Missions 101

Here are some wonderful testimonies from our teachers that are found in journal entries from our short-term trips.

The Beginning of Something Serious
“When we started on Friday, I sensed hesitancy on the part of the students about the training. Some were feeling like this is just another training that will not go anywhere. As they sat in classes and learned, they have gradually grown to appreciate the program and believe that this is the beginning of something serious.”

-Philemon Yong, March 14, 2012, Cameroon

They Love the Word of God
“I have eight pastors and church leaders in my class, all of which are very hungry for the Word of God. Many have left family, friends and fields so that they can come for two weeks of Bible training. They are making tremendous sacrifices to be here because they love the Word of God.”

-Travis Southern, Aug. 14, 2011, Uganda

Hungry to Learn
“I have witnessed pastors who are hungry to learn how to interpret the Bible faithfully. Churches who hunger for training full of warmth and hospitality. A city in desperate need of well trained pastors who are faithfully ministering the Word of God and bringing good news to the spiritually confused and lost. And people just like me who need the warmth of God's reconciling power found by faith in Jesus Christ.”

-John Bothof, March 16, 2012, Cameroon

I Should Sit at Their Feet
“I’ve been humbled by the stories they’ve told and the kind of hardships they’ve faced in their lives. There are men here who’ve lived through persecution and traumatic events that read like a novel. But it’s real life to them. They have counted the cost for their faith in Christ and pressed on. In many ways, teaching these types of men seems backwards. I find myself wanting to sit at their feet, hear their stories, and learn from how they’ve seen the Lord provide throughout their hardships.”

-Nate Winters, Jan. 12, 2012, Greece

It Is All Worth It / I Can Go To Them / I Have to Read the Bible to Be a Good Pastor
“I have been working with about 20 slum pastors on becoming faithful teachers of God's Word … One pastor I was speaking with expressed his gratitude saying, ‘We are so thankful. Over these days you have given us tools that we can use as we preach through all of the Bible.’ Another pastor said, ‘It has become clear to me that I must study God's Word. It does not matter what other pastors are doing or what the world tells me is important. I have to read the Bible to be a good pastor!’ When I hear comments like these and see pastors huddled over their Bibles trying to go deeper in the truth, I think to myself: It is all worth it. It is worth raising support. It is worth 18 hours on a plane. It is worth an hour-long bus ride and 20 minutes walking through trash. I know these people cannot attend a seminary. They cannot desert their families and churches. But I can go to them. By God's grace I can go, and today I join my team in praising and thanking God for his mercy in our lives and in this trip.”

-Rusty Osborne, July 23, 2011, Kenya

Every Nation Under Heaven
“As an Indian on a mission team with a Romanian brother, a bunch of Southerners and a Minnesotan leader, together teaching a plethora of Africans from multiple tribes, I think of the glory of God magnified in how Christ has united peoples from all tribes, from every nation under heaven in relationships in him that extend into eternity!”

-Aubrey Sequeira, July 20, 2011, Kenya

Faithful to Shepherd the Flock
“Pray for all the Kenyans who came to our training, that they will be faithful to shepherd the flock entrusted to them, whom God has purchased with his own blood, and faithful to preach and teach the Word of God accurately, putting into practice what they have learned.”

-Aubrey Sequeira, July 20, 2011, Kenya

These Students will Impact Thousands
“The students at this school will literally be impacting thousands of people in this country, and, by God’s grace, what is being taught here will shape their ministries in the years to come for the glory of God and the good of their people.”

-Jeremy Kimble, June 17, 2011, Uganda

Last week I explained the situation of false teachings in Cameroon (and the same is true of many places around the world). This week, I want to give you excerpts from two students, Ervais Fotso and Wirsiy Kingsly, on their observations on the Christian television programming that people watch in Cameroon. It is amazing how accessible these programs are. Even people in poor houses in the middle of remote villages, own televisions and get most of their teachings from these preachers.  Both of the students are looking for ways to help the church address the issues of false teaching in their context. Both believe that the gospel is not central in the church and that often, preachers have motivations other than proclaiming Christ. You will notice that their excerpts are from watching “Christian television stations” but they say that what they found, is also in existence in their churches. Their concern is that the church is not addressing these issues adequately, and therefore is not helping her people to grow. 

These excerpts illustrate what is taught on television and what many church goers are hearing during the week. The same people come to church every weekend and instead of hearing a rebuttal from the pastor or help on how to deal with it, there is silence.

Next week, I will look at the response to false teachings in the New Testament.

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Excerpt from Ervais Fotso

“New challenges to the clarity and sufficiency of the gospel arise in each generation. Distortions of the gospel are present in our Cameroonian context, ranging from the “worldly prosperity gospel” to an “a feel-good human potential gospel.” The new emphases are on miracles, healings, prophecies, power encounters …etc. On the 12 of November, 2011 from 10:30 to 11:45, we looked at some “Christian” channels available from the dish in the town of Ndu, Cameroon. Here are the channels and their broadcasts: Unity Broadcasting Network, African Christian Broadcasting Network, Chosen, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, SWC, Emmanuel TV, and Messiah were all broadcasting on healing. KLN, Miracle TV, and Messiah were broadcasting on prophecy. Deliverance sessions were going on the following stations: UBN, World Restoration Service, Emmanuel TV, and Messiah. African Broadcasting Network was teaching on “success in life.” It is interesting to note that none of these channels talked about the gospel message and had a large crowd attending the services.  Phrases such as “sin,” “repent,” “Christ died on the cross,” “lost,” “salvation,” and similar terms were rare if not absent. These new ministries are popular and attract crowds but have put aside the gospel.”

Excerpt from Wirsiy Kingsly 

“Most of our churches and other Christian institutions have people who serve as pastors, Christian educators, and teachers of the Word of God with motives that are not glorifying to God.This is an implication of a series of messages listened to by the researcher from some “Christian” channels on April 23rd. Different messages were listened to from different channels. On Emmanuel TV, it was prophecy time and the focus was on signs and wonders. On the Messiah TV precisely the Divine Appointment Ministries Int’l, the focus was on prosperity and the emphasis from the “man of God” were that, “The life that is failing is not the life from God;” “the life that is not succeeding is not of God;” “Therefore, as a child of God, you must send those tragedies back to sender.” On Faith: Miracle TV, it was all about prophecy, miracles, and healing. On ABN TV, the focus was on miracles and the “man of God” will call all the people with any court cases to come out and he will only touch them and ask them to go back and take their seats because the cases are all canceled in Jesus’ name; and will do this to people with all types of problems. From the ACBN TV, it was miracles and prosperity. The emphasis from the “man of God” was that every child of God should get connected to his or her success, healing, and rightful possession. Any child of God should not struggle with anything in life. From the WRS TV, CWC—Thohoyandou, it was a Miracle Service and the “woman of God” after performing all the miracles, gave gifts to the people on whom miracles were performed.”

Here is an interesting news story.  A convicted sex offender and apparent murderer walked into a police station in Waterloo, Iowa and confessed to a unsolved murder case.  As the article says:

The convicted felon wanted to make amends with his past, Dan Trelka, director of Waterloo's safety services, told the newspaper.

"It's my understanding he found Christ and felt this was the right thing to do."

Don Sweeting, president of RTS-Orlando, recently interviewed Dr. Richard Pratt on the role of theological education in the US and the rest of the world. Dr. Pratt was insightful (and provocative) as always, and he gave a lot to think about in terms of not only how theological education is done, but also how, in many ways, the West has been quite selfish and inwardly-focused regarding that theological education. The entire interview is worth watching:

HT: JoelWS