Remembering a Hero, A Woman who 'taught us the Bible'

Remembering the Life of Bonnie Cleaver
January 19, 1931 – April 5, 2024

Another ambassador of Christ has made her way home – Sister Bonnie Cleaver passed away at 7:30 PM, April 4th. A member of the Milesburg church, Sister Cleaver joined the conference in 1960 as a licensed minister. She was a force for Truth wherever God led. Bonnie Cleaver was an outstanding missionary, a faithful laborer, a teacher, a helping hand in the clinic, and a prayer warrior. She gave her life to missionary work in Liberia and Haiti. Even in her retirement years, she ministered to Haitian immigrants in Florida. Today, God’s Missionary Church remembers a precious saint of God- one of our very best! Through her life as a missionary, she watched God break the power of darkness, heal the sick, save countless souls, and train them in the way of holiness. A remarkable life! May her passing inspire all of us to carry on the holiness message.

When my wife and I were young, there was a missionary by the name of Bonnie Cleaver. She taught us and other children the Bible and how to sing

And would feed us every now and then. At Christmas time she would give us games and that made us want to come to church. We learned many Bible verses and God worked in our lives. Thanks to Sister Cleaver’s patience that today I can be called brother Gerald. I used to go to church because I was interested in candy and cookies but today I am interested in Jesus. We had a good example. We want to do the same and turn the children’s heart to God. ” – Pastor Gerald Dejour who is the national leader of God’s Missionary Church in Haiti: Missions Update 2022

ONE SMALL-TOWN GIRL + GOD
written by Carol Hoskins: GMC Standard 2015

The world paid little attention that cold January day, when the first baby girl was born to Ralph and Verba Cleaver. This small-town family was poor and far away from the Heavenly Father, but God, who has great plans for all little ones, was watching Bonnie Lou Cleaver very carefully.

Bonnie’s teen years were spent clerking in her father’s grocery store in Milesburg, Pennsylvania. Though she felt miserably rebellious, right on time, God knocked on her heart’s door. She and her sister attended a “Union Revival” of three churches. Both girls were sweetly saved, instantly transformed and later entirely sanctified! They soon found this was not a hard way, but glorious!

Later, as their parents were saved, great changes came into the atmosphere of both their home and of the Cleaver Market. Bonnie soon began working for her Heavenly Father as well as for her earthly father, placing Gospel tracts in grocery bags and rounding up neighborhood children for Sunday School, etc.

The direction of Bonnie’s life totally changed when Rev. R. G. Flexon spoke at a local missions convention. As he unburdened his heart for Africa, God whispered to Bonnie that He wanted her to be a missionary to Africa! She soon became discontented with working only in the local church. God had given her a vision of fields “white unto harvest” and she must “Go!”

One “small-town girl + God” was about to embark on a lifetime adventure of faith. She had no way to pay her bills but, time after time, her Heavenly Father miraculously supplied the finances needed for Bible College, nurse’s training and college through graduation and beyond. By 1960 the “coast was clear” and she finally set sail for Africa!

How does “one small town girl + God” make such a trek into the interior? The African Mission felt that being a country girl, she would be able to cope. But Bonnie knew that was not enough. She was not strong enough or wise enough to make it alone. She needed to draw strength and wisdom from her Heavenly Father. And she purposed to meet with Him in prayer and Bible-reading early each morning before her workday began.

Many times God kept her from dangers, devils and death. One day she felt impressed to turn and look, just in time to see a scorpion coming toward her. In the nick of time she was able to kill it.

Bonnie is not mechanically inclined. She tells of one occasion when her vehicle died while she was in the interior. She opened the hood and lifted her voice in prayer, “Now, Lord, I am Your child, in Your work, with Your vehicle. You know I have no idea how to make it work, so would You please fix it? In Jesus’ name, Amen”. She got back into the vehicle, turned the switch, and it sprang to life! The miracles were not about Bonnie, but about her God that she loved and trusted.

From 1971 to 2000, Bonnie teamed up with the God’s Missionary Church to begin a new field of labor in Haiti. There she, along with other missionaries, labored in churches, elementary schools, a clinic and a Bible School. Once again her early morning prayers wafted across the grounds of the mission compound, with intense weeping and intercession for the day. Through the power of God, demon powers were broken, the sick were made well, and natives were saved and trained in the life of Holiness.

God protected the missionaries during times of turbulent uprisings! Cathy Brubaker tells of returning from town when suddenly there was a roadblock and a “sea of faces”. Machetes were flashing, stones flying, vehicles burning and windows smashing. With panic, she asked Bonnie what to do? Bonnie calmly replied, “Just roll up the windows, lock the doors and we will pray”. While she prayed, the mob that was doing damage to the vehicle just ahead of them suddenly parted, went around Bonnie’s vehicle, and on to other vehicles behind them. Cathy drove through unhindered! Another time during intense storms, the missionaries crossed a bridge late at night. Just after they crossed, the bridge collapsed into the raging waters with a loud crash. These were some of the scenes of divine, modern-day rescues that were forever embedded in the memories of the younger missionaries, of true faith in action. The power of God + prayer!

When Bonnie spoke in missionary services at churches, camp meetings or schools her deep passion for souls, coupled with tears of love and devotion to the Lord, influenced many young people to leave all to follow Jesus.

The 1993 Mount of Blessings Camp is one that Miriam Kratz Hartmen well remembers. Bonnie Clever was the missionary speaker. Her text was “Thou art without excuse!” The Lord used that message to call Miriam into the harvest field! In fact, Miriam and Bonnie labored together in Haiti for over six years. Bonnie mentored Miriam in the ways of a missionary and the ways of Haitian culture. As always, early mornings found Bonnie heading to her room to be alone with Jesus.

The year 2000 brought great heartbreak to Bonnie. As the doctor examined her worn physical frame, now plagued with asthma and emphysema, he told her that she could not return to Haiti, the land where she had left her heart. With many tears she prayed for physical healing, but the answer to that prayer was “NO”.

Once again, God had plans for this “home-town” girl. She moved to the campus of Hobe Sound Bible College and Sea Breeze Camp in Florida where, for the past 15 years, He continues to use her in the ministry of prayer. Prayer requests come from around the world to the Ladies Prayer Group there which Bonnie leads every week day. Together they lay these requests before the throne.

Bonnie discovered Haitians in Florida whom she has helped lead to Jesus and mentored them to walk in the way of Holiness. Her caring heart continues to touch young and old alike with a desire to follow the God she loves.

The common thread of all that has been accomplished in her 50+ years of service has been the fervent prayers of “ONE SMALL-TOWN GIRL + God”!