Dr. Rick Sharp, Founder
February 2, 1954 - January 12, 2019
Rick was passionate about the Biblical feasts, especially Passover. He wrote "The Four Cups of Betrothal" about the connection between ancient marriage rituals and the Lord's Supper, which was instituted at a Passover Seder meal. Books can be purchased on Amazon and through The House of Stephanas for $20 donation.
Dr. Rick Sharp founded The House of Stephanas in 2008. He was "addicted to the ministry of the saints" and taught the Jewish roots of the Christian faith around the world while networking believers in Israel, Russia, Kenya, Vietnam, Cuba, China, Thailand, India, Fiji, Bolivia, Tanzania, Uganda, Georgia, and Cambodia.
He pastored the 20th Messianic Congregation in the United States located in Memphis, Tennessee for four years. Rick discovered he had Jewish roots through his great-great grandmother who was born in Israel in 1834.
Rick earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford Graduate School (now Omega), where he was a professor of Hermeneutics, served as Vice-President of Recruitment, Advancement, and Alumni Affairs. Dr. Sharp was honored as Alumni of the Year 2014, was inducted as a Fellow in the Society of Scholars, and awarded The Globe Award in 2018. He additionally served as an adjunct professor at Bryan College in the Aspire Program.
Rick served as a 1st Lieutenant Airborne Ranger in the U.S. Army and served multiple times in Sar-El, the National Project for Volunteers for Israel, before hosting numerous tour groups to the Holy Land.
The Dr. Rick Sharp IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Fund was established in his memory as a conduit to provide practical supplies to Israel's soldiers that are not provided by the government. Donations are distributed through this fund directly to soldiers in Israel.