Antioch’s Beginnings . . .Antioch Adoptions, a “no fee” Christian adoption agency started with a twelve-year dream of Dr. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, Washington.  Dr. Hutcherson desired to  not only see all children from the foster care system adopted into loving homes, but he also desired for more families to be able to afford infant adoptions.

 Dr. Hutcherson said, "We took $20,000 cash just as Jesus did with mina's in the parable of Luke, and had it at the church meeting, May 1998. I spoke from the book of Matthew on talents and told the congregation, 'everyone here is going to get free cash from us today.'

A total of $16,000 was dispersed to the 1500-1600 in attendance.  Everyone ranging in age from five to seventeen was given a crisp five-dollar bill. Those 18 and older were given a ten-dollar bill.

"We want you to keep this money for six months, mix it with your God-given talent and we're going to take it up on Jesus' birthday as we celebrate in December," Hutcherson concluded.

"Just as happened in scripture though, some people pooled their money to invest it, some buried it, and some saved it. But the majority took that seed money and invested it in different, creative ways."

The Result . . .
By adding God given talents to the  seed money for six months, the initial amount increased in excess of 1,750% or 17.5 times, for a total of $280,000 collected in December. 

Those funds provided startup money for the ministry of Antioch Adoptions. At Antioch, we seek to remove barriers to adoption, whatever they may be, and make adoption an easily negotiated process for both adoptive and birth parents, for the sake of children in need."

New Growth . . .
So far, Antioch Adoptions has placed over 200 children in Christian families.  In July of 2007, Antioch Adoptions opened their first satellite office when they hired Mike Magnotti as the director of the new office in Wenatchee Wa.  Mike’s goal for the Wenatchee office in 2008 is to recruit at least 10 new families in the North Central Washington area to share in God’s desire to see that all children have homes and families and to turn the title of “foster kid” into “son” or “daughter” for at least 10 children.  All of us at Antioch Adoptions are passionate for children and families.  We work shoulder to shoulder to fulfill God's word in John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Antioch Adoptions Wenatchee   Mike Magnotti, the director of the Wenatchee office of Antioch Adoptions has lived in Washington State since January of 1973.     Mike earned a BA degree Biblical literature 1977.  For 20 years he served as a police officer for the city of Wenatchee, retiring at the rank of sergeant in December 2006.  During his police career Mike specialized in the areas of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.

In December 1996 Mike earned an MA degree in Leadership Studies.  He returned to graduate school in 1999 and in September 2004 he earned a second master's degree in Counseling Psychology.  He worked part time for the Wenatchee office of Catholic Family and Child Services as a mental health therapist from February 2004 to retiring from the Wenatchee Police.   During this time he was certified as a mental-health professional and a child mental health specialist.  Mike became a licensed mental health counselor with the state of Washington in November 2007. 

Mike began working for Antioch Adoptions in July 2007.  Mike is passionate about finding families willing to open their homes to the kids in our foster system whose hearts cry out to have someone help them change their title from "foster kid," to "son" or "daughter."

Mike and his wife Rosie have been married for 31 years.  They have two adult children and two grandchildren.  You can listen to Mike's radio programs in Wenatchee on The Quake, 102.1 on the FM dial on Wednesday mornings at 7:50 AM and on KPQ AM dial at about 8:05 AM, also on Wednesday mornings.  Mike also has a talk show on 560 KPQ every Tuesday to Friday afternoon from 4 to 5 PM.  Mike is an accomplished speaker and would love to come to your church, group or service club to tell you more about Antioch Adoptions and his desire to “Make Family a Reality for Every Child.”  You can reach Mike by calling the Wenatchee office of Antioch Adoptions by calling 888-2768, e-mailing at maddog@nwi.net, or stopping by his office in Living Hope Church, 11 N. Chelan, Wenatchee.