MINISTRY FOCUS

The Thimells are celebrating 39 years of service with Cadence International. They head up the ministry of Victory Ranch which has ministered to the military community of the South Carolina Midlands near Columbia since 1951. They spend many hours with volunteer help every week renovating and repairing the 17-acre facility and preparing for outreach events. They are both involved in the evangelistic retreat center weekend ministry which reaches the local Army, Navy, and Air Force communities. Janet continues to lead women’s prayer circles.

Ministry History

In 1983, when Cadence was still called Overseas Christian Servicemen’s Centers, they first served at the Christian Servicemen’s Home in the Panama Canal Zone. Their later assignments included South Korea and Germany as hospitality house directors at Osan, Mannheim, and Hanau. Eric also served as Europe Field Business Manager for six years, followed by various administrative roles for 12 years at Cadence Headquarters. For seven years, they were in team ministry at the En Gedi Hospitality House near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Then in 2019, they took on the leadership of Victory Ranch in South Carolina near Fort Jackson.

Financial Update

As missionaries, their support comes from individuals and churches who partner with them financially to reach out to the military community where they serve. The Lord has always supplied what they have needed through His people. They are currently fully supported, but there are ongoing financial opportunities for giving that help enable the urgently needed upgrades and repairs at the Ranch. They praise the Lord for His continued provision for Victory Ranch. Click the “Latest Newsletter” button above for the most recent information.

FAITH

Eric was raised in a Christian home in California. He came to faith in Christ as a child. Janet was raised in El Paso and trusted Christ as a teenager. Eric is a graduate of John Brown University and Dallas Seminary and was formerly an engineer and Bible college professor. Janet is a graduate of Dallas Bible College and was formerly a corporate chaplain. They are both Navy veterans and parents of two grown children.

FAMILY

On the home front, their married son Ben has completed a tour with the Marines and is currently a stay-at-home dad for their son Jackson who was born blind. He and his wife Megan live in Colorado Spring where she works as a nurse. Eric and Janet’s married daughter Elizabeth has completed her Ph.D. and is currently teaching at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She and her husband Kyle live in Rocky Point, North Carolina where he works as an instructor.