In 1995, Burl and Betty Traylor took a group of young ministry students to share the Gospel on the street corners of New York for a week. They visited Metro Ministries, an inner city ministry to the kids of New York City. Betty felt the Holy Spirit wash over her, anointing her and telling her she would do this work in Jacksonville. Just one year earlier, they had followed God’s call and began working with City Center, a local church reaching out to the unchurched of downtown. Now the Lord would use this journey to New York to move them along in His journey with Burl and Betty.
In 2003, Betty left her 35-year career as a respiratory therapist to “retire” into this ministry running six sites and working tirelessly six days a week. Betty’s life demonstrated what our Lord and Savior said was the greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul, strength and mind and to Love your neighbor as yourself. She weaved the greatest commandment beautifully together with Jesus’s final command, to Go and Make Disciples.
After 2,500 Funday School services, 19 Birthday Parties for Jesus, and untold numbers having heard the Gospel and turning to Christ, Betty retired to her true rest. On March 6, 2015, the Founder of Sidewalk Funday School went Home to be with her Lord. Mrs. Betty knew her Savior, she knew her mission.
While five years have passed and we still miss Betty terribly, the ministry God gave to Betty still carries on – at six sites, six days a week. If you would like to read about the current leadership’s vision for the future, please visit our previous blog "A Year in Review: 2019" for a Letter from our President.