N LOCATION CHALLENGE HUNDREDS INSPIRED TO HEAR THE CALL CONTEMPLATION COMMITMENT SUMMER WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE (((REFLECTIONS)))

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INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES SUMMER 2012 N LOCATION 2012 WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE (((REFLECTIONS))) CONTEMPLATION CHALLENGE COMMITMENT HUNDREDS INSPIRED TO HEAR THE CALL How does one discern the call to

Leslie Braxton (pictured above), senior pastor at the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Renton, Washington.

1 INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES SUMMER 2012 N LOCATION 2012 WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE (((REFLECTIONS))) CONTEMPLATION CHALLENGE COMMITMENT HUNDREDS INSPIRED TO HEAR THE CALL How does one discern the call to serve God? It is like the gentle whisper of a name into the ear of an infant, reflected the Rev. Dr. Leslie Braxton (pictured above), senior pastor at the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Renton, Washington. He was describing the West African-styled infant naming/blessing ceremonies at his church. As the grandmother or aunty cradles the tiny child, she is instructed by the pastor to speak the child s full name into his or her ear, explained Dr. Braxton to a rapt audience at the American Baptist International Ministries (IM) World Mission Conference (WMC), May 18-25, 2012 at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin. It is symbolic of the fact that children come to know who they are, as their identity is spoken into their spirits from the family that cares for them. During his powerful keynote address Dr. Braxton said that God uses others to help us understand who we are and what we are called to do. Clarity about call always involves the interface with the individual and, in part, with the voice of the faith community that produced and nurtured and encourages us. If we listen only to the (continued on page 4)

WHY SEND MISSIONARIES? by Reid Trulson, Executive Director IN THIS ISSUE Hundreds Inspired to Hear the Call... 1 Why Send Missionaries?... 2 One Who Served in a Buddhist Temple Now Serves Christ.

.. 7 2014 World Mission Conference...8 Giving Thanks to God for Ronny Lanier...8 www.internationalministries.

2 WHY SEND MISSIONARIES? by Reid Trulson, Executive Director IN THIS ISSUE Hundreds Inspired to Hear the Call... 1 Why Send Missionaries?... 2 One Who Served in a Buddhist Temple Now Serves Christ...3 The World Mission Conference Changes Lives Three Endorsed Couples Receive Confirmations of God s Call...6 Funding Global Mission...6 Nutritious Food for Spiritual Growth... 7 Get Involved World Mission Conference...8 Giving Thanks to God for Ronny Lanier Then God said, Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness (Genesis 1:26) American Baptist International Ministries (IM) has been sending and supporting missionaries for two centuries. Why are we still doing this? Certainly not out of any belief that we are spiritually or culturally superior or the only ones called to mission. As missiologist and former IM missionary Samuel Escobar has noted, mission is from everywhere to everyone. So, since we are not superior, why are we sending missionaries? To: obey Jesus command (make disciples of all nations) follow Jesus example (sending others into mission) partner with the global church (come over and help us) respond to the world s need (the percent of Christians in the world has remained basically unchanged since 1900) Consider also God s nature and ours. We were created to bear the image of our Triune God. The nature and the actions of God are, in part, characterized by sending. The Father sent the Son into the world. Seeing, hearing, and receiving the Son is to see, hear, and receive the Father also. The Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to God s people. Being indwelt, empowered, and guided by the Spirit is to be indwelt, empowered, and guided by Jesus and the Father also. The Triune God sent believers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we display God s image not simply by being recipients of God s actions, but also by participating with God through our own actions. For example, we bear God s image not only by being created by God but also by our own acts of creativity. We display God s image not only by receiving God s blessing but also by our actions that bless others. In a similar way, as God sends God s self (Father, Son and Spirit) to us, we mirror God s likeness by sending ourselves to others. We are both recipients (objects of God s action) and senders (agents with God in action). CONTEMPLATION One way in which we act as senders is by intentionally sending people into God s mission. But as Dr. A.K. Lama noted at May s Call Retreat, Simply traveling to another location is not mission. Our sending and being sent must serve God s larger purpose of blessing all the nations as was announced to Abraham and Sarah and fully revealed in the Messiah Jesus. We do this by helping others come to faith in Jesus the Son, grow in their relationship with God the Father, and change their worlds by living under God s reign through the power of the Spirit. Because sending cross-cultural missionaries is just one way that God s people are sent to others, it is important to discern whom God is calling and preparing to be sent. This issue of International Ministries ON LOCA- TION shares echoes from the World Mission Conference that focused on hearing and discerning that call. INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES VOL. 4, NO. 3 N LOCATION SUMMER 2012 ON THE COVER The May World Mission Conference at the Green CHALLENGE Lake Conference Center provided a magnificent setting for contemplation, words of COMMITMENT challenge from speakers and responses of commitment from conferees inspired to Hear the Call to serve Christ in ministries across the nation and around the world. To subscribe to this newsletter, Reid S. Trulson, executive director send your name & address to: Catherine Nold, communications director On Location James G. Layton, senior writer/editor International Ministries WMC photos, not otherwise identified, P.O. Box 851 by Bill Mason Images 2 ON LOCATION SUMMER Valley Forge, 2012 PA Devon Nassif, senior designer Jill Mussel, project manager

Right: Based on his childhood days when serving at a Buddhist temple, A.K. admired the dedication of the monks. Bottom: Before A.K. answered the call to full-time Christian service, he was a well-paid veterinarian.

life, in yielding to him, in obeying him, trusting with absolute trust. The Rev. Dr. Ajoy Ku

) Lama, General Secretary of the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India (CBCNEI), made that penetrating observation about Isaiah 61 while leading morning Bible studies at the World Mission

3 Right: Based on his childhood days when serving at a Buddhist temple, A.K. admired the dedication of the monks. Bottom: Before A.K. answered the call to full-time Christian service, he was a well-paid veterinarian. ONE WHO SERVED IN A BUDDHIST TEMPLE NOW SERVES CHRIST The more you are willing to pay the cost, the more you will see the anointing of the Lord upon you; you will experience the power of God in your life, in yielding to him, in obeying him, trusting with absolute trust. The Rev. Dr. Ajoy Kumar (A.K.) Lama, General Secretary of the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India (CBCNEI), made that penetrating observation about Isaiah 61 while leading morning Bible studies at the World Mission Conference. It was an observation borne out in his life. A Tibetan orphan who was brought to India as a child, A.K. s father would have become a Buddhist monk, had he not gotten married. In his own childhood, A.K. tried to please his parents by serving in a temple located near a world-famous Buddhist university. Monks from every Buddhist country studied there, and A.K. was impressed by their spiritual disciplines and sacrificial, non-violent lifestyle. He had not seen these virtues among Christians until he studied veterinary science in He says, I had contact with some Christian students whose sincere love compelled me to join their Bible study. In the group, I met godly men and women, who visited me when I was sick and helped me when I was in crisis. They genuinely loved me and cared for me. They taught me to look up to Jesus and not to Christians. And Jesus stood much taller than Buddha in his virtues. According to the 1978 Indigenous Faith Bill Act enacted in A.K. s home state of Arunachal Pradesh, a person who induces another to become a Christian can be imprisoned for ten years, pay a fine of 10,000 rupees, or be expelled. A.K. acknowledges that he wrestled therefore with becoming a Christian until, On October 24, 1983, in an evening fellowship meeting, the Spirit of God convicted me. I felt the awesome presence of God, and I stood up with tears in my eyes. There was no more fear, but only a desire to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of my life. As a veterinarian, A.K. received a prestigious salary with many government benefits, but when he resigned to become an itinerant Christian campus minister, some people thought he was delusional. He paid for his decision in other ways as well. In 1986, A.K. was publicly beaten for his faith, but the government took no action. And when his father died in 1991, the government refused to provide a transfer document for land that was part of his inheritance because he was serving a Christian organization. A.K. reflects on his calling, which led him to his present position with CBCNEI: After 22 years, it s incredible to see what God has accomplished. I am responsible for the smooth running of six Christian hospitals, four nursing schools, eight theological seminaries, three hostels, five Christian literature centers, and many ministry and mission departments. I am humbled to represent more than a million Christians in 7,000 Baptist churches, 100 associations and six conventions. ON LOCATION SUMMER

THE WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE CHANGES LIVES This conference has opened my eyes. It s been great to talk with missionaries. They ve answered my questions and helped confirm my call as a missionary.

Yolanda Young, Michigan I have been inspired to continue to surrender to God s leading and be reshaped in my calling.

WWConnie Fowle, Indiana The Lord has spoken to us at this retreat through Bible studies, music and people.

We are consumed by the passion to share with others a God who has a deep love for all of us. WWJoselyn & Adrian Ponce de León, Puerto Rico I first felt a call to missions in junior high school.

I m now finishing a year as a volunteer in a Costa Rican church, working with IM missionaries Gary and Mylinda Baits.

Being here has reminded us that while she s starting medical school, my completed nursing degree means that I m ready for the next step God has for me.

My college degree and work are in information technology, and I have been planning to return to my country of Laos. Many families there are poor, and the school drop-out rate is high.

WWBee Her, Oregon My husband is a retired parole officer, and I am a retired New York City police captain. Having earned my seminary degree and Ph.D.

As we ve met missionaries here, we ve felt the call to be shortterm missionaries and use our ability in speaking Spanish.

Jeni Pedzinski, Pennsylvania My wife and I have led Maine construction and medical mission teams to the Dominican Republic.

4 THE WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE CHANGES LIVES This conference has opened my eyes. It s been great to talk with missionaries. They ve answered my questions and helped confirm my call as a missionary. It s been rewarding to be in a like-minded community with other Christian harvest workers! Yolanda Young, Michigan I have been inspired to continue to surrender to God s leading and be reshaped in my calling. I don t know where my husband and I will be going or how we will get there, but my experience here has definitely confirmed my passion for missions. WWConnie Fowle, Indiana The Lord has spoken to us at this retreat through Bible studies, music and people. Brothers and sisters and IM s staff have received us with open arms and also challenged us to fulfill our mission call. We have learned to hear more, trust more, seek more and give more. We are consumed by the passion to share with others a God who has a deep love for all of us. WWJoselyn & Adrian Ponce de León, Puerto Rico I first felt a call to missions in junior high school. After I earned my degree as a dental assistant, I went on a mission trip in 2009 to Costa Rica, helping conduct dental hygiene workshops. I m now finishing a year as a volunteer in a Costa Rican church, working with IM missionaries Gary and Mylinda Baits. This conference has convinced me that God wants me to become a full-time missionary. WWSarah Nash, Washington My best friend, Megan (right), and I just graduated from Alderson-Broaddus College. Being here has reminded us that while she s starting medical school, my completed nursing degree means that I m ready for the next step God has for me. It s still unknown, but the word on my mind as a result of the conference is obedience. WWJill Wellman, West Virginia I ve learned a lot here, especially from the Bible studies. My college degree and work are in information technology, and I have been planning to return to my country of Laos. Many families there are poor, and the school drop-out rate is high. I believe God is calling me to help them with my computer knowledge so they can improve their lives. WWBee Her, Oregon My husband is a retired parole officer, and I am a retired New York City police captain. Having earned my seminary degree and Ph.D., I m now the interim pastor of a church whose members are Central American immigrants. Roberto earned his master degree in social work and is the youth coordinator. As we ve met missionaries here, we ve felt the call to be shortterm missionaries and use our ability in speaking Spanish. WWRoberto & Karyn Carlo, New York From the time I first came to the Green Lake mission conference as a pre-teen, I have often felt called to be a missionary and have gone on mission work trips in the U.S., Africa, Central America and Asia. I ve appreciated this return to Green Lake as a seminarian, because I ve reconnected with my American Baptist family and envisioned being commissioned as a full-time missionary in a few years. Jeni Pedzinski, Pennsylvania My wife and I have led Maine construction and medical mission teams to the Dominican Republic. Coming to this awesome event has further expanded our horizons with so much information and such great speakers. While here we ve been able to create networks with missionaries and global church leaders as we further discern God s will for us as a couple. SSKermit & Donna Theall, Maine HUNDREDS INSPIRED TO HEAR THE CALL (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) echo chamber of our own voice, we d miss and mistake what our true calling in God is, because all of us have, to some degree, distortions in our perceptions of who we are. If it were not for the intervening voices of others, some of us would see callings that are not there, and others of us would stay in denial of callings that are there. Braxton, 29 missionaries, 15 international leaders and others spoke to WMC conferees on the theme, Hear the Call. They shared biblical insight, their mission experience and inspirational life stories in formal sessions and personal conversations. In recent years, American Baptist International Ministries (IM) has conducted regional WMCs. This year, more than 400 people experienced fellowship, enthusiasm and empowerment as WMC again became a national Green Lake event. The WMC consisted of The Call Retreat (three days) and The Call Globally (four days). The final day was The Call Celebration with Dr. Tony Campolo from Eastern University and Jars of Clay, a popular Nashville Christian rock band. The WMC focused on God s work through IM and discerning God s call in our own lives. Dr. Braxton reminded conferees that, God does not call us because we re worthy, but God makes worthy those whom God calls. This has been tremendous. Our congregation is already involved with mission work in Haiti, South America and South Africa, but we re not doing much in Asia. Now at this retreat three others from our church and I have met missionaries who are already working there. So we can support them instead of trying to do something on our own. We re charged up to go back home. WWJoe Muse, North Carolina When I was 12 years old, I felt God calling me to mission work beyond the U.S., while my wife was brought up by atheistic parents. She became a Christian before we were married, and in 2008, we went to Nicaragua as short-term missionaries, serving the poor. We have a passion to minister full-time in a broken world, and the conference has reinforced this desire. WWKyle & Katrina Williams (with son, Abram), Washington 4 ON LOCATION SUMMER ON LOCATION SUMMER

THREE ENDORSED COUPLES RECEIVE CONFIRMATIONS OF GOD S CALL Responding to God s call to international, cross-cultural mission service is often confirmed by normal life experiences that take on special

Debbie & Keith Myers will be working through the Council of Rural Indigenous Evangelicals of Mexico to train pastors, church leaders, youth leaders and teachers of children.

The Myers first trip to Bolivia was at the invitation of IM missionaries Iris & Mario Morales, whom the Myers met at a West Virginia church camp.

Upon returning to the States, the Myers observed their son crying. He explained his tears, saying, I miss ministering to the people we met.

in studying God s Word and offering practical help in outreach. Emerson & Ivy Wu have been called as development workers in Macau, about 37 miles west of Hong Kong.

For the past seven years the couple has been doing cross-cultural ministry at Ohio State University. Both were born in Taiwan but have lived in Columbus, Ohio for more than 30 years.

5 THREE ENDORSED COUPLES RECEIVE CONFIRMATIONS OF GOD S CALL Responding to God s call to international, cross-cultural mission service is often confirmed by normal life experiences that take on special meaning. That has been true for three recently endorsed* couples who shared their stories at the World Mission Conference. Debbie & Keith Myers will be working through the Council of Rural Indigenous Evangelicals of Mexico to train pastors, church leaders, youth leaders and teachers of children. The confirmation of God s call to the whole family came through three trips two to Bolivia and one to Mexico. The Myers first trip to Bolivia was at the invitation of IM missionaries Iris & Mario Morales, whom the Myers met at a West Virginia church camp. Debbie and Keith s journey confirmed that they would feel at home serving Christ in an international setting. Their second trip to Bolivia included their two pre-teen children. Upon returning to the States, the Myers observed their son crying. He explained his tears, saying, I miss ministering to the people we met. During their vision trip to Mexico, the Myers family discovered that they and the Mexican pastors had the same vision a passion to share the gospel in the community, providing a safe place to gather in studying God s Word and offering practical help in outreach. Emerson & Ivy Wu have been called as development workers in Macau, about 37 miles west of Hong Kong. They will serve through a partnership with Evangelize China Fellowship (ECF) in outreach to youth and college students and through ECF s orphanage after-school program. For the past seven years the couple has been doing cross-cultural ministry at Ohio State University. Both were born in Taiwan but have lived in Columbus, Ohio for more than 30 years. In order to serve in Macau, they needed to sell their home, even though the housing market was slow. Although it had not been listed, when the Wus held a garage sale, a neighbor asked to see the house and made a reasonable offer. On the day of the closing Emerson and Ivy excitedly observed airplane contrails above the roof of the house. The contrails formed a cross. Dagoberto & Dilia Zelaya are developing a home for orphans and abandoned, abused, or at-risk children in Honduras. The Zelayas had ministered in Honduras before they moved to the U.S. in 1992, when Dago became the associate pastor of the First Baptist Church in Marshallton, Iowa. In 1998, Dago and Dilia led church work groups to Honduras to help rebuild after Hurricane Mitch. While there Dago remembered his childhood dream to help orphaned children. As he passed an empty field, he heard God say, This is the time. Providentially the field s owner had become a Christian through Dago s former ministry and agreed to sell his field for $10,000, a fraction of its value. But the Zelayas had no money, so the purchase seemed impossible. But upon returning to the States, their church responded with gifts totaling $35,000! Dago and Dilia returned to Honduras not only to buy the field but also to build on it. To learn more about these missionaries, go to: search on PEOPLE. *During the endorsement phase of IM s recruitment process, a missionary is assisted by IM staff and his/her Missionary Partnership Team to build a Missionary Partnership Network (MPN). The MPN is composed of individuals and congregations who commit prayer and financial support for the endorsee. Appointment occurs when an initial level of support is reached. When training is completed and the remaining support is secured, the missionary is commissioned to depart for the country of service. Debbie & Keith Myers became appointed on August 1. A new source of funding for global mission through International Ministries (IM) is the IM Platinum Rewards Visa Card, created through IM s partnership with the Christian Community Credit Union. CCCU releases a $50 donation to IM for each new approved card and an additional donation with every purchase made with the card. More information is available from or by calling CCCU (2228). Scan QR Code to learn more 6 ON LOCATION SUMMER

6 I was raised to have a profession that your parents could brag about to their friends. But it was not until I was willing to let go of that dream in exchange for a dream that was beyond my wildest imagination something that only God could think up, about saving and changing the world in Jesus name by being something and someone that I had never imagined myself to be that I began to be able to answer the call. NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH A centerpiece of the World Mission Conference was the three-session Bible study led by The Rev. Dr. Kenneth U. Fong, Senior Pastor of the Evergreen Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. Excerpts from his presentations on heeding the call, commitment and obedience are provided for your meditation/ devotional times. Don t just hear the call; heed the call! I think a lot of us hear the call, but the problem is we don t answer it. It s not that we have a hearing problem. We have an answering problem. Heeding God s call means choosing to be increasingly uncomfortable and dependent on God. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) was the result of giving in to the temptation to settle, be comfortable. The number one obstacle to obedience is, I m not comfortable with that. The root of sin is not immorality; the root of sin is not trusting God. We will continue to be blessed as we are forced to be more dependent on God and not on ourselves. The more self-reliant we are, the less we have to lean on Christ. God called Abram (Genesis 12) to leave behind what was comfortable, familiar, predictable and established to move toward what was unknown, unthinkable, unimaginable and unformed. Some of us are waiting for the perfect map. God uses the world as much to save us, as God uses us to save the world. Following Jesus is so much more than just leading a respectable, law abiding, upstanding, moral life. He has called us all, not just missionaries, to join his revolution of justice, healing and hope. One of the essential things that has to happen to our churches, so that we don t have an annual problem of our missionaries not having enough support even worrying five seconds about whether they re going to be able to go back is that we in the church need to be captured by the missional heart of God. So many churches are focused on institutional perpetuation. I ve got news for you: none of the churches described in the New Testament are here anymore! So what gives any of our churches the notion that we re supposed to be around till Jesus comes back again? That s not the point. You don t have to try to be a megachurch. Just be the church. There are people on your street that don t know a thing about Jesus. Go knock on doors with no intention that any of them will come and help pay the electric bill. Just love them because they are your neighbors; respond to what Jesus taught in Matthew 22:39. And if you die in the process, as a church loving your neighbor and living out the gospel, what a great death! Look for the Bible Study videos on the 2012 World Mission Offering DVD (mailed to churches in August) and at: ON LOCATION SUMMER 2012 GET INVOLVED Pray for the worldwide mission of IM ( specific missionaries (click on PEOPLE), countries (click on PLACES) Experience missionary stories through journals, photos, videos and podcasts on the website Go visit missionaries in their country of service Tell others about the work of the Lord through IM. Go to the website for World Mission Offering materials, missionary journals, news, videos, church resources Donate to the World Mission Offering or to a missionary or project (go to the website, click on GIVE) Subscribe to this newsletter (send address to: On Location, International Ministries, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482) Friend IM on Facebook Host a missionary at your church Consider God s call on your life 7

N LOCATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES VOL. 4, NO.

TODAY WORLD MISSION OFFERING HEAR thecall GIVING THANKS TO

Challenge WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE, July 18-25, 2014 at the

ALL International Ministries (IM) missionaries will

IM celebrates its 200th anniversary and enters its third

Veronica Ronny Lanier, a 93 year-old former home missionary

Massachusetts, was recognized at the World Mission

Over the years she has served as a guide for International

1995 opened a mission house, where visiting missionaries

Since 1965, she has led bus tours throughout New England,

Ronny is also known for sending a dollar bill with a note

7 N LOCATION INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES VOL. 4, NO WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE REFLECTIONS SUMMER 2012 American Baptist Churches USA P.O. Box 851 Valley Forge, PA see flyer enclosed GIVE TODAY WORLD MISSION OFFERING HEAR thecall GIVING THANKS TO GOD FOR RONNY LANIER Join us in a national Rise to the Challenge WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE, July 18-25, 2014 at the Green Lake Conference Center, Green Lake, Wisconsin. ALL International Ministries (IM) missionaries will participate in this inspiring event from their 29 countries of service. Plan now to experience this oncein-a-lifetime conference as IM celebrates its 200th anniversary and enters its third century of mission! The Rev. Veronica Ronny Lanier, a 93 year-old former home missionary and staff member of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, was recognized at the World Mission Conference (WMC) for her momentous work. Over the years she has served as a guide for International Ministries (IM) missionaries visiting Massachusetts and in 1995 opened a mission house, where visiting missionaries can stay while in the Boston area. Since 1965, she has led bus tours throughout New England, across the nation and to WMCs in Green Lake. Ronny is also known for sending a dollar bill with a note at special times in the lives of American Baptists serving nationally and internationally. On the last day of the WMC, a large replica of a dollar bill, signed by the IM staff and missionaries, was presented to her, recognizing her 55-year ministry and for the Honorary Doctorate of Divinity Degree she received from the American Baptist Seminary of the West on May 19, I382.PUB.08/12

EMBRACING THE CAUSE OF CHRIST AROUND THE WORLD

INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES AUTUMN 2013 N LOCATION EMBRACING THE CAUSE OF CHRIST AROUND THE WORLD The Flores family, who once benefitted from the multiple ministries of the House of Hope, now manages the