and nearly 18 months later,
Franklin Graham became the President and Chairman of the Board
of Samaritan's Purse. Through more than 20 years of earthquakes,
hurricanes, wars, and famine, Franklin has led the ministry in
following the biblical example of the Good Samaritan all across
the globe. God has blessed the organization under Franklin's
leadership, and the ministry has seen explosive growth.
"Go and do likewise," Christ commanded after explaining
the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. So we do. Samaritan's
Purse travels the world’s highways looking for victims
along the way. The work is often dangerous—as it was for
the Samaritan—but the message we carry is much too important.
We are quick to bandage the wounds we see, but the Samaritan
didn’t stop there, and neither do we. In addition to meeting
their immediate, emergency needs, we help these victims recover
and get back on their feet.
No matter where we go or what we do, though, we offer more than
help. We offer hope. To suffering people in a broken world, we
share the news of the only One who can bring true peace—Jesus
Christ, the Prince of Peace.
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