When you first meet Roland Bergeron, and feel his heart and passion for the ministry, you know immediately that Water of Life is not just about drilling water wells. It’s about an even higher purpose. It’s about bringing the true water of everlasting life to the corners of the world—to places that have never even heard the name of Jesus. As President and Executive Director of Water of Life, Roland became interested in water missions back in 2001, when he went on his first mission trip with his Missions pastor at Brookwood Church. His heart was so stirred he continued to participate in multiple trips to Central America. Roland knew that God was calling him to take action, and in 2003 he led a group of volunteers to found Water of Life. In 2004, Roland made the life-changing trip to Liberia, West Africa. A devastated country, Liberia was reeling from 14 years of civil war, and physically and spiritually desperate. Roland has led over 50 mission trips to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Guinea, India and Central America.
The fact that he’s an engineer by trade certainly comes in quite handy when drilling for water in third-world countries. He has also owned and managed his own homebuilding company, Bergeron Builders, and has been involved with numerous charities and boards, including Habitat for Humanity, Nurses for the Nations, the SC Home Builders Self Insurance Fund and the BB&T Upstate SC Advisory Board. Roland and his wife Jane have two children and five grandchildren.
Roland travels throughout the year for Water of Life, leading mission trips, meeting ministry partners and witnessing the power of Christ on the frontline of Kingdom expansion. Roland’s passion for Water of Life centers on its unique connection of meeting an obvious life-threatening need, combined with a larger, more "eternity-focused” goal. He recently returned from spending one month drilling the first wells in Sierra Leone. In total, the team drilled six wells, providing more than 10,000 people with sustained access to safe drinking water—and exposing thousands in the region to a tangible, and life-altering, expression of Jesus’ love for the very first time.
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