History of Global Connections

Global Connections has its origins in the separate efforts of three Bowling Green churches who opened their doors and served international students at BGSU. Grace Brethren Church held an annual welcome picnic. Bowling Green Covenant Church organized an annual Thanksgiving Dinner. And BG Church of the Nazarene sponsored a weekly free English Class, taught by one of its members.

In 2000, these churches began to coordinate their efforts and to explore other ways to effectively serve international students. Representatives from these churches began meeting monthly as an informal board to facilitate these efforts. Also in 2000, BGSU’s Center for International Programs sought assistance from these churches to help meet some of the practical needs of International students newly arriving in Bowling Green.

Later that year, the board decided to adopt the name “Global Connections” to describe their combined effort to serve international students at BGSU. In 2003, as more churches became involved with Global Connections, the board decided to incorporate Global Connections and to seek funding to hire a director. Today, Global Connections consists of nine local churches and campus ministry organizations and is headed up by Executive Director Steve Baney and PR Coordinator Sarah Burchfield (pictured above).