Air Force couple has supported Saint Francis for more than 50 years
March 2024 · Mission Brief
They met in Loughton, near London, on a blind date in 1962. By June 1, 1963, they had married, and suddenly, Christine McPherson became a U.S. Air Force wife. Her husband, Ed, had graduated high school in Chicago, where he worked as a surveyor before enlisting in the Air Force in 1955. Trained as a radio maintenance technician, he spent 26 on active duty, serving in Germany, France, Morocco, Vietnam, Turkey, and England. Christine made her first trip to the United States in 1965 when Ed received orders for Georgia. Stateside, they spent time in New York, Illinois, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and Oklahoma. The couple, with their two children, returned to England in 1981, where Ed retired and then worked as an Air Force civilian food service supervisor for 10 years.
Yet, it was the two and a half years they spent in Enid, Oklahoma, which provided their introduction to Saint Francis Ministries.
“Our first contact was in May of 1971,” says Ed. “I was stationed in Enid, where we attended St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. We had been active in the youth group when Fr. Kenneth Yates visited with one of the boys to talk about the ministry of Saint Francis. We were very impressed and at that time made a small contribution.”
A former parish priest and missionary, Fr. Yates first joined Saint Francis Academy in 1963 to serve as assistant director of development. He left in 1975 to join the faculty of Nashotah House Seminary but returned following the retirement of The Reverend Dr. William E. Craig to serve as president from 1981 to 1990.
Over the next 20 years, Ed and Christine continued to occasionally give to Saint Francis as their time and circumstances allowed. After the couple moved to Colorado Springs in 1999 to spend the rest the of their retirement, they began a monthly donation of $100, which they have continued to this day.
Yet, the McPherson’s relationship with Saint Francis Ministries illustrates just one example of their giving spirit. Over the years, they volunteered for multiple organizations in Colorado Springs, including local hospitals and Focus on the Family, logging thousands of hours of time. They represent the best of those who partner with Saint Francis Ministries, giving what they can to support the ministry’s mission to provide healing and hope to children and families.