H.I.S. BridgeBuilders

In 1990, Mike Fechner enjoyed the material comfort of a millionaire entrepreneur; white, affluent, healthy, educated, and married. He attended church regularly, tithed faithfully, loved his family, and led the kind of upright life expected of good Christian men. Most would say Mike had it all—spiritual and tangible blessings in abundance—yet he knew something was missing. When he met Velma Mitchell, he encountered the missing "something" he longed to experience. Velma was, in many ways, Mike's opposite; black, poor, a single mother struggling physically and financially. Yet, for all her difficulties, Mike saw in Velma a trust in Jesus Christ that defied her circumstances. Velma possessed something that Mike desperately wanted for himself. While Mike and Velma shared a common bond in Jesus Christ, a centuries-old cultural divide stood between them. Fortunately, a teenage boy helped bridge the racial and economic chasm. As Mike began mentoring Velma's son, Romon, a bond of trust began to form. As the months passed, Ramon became like one of Mike's own children, and Velma like a sister. Soon, the two began to see opportunities to bring blessing to their respective communities—affluent North Dallas and impoverished South Dallas. On September 5th, 1992, Romon was shot and killed in a random drive-by shooting. Romon's death became a catalyst. The tragedy galvanized the resolve of Mike and Velma to see South Dallas restored and lives renewed by the power of Christ and his kingdom. In 1995, they formed the ministry known today as H.I.S. BridgeBuilders with a singular compelling desire: to join God in His mission to transform urban communities for His glory.