About Us
Working alongside churches and local communities, Stauros Ministries offers support to individuals and families afflicted and/or affected by drug and alcohol addiction. Get InvolvedOur Goals
Encouraging, Educating, and
Evangelizing
Stauros Ministries offers support to individuals affected by substance abuse, with a specific focus on personal, one-to-one relationships.
Care & Discipleship is a term we use to describe our work – we strive to meet someone at their point of need, care for them, walk with them, and help point them in the proper direction.
Our seminars and workshops give us the privilege to discuss subjects which matter the most to us: understanding the nature of addiction, the importance of relationships, and what the Lord has done (and is doing) in our lives and in the lives of others.
Our Values, Process, & Approach
Stauros adopts the values and approach of Jesus Christ, identifying and interpreting them in the context of addiction and compulsive behaviors.
Befriending
We look for the image of God in each individual, valuing relationships as much as activity or results.
Pastoral Care
Stauros responds to people who request help by offering pastoral care, meeting the individual at their point of need.
Fellowship
Stauros strives to nurture a sense of belonging, while recognizing and valuing diversity of personality and spiritual gifting.
Guidance
We endeavor to consistently apply God’s principles and ethics as revealed in Scripture.
Discipleship
Our ultimate goal is to guide individuals towards maturity in both Christian faith and human character.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
II Corinthians 5:17
Who We are
John Burghauser
John is the Director of Pastoral Care, and helps define the direction of the ministry.
John volunteered for the newly formed Stauros Ministries in 1998 after meeting Tom Eakins (Stauros Foundation, UK), and became the first pastoral care worker in 2002, receiving his ordination into Gospel Ministry in 2003. In 2005, John joined the Board of Directors.
John and his wife Peggy currently reside in Nottingham, MD.
Watch
Message: Ambassadors For Christ
Message by John Burghauser, recorded at WVBC on August 20th, 2023.
Who We Are
Justin Talbott
Justin works for Stauros Ministries as a pastoral care worker.
In 2001, Justin flew to Northern Ireland to live in Ballyards Castle, headquarters of the Stauros Foundation.
Justin became a volunteer in 2020 and an official pastoral care worker in April of 2022.
He currently lives in Towson, MD with his wife and two children.
Watch
Justin's Vlog: Divine Intervention
Stauros Ministries U.S.
Board of Directors 2022
John Burghauser, Russ Wernick, Roy Brown, Don Riffle, Rock Stemple, Peggy Burghauser, John Zeigenfuse, Margie Stemple, Melisa Riffle
John Zeigenfuse – Board Member Emeritus
I have been associated with the ministry of Stauros since it was first introduced into the States. I appreciate its emphasis on personal contact with those who are struggling.
Often we speak of Jesus as a “personal” Saviour, yet are reluctant to get personally involved with those who need a saving relationship with the Lord. Stauros seeks to present salvation in a close-up personal way.
It was through a person coming along side of me, when I was in my early 20’s that I came to know the deliverance that is in Jesus Christ. My parents cared for me and tried to teach me right from wrong. They wanted what was good and right for me. For some reason I did not like myself. I never felt good enough when I measured myself against others.
I developed a rebellious spirit. I started smoking regularly when I was 12. I also got drunk for the first time when I was 12 or 13. I was an average student in school. As I got more and more involved in drinking and partying, my grades got worse. I was suspended 12 times in 3 years of high school. I had scrapes with the law.
I felt I was a disappointment to my parents. I also was disappointment to myself. I knew what was right but felt a strong pull to do what was wrong. My life could be summarized as getting out of one jam just in time to get into another.
I was able to get and hold a steady job after graduation from high school. Also I signed up for the army reserves. When I reported for active duty, I did OK. On my last week in basic training I had a 3 day pass and went into town for the weekend and was arrested for malicious destruction of property and was put in
jail overnight.
While there I started praying, “Lord if you get me out of this I will try to live better.”
I was released and taken back to my post, and charges were dropped. I finished my training and retuned home to my job.
I had forgotten my promise to God that I made in jail. He did not forget. Soon I made a new friend. He was a Christian. We became close. He was consistent in his testimony. I found that I could call most any time and he would come to my side. He invited me to church frequently.
I finally went with him, and heard the gospel preached clearly. The Spirit did his work. I was convicted of my sin, and repented. That Sunday I received Christ as my saviour.
I went to my girlfriend’s place of work and tried to tell her that things are different with me now. My friend and I prayed fro her that whole week. She went to church with me the following Sunday and accepted the Lord. Two months later we were married.
It has been 37 years, we have 4 grown children actively serving the Lord. This could never have occured without the Lord’s intervention through a faithful servant.
Our History
Stauros Foundation (UK)
The Stauros Foundation, established in the United Kingdom by Arthur Williams, is the sister organization of Stauros Ministries. The ministry has been offering support to individuals addicted to drugs and alcohol since 1980.
Arthur was befriended and ministered to on a one-to-one basis while struggling with alcohol; he not only saw the benefit of this approach in his own life, but saw the need for it in others.
While the work of Stauros commenced in the UK with Scotland and Northern Ireland, the ministry soon expanded to the Republic of Ireland and Isle of Man, eventually making its way overseas to North and South America.
Out of the Depths, a book written by Beth Williams and Victor Maxwell, chronicles the story of Arthur’s life, The Stauros Foundation, and the beginnings of Stauros Ministries.
Our History
Stauros Ministries (US)
Tom Eakins of the Stauros Foundation recounts the story of bringing Stauros to the United States and meeting John Burghauser…
“My journey to America started back in October of 1994, when I was attending a rally in Scotland along with Arthur and the group. I began to read about the life of Abraham, starting in Genesis chapter 11, then through to 12 and 13. I came to the verse in Genesis 17:8, and the Lord spoke to me, saying “I will bring you into a land in which you are a stranger…”
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of an organization is Stauros?
Stauros Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1998 and headquarted in Hanover, MD. The Board of Directors consists of nine members. In addition to our volunteers, we have one full-time worker (John Burghauser), and one part-time worker (Justin Talbott)..
What does the word ‘Stauros’ mean?
Stauros is a Greek word from the New Testament which translates to ‘cross’.
How does Stauros receive its funding?
Stauros Ministries is funded entirely by private donations from individuals and organizations (e.g. local churches), and receives no government funding.
How long has Stauros Ministries been working with addicts?
The work of Stauros Ministries began in 1995, and the organization was officially established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 1998. Our sister organization, The Stauros Foundation, is based in the United Kingdom, was formed in 1980.
Media
Audio, video, message & music
Events
Seminars, workshops, etc.
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