RISE TO THE CHALLENGE

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INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES SUMMER 2014 N LOCATION RISE TO THE CHALLENGE Associate missionary in Japan

Marvin McMickle, president, Colgate Rochester Crozer School of Divinity Pablo Moreno, IM partner in

Century of Global Mission In 200 years of global mission service, this was a first.

global personnel, IM s home staff and Board of Directors, many international partners and church

And, during two historic and unprecedented weeks, this diverse crowd enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime

We heard stories of faith of real faith! It was remarkable!

Nelville Callam, keynote speaker for the opening night of the World Mission Conference.

1 INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES SUMMER 2014 N LOCATION RISE TO THE CHALLENGE Associate missionary in Japan Shigemi Tomita at the All Staff Gathering Call Retreat speaker Dr. Marvin McMickle, president, Colgate Rochester Crozer School of Divinity Pablo Moreno, IM partner in Colombia World Mission Conference worship team member Etsegenet Tadesse IM Moves Boldly into Its Third Century of Global Mission In 200 years of global mission service, this was a first. Never before had such a group been gathered: all of the American Baptist International Ministries (IM) global personnel, IM s home staff and Board of Directors, many international partners and church leaders and laypersons from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico: over 1,200 people in all. And, during two historic and unprecedented weeks, this diverse crowd enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to worship and fellowship together, share stories and learn from one another. We heard stories of faith of real faith! It was remarkable! said General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance Dr. Nelville Callam, keynote speaker for the opening night of the World Mission Conference. But that is what you get when you meet the people of God from around the world and hear their stories. It s unspeakable! The World Mission Conference, All Staff Gathering and International Partner Consultation, as well as a Call Retreat, were held at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin, July 12 26, This momentous occasion positioned IM to move boldly into its third century of global mission. This historic event series was remarkable in both scope (continued on page 6)

IN THIS ISSUE IM Moves Boldly into Its Third Century of Global Mission... 1 A Week in Heaven by Reid Trulson, Executive Director A Week in Heaven... 2 A World Mission Conference to Remember.

These are some of the ways people have described this summer s World Mission Conference, which celebrated the 200th anniversary of American Baptist International Ministries.

2 IN THIS ISSUE IM Moves Boldly into Its Third Century of Global Mission... 1 A Week in Heaven by Reid Trulson, Executive Director A Week in Heaven... 2 A World Mission Conference to Remember... 3 Conversations to Change the World... 4 A Word from Our Partners... 4 International Voices... 5 A once-in-a-lifetime event! Ethereal! Revival! These are some of the ways people have described this summer s World Mission Conference, which celebrated the 200th anniversary of American Baptist International Ministries. The event, held at the Green Lake Conference Center, was a thrilling historic celebration and so much more. It was a profound experience of the Holy Spirit moving us forward into our third century of global mission. The 15-day series of events began with an All Staff Gathering; continued with an International Partner Consultation and a Call Retreat; and culminated in the energetic, colorful World Mission Conference. A large tent accommodated the crowd of over 1,200 people, which surpassed the seating capacity of any Conference Center building. Green Lake fed the crowds by serving each meal in two seatings. Attendees took part in discerning God s direction for the future. Guided interviews enabled participants to identify values and practices that mark International Ministries at its best. The resulting data and ongoing interviews will shape a unified vision for future mission priorities. Opportunities abounded to learn about effective mission, reflect on the role of cultural contextualization, network and identify practical ways to participate in global mission. The Holy Spirit also worked individually among attendees. Some received direction concerning God s future for them, such as the 31 individuals who began IM s discernment process for potential missionary candidates. Others experienced resolution of personal spiritual burdens. An international leader was shown that reconciliation could take place with his colleagues. And many others were guided in discerning God s call for them to serve as missionaries, as pastors or in mission in their local community. I believe that many of us came away feeling that Jesus is leading us into a new day of mission. This issue of International Ministries ON LOCATION reflects on the anniversary events and how the Holy Spirit is working through those events to help us rise to the challenges and opportunities for mission in our rapidly changing world. 80 Rise to the Challenge of God s Call... 7 Happy Anniversary, International Ministries! Official World Mission Conference resources are now available! Order audio CD and video DVD recordings of the main presentations from Download high-quality photos at read/ N LOCATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES SUMMER 2014, VOL. 6, NO. 3 Reid S. Trulson, executive director Catherine Nold, communications director Laura Timmel, editorial assistant Devon Nassif, senior designer To subscribe to this free newsletter, send your name & address to: On Location International Ministries P.O. Box 851 Valley Forge, PA

A World Mission Conference to Remember The two weeks of events at Green Lake culminated with the biggest World Mission Conference in IM s 200-year history.

Those present included about 100 leaders of global mission partner organizations; all of IM s global personnel and their families; and mission supporters and leaders from across the U.S.

3 A World Mission Conference to Remember The two weeks of events at Green Lake culminated with the biggest World Mission Conference in IM s 200-year history. The July conference of worship, celebration, learning and discernment was attended by over 1,200 individuals. Those present included about 100 leaders of global mission partner organizations; all of IM s global personnel and their families; and mission supporters and leaders from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including American Baptist regional leaders, pastors, church members, mission partnership team members, mission volunteers, supporters, special assistants, home office staff and IM s Board of Directors. Here s what attendees had to say: What are you expecting from this conference? I m here because of the excitement and the possibilities that are present here, with the international partners and everyone together, and because of what I heard at the Luther Rice gathering about how the Holy Spirit is working and how that affects us in our local churches! It is amazing! Fred Taylor [At the last World Mission Conference,] I felt like I did a lot of learning. There were missionaries that I hadn t even heard about. And, frankly, I was just kind of wowed by what they were doing. Sharon Boekhoff Each day began with morning devotions led by IM missionaries in various locations throughout the beautiful Green Lake Conference Center campus, followed by a Bible study hosted by Dr. Miriam Adeney, professor of Global and Urban Ministries at Seattle Pacific University. Twice-daily Engagement Sessions enabled individuals to interact directly with IM s global workers in smaller groups. Nightly worship services were conducted in a huge 13,000-square-foot outdoor tent. The structure, erected specifically to accommodate the vast crowd, reverberated with the praise music of internationally-acclaimed Dr. Tedd and Joanna Szeto and their worship team. The evening programs highlighted IM global staff and international guests from Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Europe, IberoAmerica and the Caribbean. What was your experience at this conference? This was my very first time, and it was a beautiful experience. It was very eye-opening to see all the different things going on in the world that you don t get to really see on the news, and to hear the first-hand accounts. Anonymous Literally, we can see a mini globe here. And, above it all, the power of the gospel how it influences the people around the world. The beauty of IM s work is that, with these people coming from all over the world, we can literally see the transformation through the power of the gospel. David Sagar ON LOCATION SUMMER

Conversations to Change the World The Responding to the Call sessions at Green Lake were truly mountaintop experiences, says Karen Smith, IM director of Mission Design and missionary to Thailand.

voices to IM s spiritual discernment process, Responding to the Call: Discerning God s Direction for a Third Century of Mission.

Attendees at the three events prayerfully sought to provide insight into God s vision for the future of IM. The results were amazing!

common task as we weave our hopes and dreams about the future into a collective tapestry, says Smith.

fruits of the Green Lake sessions and of many additional conversations held around the world.

The outcome will be a renewed and deepened understanding of how IM will serve the mission of Jesus Christ in 2015 2020. Please join the prayer team to pray for God s wisdom throughout this process.

International Voices RESPONDING TO THE CALL About 100 of IM s mission partners from around the world also took part in the Responding to the Call process on July 19-21.

encourage one another s ministries. This was the first time that IM had been able to gather such a wide array of global partners in a single location.

over the world. Moises Sifren Administrator, Good Samaritan Hospital Dominican Republic The way we have been working here it has been inspiring to me!

4 Conversations to Change the World The Responding to the Call sessions at Green Lake were truly mountaintop experiences, says Karen Smith, IM director of Mission Design and missionary to Thailand. As part of the 200th anniversary celebrations this summer, well over a thousand attendees of the World Mission Conference, All Staff Gathering and International Partner Consultation added their voices to IM s spiritual discernment process, Responding to the Call: Discerning God s Direction for a Third Century of Mission. Launched in 2013, Responding to the Call is a discerning and planning initiative designed to help articulate the values, priorities and goals that will guide the work of IM for and beyond. Attendees at the three events prayerfully sought to provide insight into God s vision for the future of IM. The results were amazing! A Word from Our Partners We came away inspired by deep discussions, energized by powerful stories about great moments in mission and renewed by the sense of belonging to each other and serving a common task as we weave our hopes and dreams about the future into a collective tapestry, says Smith. A diverse Discernment Team (including home and global staff, ABC regional staff, Mission Partnership Team members, IM directors, international partners, pastors and lay leaders) will receive the fruits of the Green Lake sessions and of many additional conversations held around the world. In 2015 the team will present a fresh articulation of vision, priorities and goals to the IM Board of Directors. The outcome will be a renewed and deepened understanding of how IM will serve the mission of Jesus Christ in Please join the prayer team to pray for God s wisdom throughout this process. For more information or to get involved, contact Courtny Davis-Olds at Courtny.Davisolds@internationalministries.org. International Voices RESPONDING TO THE CALL About 100 of IM s mission partners from around the world also took part in the Responding to the Call process on July The International Partner Consultation brought together leaders of Baptist conventions, unions and a host of specialized ministries to help shape the future of IM s work, as well as to learn from and encourage one another s ministries. This was the first time that IM had been able to gather such a wide array of global partners in a single location. Only the Holy Spirit can get people from different countries, different languages and different ways of living all together at a common point, working together to help and bring the gospel to all over the world. Moises Sifren Administrator, Good Samaritan Hospital Dominican Republic The way we have been working here it has been inspiring to me! I have even decided to repeat this experience in my own country next November. I think our people there need to engage with this kind of spirit, because it s like a new beginning. Carlos Sánchez Pastor Primera Iglesia Bautista de San Salvador El Salvador It s been great to come from one region of the world and meet so many people from the rest of the world and to sense the Holy Spirit at work in sometimes quite unexpected ways right across the world. Anthony Peck General Secretary European Baptist Federation Great Britain Oftentimes, we get so overwhelmed by the tragedies in the world. And so we start looking for something to keep us going. But when we got together all of us, from different parts of the world, it was so exciting to see that the Holy Spirit is working throughout that God is very much in control! It was exciting to see that there is so much taking place all over the world. It s like getting a shot of encouragement! And that was very much a real need. Alia Abboud Director of Development and Partner Relations Lebanese Baptist Society This kind of easiness in which we, coming from all lands of the world, can work in short periods of time very productively and produce some amazing insights into the future and into the work of mission is a clear sign that the Holy Spirit was working with us. Parush Parushev Rector International Baptist Theological Seminary of the European Baptist Federation Czech Republic Around the table, mixing with other people, you are challenged you cannot escape that. By comparing your ministry and what the Lord has been doing in your country with what other people have seen and the ways the Holy Spirit has been moving them in their ministries, you can t help but think, Are we doing everything possible there? Why didn t we think about some of these ministries? Would they work well in this country, or in that situation? The Holy Spirit has been searching us, as well as encouraging us. Teodor (Teddy) Oprenov General Secretary Baptist Union of Bulgaria What you cannot measure is all the experience and all the knowledge and all the spirituality that was brought in one place from, I don t know, 50, 60 countries. So if you tried to put a value to that, it s impossible. The only explanation is that this is the Holy Spirit working. Toma Magda President Baptist Union of Croatia I feel the Holy Spirit is moving with us because we are coming from different countries with different practices, cultures and languages, but the Spirit has oriented us all for mission together, working together for the future. Pablo Moreno Rector/Director Universidad Bautista (Baptist Theological Seminary) Colombia 4 ON LOCATION SUMMER

Christ to seek guidance in setting priorities for future mission. I am so grateful for what the Holy Spirit has begun. Attendees described the events as inspiring and spiritually refreshing.

5 IM Moves Boldly Into Its Third Century of Global Mission (continued from page 1) and purpose, said IM Executive Director Reid Trulson. The events provided a unique time and place to offer praise for God s work in the world through IM and its partners, and they created an incredible opportunity for this expression of the body of Christ to seek guidance in setting priorities for future mission. I am so grateful for what the Holy Spirit has begun. Attendees described the events as inspiring and spiritually refreshing. They were excited to hear firsthand accounts of world news that had not been reported in the major media. They enjoyed the rare opportunity to experience an international meeting of minds, cultures and experiences. And they were thrilled to see the Holy Spirit working around the earth and in their midst. The events were funded by gifts to the Judson Mission Advance Fund (JMAF), which is dedicated to sending a new generation of missionaries and to pioneering new types and areas of mission around the world. I cannot explain what has happened other than the work of the Holy Spirit. IM partner Toma Magda, president of the Baptist Union of Croatia Attendees of the World Mission Conference had the opportunity to add to this fund and all of their donations were matched, dollar for dollar, by other generous supporters of IM. Attendees gave over $50,000 during the conference. The JMAF is a strategic three-year fund that will continue through So far, donors like those at the World Mission Conference have contributed just over $400,000. This is a welcome investment in IM s next century of ministry! To give to the Judson Mission Advance Fund, visit I cannot explain what has happened other than the work of the Holy Spirit, said IM partner Toma Magda, president of the Baptist Union of Croatia. World Mission Conference attendee David Sagar echoed this sentiment, adding, The beauty of IM s work is that, with people coming from all over the world, we can literally see the transformation through the power of the gospel. It s a privilege. Christian Community Credit Union, a long-time partner of International Ministries, offers you a unique opportunity that gives to missions while serving your financial needs. Join the Cause! mycccu.com/impartnership CCCU(2228) Scan QR Code to learn more. 6 ON LOCATION SUMMER

Brian and Lynette Smith were two of the 80 attendees at this year s Call Retreat, an event that provides information and support for those who are considering mission service, whether domestically or

This weekend event, co-sponsored by International Ministries, the Ministers Council, Women in Ministry and the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, was designed to answer questions and provide

For two first-time attendees, Brian and Lynette Smith of Meadville, Pennsylvania, it was a surprising time of unlearning and re-learning what global service might be like.

6 Brian and Lynette Smith were two of the 80 attendees at this year s Call Retreat, an event that provides information and support for those who are considering mission service, whether domestically or abroad. 80 Rise to the Challenge of God s Call by the Rev. James G. Layton Eighty people gathered to explore their calls to global, pastoral and local ministry at the July 2014 Call Retreat. This weekend event, co-sponsored by International Ministries, the Ministers Council, Women in Ministry and the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, was designed to answer questions and provide direction and support to people contemplating ministry service. For two first-time attendees, Brian and Lynette Smith of Meadville, Pennsylvania, it was a surprising time of unlearning and re-learning what global service might be like. For instance, we learned that every global worker doesn t necessarily have to be a pastor or a theologian, said Brian, the manager of a flooring store. The Smiths started considering mission service when their congregation, First Baptist Church of Cambridge Springs, chose to support IM missionaries Ray and Adalia Schellinger. The Schellingers are directors of Deborah s House in Tijuana, Mexico, serving women and children who have lived in situations of domestic violence. In 2011, Brian made his first of several trips to Tijuana to volunteer at Deborah s House. On the fourth trip, around Easter 2014, Lynette joined her husband. She explained, When I was learning how to drive, my father a tractor mechanic required me to learn on a gooseneck trailer, including successfully backing up the truck multiple times in the dark! I never imagined that God would use that experience until I was asked to drive a truck to transport raw materials and tools for a woodshop at Deborah s House. The Call Retreat was a valuable time for the Smiths, as they built on their mission experience with new information and spiritual growth. We became more aware of God s call on our lives, said Brian, and I had time to be quiet with the Lord amid the beautiful surroundings of Green Lake. Any U.S. citizen or green card holder interested in learning more about the process of becoming an IM global servant may contact Jim Bell at jim.bell@internationalministries.org. ON LOCATION SUMMER

N LOCATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES VOL. 6, NO.

Box 851 Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851 GIVE TODAY WORLD

speaker to visit your church? Contact Al Evon at Albert.

org 1 (800) 222-3872, extension 2311 Happy Anniversary,

IM partners from around the world sent letters of

Read all 44 letters online at www.internationalministries.

prouder still to be a partner in ministry.

ABCUSA IM has been used as the divine instrument for the

Yam Kho Pau, general secretary, Myanmar Baptist Convention

Thank you for coming alongside, assisting and partnering

7 N LOCATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES VOL. 6, NO. 3 SUMMER 2014 American Baptist Foreign Mission Society P.O. Box 851 Valley Forge, PA GIVE TODAY WORLD MISSION OFFERING Focus on Macau Would you like an IM speaker to visit your church? Contact Al Evon at Albert.Evon@ internationalministries.org 1 (800) , extension 2311 Happy Anniversary, International Ministries! IM partners from around the world sent letters of congratulations to IM for 200 years of global service. Read all 44 letters online at We are proud to celebrate with you and prouder still to be a partner in ministry. Debora Jackson, executive director, The Ministers Council, ABCUSA IM has been used as the divine instrument for the holistic Evangelization in all the continents of the world. Yam Kho Pau, general secretary, Myanmar Baptist Convention Thank you for your tireless prayer, precious gifts, and unshaken faith. Kazuo Ohya, general secretary (acting), Japan Baptist Union Thank you for coming alongside, assisting and partnering with Baptist organizations like ours. Angelo Scheepers, general secretary, Baptist Union of Southern Africa Legacy of your ministries can now be felt not only in Malaysia but throughout Asia. Thu En Yu, principal, Sabah Theological Seminary I418.PUB.9/14

RISE TO THE CHALLENGE

INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES WINTER 2014 N LOCATION RISE TO THE CHALLENGE The December bicentennial celebration in Yangon, Myanmar, opened with a mass Karen choir and a praise team representing several ethnic