Hope Universal was organized and incorporated in 2002, but the “seed” of Hope Universal was planted during the civil war of Sierra Leone in 1996.

       Mark Stewart, one of the founders of Hope Universal was a missionary in Sierra Leone during the height of the civil war. He traveled throughout the country conducting leadership seminars among church leaders. During these trips through the burned villages and ravaged towns the tremendous amount of suffering observed was forever etched in the memory of this missionary. “How can we walk away without helping the people of Sierra Leone?”

     The same year the war ended, Hope Universal was organized and began working to help the Sierra Leoneans rebuild their nation. Today Hope Universal has a number of outreaches in this nation, which ministers to both body and spirit of the people.

     Hope Universal has also crossed the border into neighboring Liberia, and is assisting the people of this nation, which was also ripped apart by a 12 year civil war.

     Hope now supports work in India and other parts of Asia, and has a vision to reach into other nations where there are vast needs resulting from civil war, poverty and sickness.