From the day TIH was named in 1997, the vision was that the homebuilding company would fund a ministry. Twenty-five years later, that work has reached South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uruguay — and continues at home in Canton.
The Short Answer
The TIH Ministry has built churches, schools, water wells, an orphanage, and chapels across South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Kenya since 2002. The current active international project is a soccer and athletic compound in Uruguay. Local ministry work in Canton continues year-round through animal rescue, library partnerships, and the day-to-day work of showing up.
Faith is the foundation of why TIH builds. It is not the headline message of the company — Steve says it best: "it's the subtleties that make the difference and people learn who you are." This page is for the people who want to know.
"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:40 · The verse TIH was founded on
The Calling
"Why do I have to go 8,500 miles to pray?"
In 2002, Renee felt called to go on a prayer trip to South Africa. Steve resisted. He didn't attend a single team meeting beforehand. He went anyway.
At Kruger Park, Steve felt compelled to pray for the team's ministry partner, Pastor Malan Moolman — a former special forces paratrooper who was quietly considering leaving the ministry. Steve laid hands on Malan and prayed.
That evening, Malan gathered the team and shared a dream he'd had: a younger man with long brown hair laying hands on him and reviving him to continue his ministry. He pointed to Steve.
"You're that man in my dream. I want to thank you for coming 8,500 miles to pray."
— Pastor Malan Moolman · The answer to the question Steve had been asking for months
A vision emerged: build 22 churches, 22 schools, and 22 water wells in the 22 communities Malan ministered to. In 2004, Steve returned to Swaziland and built the first church. He surrendered his construction skills to God.
The 22 · 22 · 22 Vision
22
Churches
22
Schools
22
Water Wells
By the late 2010s, approximately 75% complete on the vision.
Ministry in Action
The Work in Their Own Words
Watch: Buildings of Hope
Field Reports
Where the Work Has Gone
South Africa · Swaziland
Building Where Malan Ministered
2002 – 2014
The roots of TIH Ministries go back to 1997 with Buds Bikes / Forever Grateful and the work in West Virginia and Marietta. The ministry was formalized as TIH Ministries in 2003, anchored on Matthew 25:31-46. The first international mission prayer trip was to South Africa in 2002, where Steve met Pastor Malan Moolman. The first international church build was Swaziland in 2004. From there Steve and Renee took teams to Africa once or twice a year, building churches, schools, and digging water wells in the communities tied to Pastor Moolman's ministry — approximately seventy-five percent of the way to the 22 churches / 22 schools / 22 water wells vision.
In Migori, Kenya, TIH built a relief medical warehouse (2012). In Mwanza, Tanzania, the team remodeled the boys' dormitory at the orphanage (2014). And in Kisumu, Kenya, an eight-year partnership produced an orphanage, a large water well, a chapel, classrooms, a sewing facility, security walls, and a dining hall completed between 2019 and 2021. The ministry partner there still runs the orphanage today.
"It's just thriving."
Uruguay · Current Project
A Soccer Compound to Draw a Community
2024 – Present
The current international focus is the 1GOL sports park in Montevideo, Uruguay — a family park built around soccer and athletics to draw the community in and create the space for the gospel to be shared.
A builder and his wife moved to Uruguay as the on-the-ground contact for the project. The work is active and ongoing.
Over the years the work of the TIH ministry has been featured in print. These pieces are preserved from the archive — click any cover to read the full PDF.
Every major TIH Ministry project from 1997 to today — pulled directly from Steve and Renee's own records.
1997– 2004
Buds Bikes / Forever Grateful Ministries — Eight trips to West Virginia, regular Marietta-area service projects, ongoing ministry to single moms and widows.
1999– 2006
Callahan Hands — Drove vans and vehicles for MMAC (Mothers Making A Change). One-on-one ministry to MMAC, church services, and construction projects for local widows and single moms. Mike & Joy Callahan ministry.
1999– 2010
Hope Ministry & Hope Center — Church and parachurch ministry: inner healing, deliverance ministry, and counseling. Ongoing ministry to TIH employees and clients.
1999– 2007
TIH Homes / TIH Ministries — Boy Scout renovation project, library rescue mission, animal foster rescue, Cherokee Book Sale for single moms, Open Hands & Open Hearts children's ministry, local day labor center remodel, Mt. Zion Christian Church / MOST Ministry remodel and outreach.
2002
South Africa — First mission prayer trip. Team of 6, prayer focus, partnership with Pastor Malan Moolman begins.
2003
TIH Ministries formalized as a local-national-international organization based on Matthew 25:31-46 (emphasis on verse 40). Formalized the Buds Bikes / Forever Grateful work under the TIH Ministries banner. Morningstar Ministry — Brunswick, GA. Remodeled the Boys Home kitchen and auditorium. Team of 12.
2004
Swaziland — Church build and preaching ministry effort. Team of 7. Pastor Mandla and Pastor Moolman.
2005
Lorraine, South Africa — Church build and preaching. Team of 19. Pastor George, Uneva, and Moolman. Water well installed.
2006
Bismarck, South Africa — Church build and preaching. Team of 21. Pastor Moolman. Water well installed.
2006– 2007
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi — Katrina Builds. Four homes built as part of rebuilding the area after Hurricane Katrina.
2007
South Africa — Kanana community church build and Balloon community church build. Combined teams from Atlanta and NSPC. Construction and preaching. Two projects.
2008
Lorraine, South Africa — Community school build. First school project in the area. Construction and preaching.
2009
South Africa — Metz community church build and Balloon community school build. Combined teams from Atlanta and NSPC. Two projects.
2010
Kanana, South Africa — Community school build to accompany the 2007 church build. Construction and preaching.
2011
Kenya reconnaissance for the 2012 trip. Nicaragua visit and reconnaissance for Corn Island children's sports center. India trip.
2012
Migori, Kenya — Kenya relief medical warehouse. Becky and Carroll Pitts overseers. Construction and preaching. Dominican Republic — meeting and planning session with George Maurice and the FCA for the Corn Island children's center.
2013
Kanana, South Africa — Community rebuild. Reinstalled the school house roof on the school built in 2010. Mwanza, Tanzania — fact-finding trip for the 2014 Boys Dormitory remodel.
2014
Mwanza, Tanzania — Boys Dormitory remodel. Construction, preaching, and ministry outreach.
2015
United States — Ministry outreach center build at "The Land": main road entrance, small house kitchen and flooring, pavilion, large house remodel, and various cabin repairs.
2016
Kenya — "Drink Vision" Ministry chapel, classroom build, and kitchen remodel in Kisumu. Leadership training facility in Nairobi. South African church remodel.
2017
Kisumu, Kenya — Leadership training seminar and classroom build for the Kisumu orphanage. South African church remodel.
2018
Canton, GA — TIH Thank-You / Appreciation Dinner (September 2018) hosted with Maurice Ohdiambo. Kisumu, Kenya — classroom construction at the orphanage. South African church remodel.
2019
Canton, GA & Kisumu, Kenya — Grace Valley Retreat Center work continues. Manna Ministry classroom build, security wall, orphanage perimeter wall, and sewing facility build in Kisumu.
2020
Canton, GA & Kisumu, Kenya — Grace Valley Retreat Center work, Kisumu orphanage security wall, and Kisumu sewing facility continued.
2021
Canton, GA & Kisumu, Kenya — Grace Valley Retreat Center Cabin #1 completed & grand opening. Kisumu sewing facility and dining hall completed.
2022
Honduras — Church and training facility.
2024
Uruguay — Soccer ministry begins.
2024– 2026
Uruguay — Sports complex (current build).
In addition to every local, national, and international trip listed above, each year TIH makes itself available to the needy who may or may not be part of the year's formal projects — single moms, widows, children, and pet rescues — helping with food, gas, automobile repairs, medical and veterinary bills, and home repairs. These rarely make the top of the page, but they are the heart of what we do.
Local Ministry
"When we leave our house in the morning, we're on the mission field."
Steve's words. The ministry doesn't only happen on planes. It happens with contractors who need help, with employees, with neighbors, with strangers. It happens in every conversation TIH has.
The Land — Woodstock, GA
A Christian retreat center in Woodstock that TIH fully remodeled in 2015. Renee currently serves on the board, helping shape the retreat's programs and stewardship.
The Daily Mission
Whether it's a contractor who needs prayer, an employee going through a hard time, or a stranger who needs help — Steve and Renee treat every interaction as the work.
Animal Rescue
Steve and Renee foster animals through local rescue networks. They currently have five cats in their care.
Christian Living Magazine
TIH has been featured in multiple issues of Christian Living magazine over the years — written profiles connecting the company's faith story to the homes it builds.
TV 57 & TBN Appearances
Steve and Renee have appeared on Atlanta's Christian broadcast networks — TV 57 and TBN — multiple times to discuss the ministry and TIH's faith story.
The Lantern Walk Story
An 85-year-old woman named Snooky drove alone from Florida, walked into the Lantern Walk subdivision, said "I just sense the Lord brought me here," and bought a home. We're still in touch with her today.
The Closing Tradition
A Hand-Inscribed Bible at Every Closing.
At every TIH closing for nearly twenty-five years, the buyer's name has been inscribed on a Bible and presented at the closing table. The tradition was Renee's idea. It is the moment the home is no longer ours — it is yours.
It lands on a personal, meaningful level — when they receive the Bible and learn what "Trust In Him" represents.
Ministry Questions
Does TIH require customers to share its faith?
No. TIH builds homes for buyers of every background. Faith informs the company — the way it treats people, the standard it holds itself to, the closing tradition — but it does not gate-keep the customer relationship. The TIH leadership has said: "it's the subtleties that make the difference."
Can I donate to the TIH Ministry?
Yes. The ministry is funded primarily by TIH the homebuilding company, but gifts of any size help fund current projects such as the Uruguay soccer compound. You can give securely online through PayPal, or call us and we'll point you in the right direction.
Historically yes — TIH has taken teams to Africa over the years, often including community partners. Current Uruguay-focused trips are smaller scale. Call to learn more.
What's the connection between TIH the builder and TIH the ministry?
They were always meant to be one thing. The original 1997 vision was that the homebuilding company would fund the ministry. The name "Trust In Him" applied to both from day one.
Build with a Builder Who Builds More Than Homes.
If the way TIH operates resonates, the next step is a conversation about what we can build together.
