Browsing Tag

missionaries

Evangelism

Post Christian Europe: Not Dead

This past Sunday, we had the wonderful opportunity to have Pieter and Nora Kalkman visit us and share about their ministry in Europe. They spoke about their work in eastern Europe and their challenges in “post Christian” Europe.  Nora and Pieter are based in Prague, Czech Republic where they serve through International Ministries as liaison and volunteer coordinators with the European Baptist Federation (EBF). They match the skills and interests of short term mission volunteers from the United States and Puerto Rico with the needs of more than 50 Baptist unions that are part of the EBF.

Some interesting information they shared:

  • There are only 2.4% Bible believing Christians in Europe, making this is a priority mission field.
  • Georgian Baptist pastors wear similar liturgical vestments that Orthodox priests wear because of the historical Eastern Orthodox presence in that region.
  • In some countries, only 3% of the population go to any type of “church.”
  • There are a variety of needs to do mission work. Week trips, short term, and long term ministry opportunities can be found here.

So if there only 2.4% “Bible believing Christians” living in Europe, we have to ask the question: Is Christianity dead in Europe?

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missionaries

Missionary Skype Call Sunday

Sunday, April 25 we will have an online video web conference with Wayne and Katherine Niles.

The Niles are missionaries with International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches U.S.A.

Katherine and Wayne serve as seconded missionaries to Interchurch Medical Assistance in Democratic Republic of Congo. They are involved in full-time service with IMA/ECC affiliated health and development activities in Congo. They both serve as liaison officers for IMA in matters related to HIV/AIDS and Maternal Health projects throughout the Africa continent.

Wayne serves as the in-country liaison officer with IMA for financial and accounting matters. Additionally, Wayne has been helping Congolese people through a development project to grow more food. Among other activities, the project distributes new seeds, disease resistant varieties of crops, and offers women’s groups small loans to purchase machines for hulling, milling, and producing oil.

Katherine is working with a group of Congolese Christian professionals in training community leaders, urban and rural, to be promoters of health in their communities. The staff of a church-related health center in Kinshasa is also using her expertise to make their medical ministry more holistic as they care for urban poor people.

See you this Sunday @ 10:15 a.m. for worship and for our web chat with the Niles!

abc

Mission Crisis Update

Day two of the Biennial was very productive.  The second day begun again with Leonard Sweet, but this time he spoke about how Jews prayed (and still do) the psalms.  He sought to bring to light the nature of Jesus’ words on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”  Of course, as most Bible students know, these are words from Psalm 22.  Psalm 22 begins will sad words, but ends with a glorified understand standing of God’s power.   In the ancient world, when you began a song most people would know the entire song.  Today, if you sing “Amazing grace how…” most people could finish that first line because they know the song.  Most Baptists will not understand the nature of a psalter, which many Christians sing on a regular basis in worship, because Baptists threw out any ritual that resembled Anglo-Catholic faith.  I have learned the value and beauty of singing the Psalms as they were intended at the United Methodist congregation I served at for 2.5 years.

At lunch time, I attend the Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board lunch.  MMBB always does a great job of making an event nice.  The MMBB money is well spent… err, I mean managed.  Seriously, MMBB is one of the best retirement organizations for a denomination out there.  MMBB’s performance usually beats the major indexes.  I sat next to some International Mission people from the ABC and got the low down on the missionary situation.

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abc

Missionary Crisis?

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I just arrived in Pasadena, CA for the American Baptist Churches Biennial.  Every year, the ABC gathers as a national body to address important concerns, vote on pressing issues, worship, learn, and celebrate.  This will be my fourth ABC biennial that I have had the honor of attending.  This year’s location is fantastic.

Before I left, I heard numerous comments about a very concerning situation involving American Baptist missionaries.  It seems that that American Baptist missionaries will now be responsible for seeking to secure the majority of their funding sooner rather than later.  As I understand it, in the past, missionaries were not required to raise the majority of their financial support.  Now, due to a variety of reasons, ABC missionaries will now have the burden of asking churches for more money.  These reasons include lower support for missionary giving and lower returns in investments that support missions.

ABC of Ohio has made an appeal to their churches about it.  The letter can be read here.

Missionaries should not have to spend their time lobbying individuals, churches, and non-profits to support themselves.  One of the reasons for being a part of a denomination is to have the national body do some of this administrative/financial work.  I can understand the need to have missionaries to be responsible for part of their funding (say 10%-20%), but the majority?  Many of these missionaries have families and cannot raise enough money to support a family of four for a year or two.

If all this is true, this presents a crisis for our ABC missionaries.  More to be updated later.  I am sure that I will learn more from the denominational reps at the biennial.

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