Heart project: Nazarene church, artists repurpose chairs to benefit rescue home for abused women in Africa

BETHANY — More than a dozen Oklahoma artists have found a way to connect with a tiny nation in southern Africa.

As part of the "Reassigned Legacy" project, the artists are transforming former church chairs into pieces of art inspired by Eswatini, the country formerly known as Swaziland.

Doug Eaton, a missionary with Bethany First Church of the Nazarene, created the initiative to raise funds for Haven of Hope, a rescue house for abused girls and women in Eswatini.

Eaton and his wife, Margaret, have spent at least nine months a year in Eswatini for the last three years to continue Bethany First Church's mission work there.

Eaton said the country had been devastated by the AIDS epidemic when the church began its mission work there in 2008. He said the World Health Organization made a big difference, along with other groups, but the people of Eswatini are still reeling from the epidemic's far-reaching effects.

Extreme poverty and households being led by youths orphaned by the AIDS crisis has placed many girls and women at risk for abuse. Eaton said he and his wife found that victims will not speak up about the abuse if they have no where to go because the abusers often live in their household.

Eaton and Barbi Moore, the church's global outreach minister, said there are two places in Eswatini that offer shelter for abused women but they have waiting lists.

The Rev. Rick Harvey, Bethany First Church's lead pastor, said the Eatons didn't have to do too much to convince him that a home was needed for these Eswatini victims.

He summed up the situation by quoting Doug Eaton's words.

"He said these girls who are being abused may have hope because of Jesus, but they need a haven," Harvey said.

Harvey said he wasn't surprised when Doug Eaton came up with the Reassigned Legacy project because Eaton has a knack for coming up with inspirational ideas.

Artists who signed onto the project agreed.

Making a transformation

A $4.5 million sanctuary renovation project sparked Doug Eaton's creativity.

He knew that the church's sanctuary chairs would be moved out, and he wanted to find a way for church members and people in the community to take a piece of church history and help someone in need at the same time.

At Eaton's request, the church gave some of the chairs to 17 artists and asked them to create art to be auctioned for Haven of Hope.

Award-winning artists like Sunni Mercer and Scott Stearman, both members of Bethany First Church, have been working on their chair projects and have been asked to keep their masterpieces a secret. Eaton said the "big reveal" will be Sept. 21-24 when the general public will be able to view the final works of art for free at the Oklahoma History Center. He said the church is hoping to sell at least 400 of the $25 Reassigned Legacy tickets and also raise more funds during a virtual auction of the chair art set for Sept. 24 at the history center.

Mercer said she has traveled to Eswatini and used her vivid memories of the country to transform a set of sanctuary chairs into an art piece she is proud of. She said the piece was partly inspired by Scripture, such as Psalm 32:7 which says "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs and deliverance."

Mercer said she also incorporated many elements of Eswatini into her art piece titled "Etched."

"For me, I'm an interpretive sculptor, so my work always has to have some intrinsic meaning. I tried to use motifs that are significant to Swaziland," she said.

"I felt really led to be part of this project."

Stearman said his wife, Hermine, was raised by her missionary parents in Eswatini and South Africa.

Although the grand reveal will be in the coming days, Stearman didn't hesitate to say that his art piece called "Beautiful Hope" incorporates certain aspects central to Eswatini such as his sculpture of a lion's head, which represents the nation's king.

Stearman described himself as the project leader for his chair art because he had help from portrait artist Lois Sprague and also Lorec Ranch Home Furnishings.

He said he and his wife spent several weeks in Eswatini for their honeymoon and he "fell in love with Swazi people." He said his memories of his visit helped shape his art project.

"So it was easy to connect to these images because I've seen these faces, I've seen these kids walking the streets of Manzini, in school classes and such," Stearman said. "So when you connect the reality of abuse and little girls needing to escape that, with my firsthand experience of having talked to them, laughed with them, played with them, it made this project not just an art project — it became a heart project."

Eaton said he's looking forward to the day when he can see the art final art work and show the artists' handiwork to the community at large. He said he's hoping others are inspired to help the girls and women of Eswatini who need a safe place to go.

He's certain many people will do just that because he feels the Lord is behind the mission efforts.

"This isn't about us. This is about God doing what He is faithful to do," he said.

Going on

Reassigned Legacy art fundraiser

Free preview of artwork will be exhibited Sept. 21-24 at the Oklahoma History Center. A grand virtual auction will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at the history center. Tickets are $25.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to bethanynaz.org/september.

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