In the late 1980s, one of our brothers, Ted Kennedy, proposed to the elders that he should enter secular employment. He was gifted in many areas, and by that time had streamlined our brotherhood internal accounting. He took a position with a local computing firm, and then, in 1990, he and another brother, Larry Hunt, started Servant Systems (SSI).
A key break came when a franchise company was looking for software and found out that Ted and Larry were ready and able to develop it. This project put SSI on the map, and to this day their main work is with franchise information systems. Since then, two other brothers, Bruce Franson and Don DeSmith, joined SSI and have taken it to new levels.
The company now employs around 12 people, including some additional Servants of the Word. Up until recently the company has used space in our Brotherhood Center in Chelsea, Michigan, but growth has recently required them to procure additional local office space. We are very grateful for Servant Systems. It affords our brothers a chance to be “monks in the marketplace,” while providing valuable income for our life and mission.
This article is from our Winter 2016 Newsletter: SW_Newsletter_Winter2016.pdf
