A fellowship group for blind and visually impaired people.
 
 

At present Torch Ministry has 2 fellowship groups, in Auckland and Tauranga, which meet quarterly.
 
 

The aims of Torch Ministry
A) To bring the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to blind and Visually Impaired people in all areas.

B) To encourage Blind and V.I.P. to grow in their faith – reading the Word of God and helpful books on cassette, Braille, big print and other forms.

C) To develop Torch Outreach Groups where blind, V.I.P and sighted people can have fellowship and minister to each other.

D) To utilize the libraries @ C.M.W.D.T on cassette, Braille and big print which has Christian Material.
E) To arrange House Parties for blind, V.I.P and sighted people
 
 

History

It started in NZ in March1997 as a part of C.M.W.D.T

Torch Trust originated in England

It all began with a girl, Wendy. In 1959 Mr & Mrs Heath were living happily in a rambling old seven-bedroom house in Reigate. Mr. Heath was working with a bank in London and Mrs. Heath was very busy looking after their four children.

On Friday evenings they held a Christian club for young people in their house. One day, one of the girls asked if she could bring a blind friend with her. As a result, Wendy came along. She listened to the talks and joined in the singing of hymns. She sensed the joy of the Christians in the club, and was amazed to hear their trusting prayers. Before long, Wendy asked the Lord Jesus into her life, and found inner strength and peace she had never known before.

This new life as a Christian soon showed in her work, and the Principal of the Training Centre at Hethersett was so impressed that he asked Mr. & Mrs. Heath if they could do for twenty-five others what they had done for Wendy!

So began a new fellowship with all these blind young people, and with it came a need for Christian literature in Braille.

About this time a small magazine called ‘Torch’ came their way. They also realized that they must learn Braille themselves in order to keep in contact with these blind young people when they left the Centre.

The old lady who wrote ‘Torch’ asked Mr & Mrs Heath if they would take it over, and they agreed, just a short while before she died. They also took over the small library of Braille books, which Miss Trench had collected. This gradually grew as people offered to learn Braille and then to transcribe books. Correspondence began to flow freely, and soon the work became known as “The Torch family”.