march 2013 ACCTS in action Our Mission: To assist in the development of Christian leaders in the armed forces of the world and in the establishment and growth of military Christian fellowships. Prayer Is Primary When General Srilal Weerasooriya was inducted as president of ACCTS partner organization, Association of Military Christian Fellowships (AMCF), last year, he gave an inspiring speech to all who attended the event. What follows is a condensation of his speech -- for the full text, please contact us at editor@accts.org. We hope this is helpful in understanding both AMCF s vision and direction and how ACCTS ministers internationally. Military Christian Fellowships around the world, in my view, fall into three broad categories: firstly, there are those which are strong and well-established; secondly, those which are established but lack official recognition or support; and thirdly, those which are pulsing with life but which are, sadly, subjected to major persecution. The strong, well established MCFs mainly function in countries where Christians are a strong majority. The MCFs which lack official recognition or support are often in developing countries. These MCFs are reasonably well established but are merely tolerated. And finally, the MCFs that are subjected to persecution are usually in nations where national policy does not permit, much less encourage, Christian organisations to function in any form whatsoever. I come from the second category of nations. This category of nations is mostly those which are newly emerging countries that have been under colonial domination. There is an underlying aversion to all things reminiscent of the colonial power, including religious allegiances of the same tenor. The AMCF has recognized the disparity of opportunities and possibilities in the different categories of MCFs, and, thus, conducts programs of teaching specifically designed to fortify the MCFs of the second and third categories, as described. I would like to congratulate ACCTS, MMI and MSO for the truly mean continued on page 2
Prayer is primary continued from page 1 ingful work they are doing to encourage military Christians in different parts of the world. The Lord has impressed on my heart that more attention need be paid to the conservation of the fruit already bourn, especially in the category of nations in which MCFs suffer harsh realities. Prayer is primary, while planning or strategizing is secondary, and we should never forget its power to transform impossible situations. Fasting and prayer is God s answer to a difficult situation. Prayer provides a very present power to us; it is not merely biblical or historic. Let prayer be the anchor of all our activity in forging ahead towards the goal of reaching the unreached nations of the world. May the Lord bless each one of us as we press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. Haitian MCF Leader with Christ We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of a military Christian fellowship leader in Haiti, Inspector Pierre Jonatant Jean Jacques (3 Feb. 1972-4 Feb. 2013) by unknown assailants outside a bank in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The circumstances surrounding his murder are unknown at this time, but we do know that our brother in Christ is with the Lord now! Jonatant joined the Haitian National Police in 1995, and in 1998 became part of the Haitian Coast Guard. Pastor Jonatant and his wife Nicole attended ACCTS Chaplains Interaction in 2011 and returned home to minister to, and strengthen, the newly-established Haitian MCF. Please pray for Nicole and their children as they grieve for their husband and father, and for guidance in the uncertain days ahead. Please also pray for the Haitian MCF at this time as they grieve their loss and move forward in ministry. Attention Retirees with IRAs If you have an IRA and are subject to mandatory withdrawal minimums each year, there is a way you can save some on taxes. Contributions within the amount of the mandatory withdrawal that are sent directly from the IRA to the charity of your choice are not included as taxable income. Advise your IRA institution that you wish to contribute directly to the charity of your choice, and you can mail whatever portion you designate (up to the minimum withdrawal amount) directly to the charity and thus keep it off your taxable income. You can still take the tax deduction for the contribution on Schedule A if you itemize. Questions? Contact your tax advisor or ACCTS deputy director, Bernhard Kaltenbach, at 1-800-487-8108 or finances@accts.org. ACCTS IN ACTION Page 2 March 2013
Meet the Chaplains Interaction Participants! The following people are expected to participate in ACCTS April leadership program, Chaplains Interaction. Please be in prayer for everyone who plans to attend this 14-26 April event, which takes place at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. If you would like to donate toward the scholarship costs for these participants, please send your gift (with a note that it is for Chaplains Interaction 2013) to ACCTS, PO Box 27239, Denver, CO 80227. Colombia: Luis Forero teaches leadership at a Colombian military university. He is also a leader in Colombia s military Christian fellowship (MCF), and his wife Rosa (who will also attend) is very involved in MCF ministry as well. Nigeria: Akanji Adeleke is a Nigerian liaison officer currently stationed in Cape Verde Islands. He also serves as a missionary pastor who shares Christ with military personnel. El Salvador: Colonel Jose Miranda leads a team that ministers to cadets and support personnel at El Salvador s military school. He also leads the MCF of El Salvador. have been dismissed from their careers because of their faith. Nigeria: Godshelp Osaghe is a military Christian fellowship leader who pioneered some chaplain ministry events and helps plant churches among military personnel. He has been involved in Nigeria s MCF since it was founded in 1984 and wants to become more proficient in penetrating the military with the gospel of Christ. His wife Katherine will also attend. Liberia: Chaplain Joseph Gboyah is a coordinator of Liberia s military Christians fellowship. He wants to use his participation in Chaplains Interaction to extend the MCF s scope throughout Liberia and help train others. His wife Beatrice plans to attend as well. Canada: Chaplain Liam Thomas and his wife Debbie hope to learn ways to be facilitators for a military Christian fellowship and make connections with international chaplains to learn and share ministry ideas. Nigeria: Okechukwu Okoye is a Nigerian chaplain who provides spiritual care and counseling at Nigeria s Abuja Air Force Base. He looks forward to learning more ways to manage and organize the ministry. International soldier photos courtesy USDOD. Central Asia: Two participants from Central Asian nations are expected to attend. Due to religious sensitivities in their nations we are not publicizing their names. One of the men coordinates the MCF in his nation -- the greatest challenge he faces is the prohibition of sharing Christ to those on active duty. The other participant is a leader in his military fellowship group. A challenge he faces is ministering to the small number of military Christians in his nation, some of whom Lesotho: Brig. Gen. Thabo Mohapi is an AMCF vice president who wishes to learn more about how chaplains minister in other nations. His wife Mampho will also attend. ACCTS IN ACTION Page 3 March 2013
Our Core Values: Biblically-based Spirit-led Prayer-centered People-focused Moldova Meeting In January staff member Dick Barnes met and ministered to several key people involved in Moldova s military Christian fellowship, took part in a Moldovan MCF regional leaders meeting, and participated in a worship service at their new military church. During the regional leaders meeting, participants discussed problems they face in their ministries and a four-step plan to further their outreach throughout Moldova. Dick spoke at this meeting and also at a local church. Pray for God s direction as Moldovan Christians prioritize their ministry efforts and work to locate military veterans willing to help the MCF. Ask also for increased membership in the military Christian church. ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LITTLETON, CO PERMIT NO. 162 Association for Christian Conferences Teaching and Service PO Box 27239 Denver, CO 80227-0239 Phone: 1-800-487-8108 Fax: 303-986-4710 Email: accts@accts.org Web: www.accts.org
ACCTS Prayer Reminder March 2013 When God looks down at the church, I don t believe He sees windows and walls and steeples, I think He sees an ethnically diverse, global community made up of children He loves...each of them sharing one common characteristic, they mysteriously know Him. --Donald Miller Note: Staff member names are in bold print. 1 Please pray for the international military leaders who participate in an AMCF 2014 Global Interaction pray and plan today. Pray that each step of their time together will be led by the Holy Spirit. 2 Pray for wisdom for Ed and Sally Ward, who complete a mission trip to Mongolia today, and ask that God continue to give spiritual growth to military Christians in that nation. 3 Today, Ed and Sally Ward travel to China for a shortterm trip which ends on the 9th. Praise God for the open doors He has given ACCTS in China and pray that we will have wisdom as we walk through those open doors. 4 Several ACCTS staff members request prayer against an increase in spiritual warfare among MCFs and their leaders. Pray in particular for unity from the Holy Spirit to decrease conflicts and bring healing in personal relationships. 5 Please pray for the family of Haitian MCF leader Jonatant Jean-Jacques, who was killed in February. Pray also for the MCF as it moves forward and searches for new leaders. 6 Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in all of Latin America due to youth gangs, drug trafficking, and organized crime. Praise God for Christians in this nation who are having a positive impact, and pray with military Christians and police as they battle these tough issues. 7 Macedonia has a diverse ethnic composition that complicates life in this Christian-majority nation. Pray that Christians, especially those in the military, will lead the way in living out the example of the Apostle Paul s teaching of being all one in Christ Jesus. 8 Today is the U.N. s International Women s Day. Please pray for military women around the world and military wives. Pray for God s hand over MCF ministries that are geared toward women, and praise God with us for the godly women who are involved in military ministry world-wide. 9 From 9-16 March ACCTS will sponsor two Academy Exploration trips -- a team from West Point will travel to Finland and a team from the Coast Guard academy will travel to Jamaica. All the teams will meet with indigenous military Christians, learn about their military Christian fellowships, visit military units and academies, experience military and cultural sites, and build relationships to strengthen God s kingdom. Please pray for God s guiding and protecting hand on everyone involved. 10 Pray today for the Coast Guard Academy Exploration team in Jamaica. Ask that their service to military and civilians in this country will benefit everyone they meet, and pray that their vision for ministry will be enlarged. 11 The Easter season is an ideal time for Vic and Marsha Grazier and Bill and Suzanne Lumpkin to share the spiritual meaning of Easter with international military students who are studying in the U.S. Pray for them as ACCTS prayer reminder March 2013
they share the good news of Christ s resurrection. 12 Today, pray for safety and God s guidance on all who are participating in this week s Academy Exploration trips to Finland (see Day 9 for information). Pray that the Finnish and U.S. participants will be spiritually encouraged. 13 Many people in the nation of Laos still haven t had the opportunity to hear about Christ s salvation and redemption. Pray that ACCTS and our ministry partners will be able to develop strong contacts in this nation. 14 As the established government in Central African Republic and the opposing coalition implement a government of national unity, please pray for wisdom, integrity, and protection for MCF members and their chains of command. Ask that their faithful handling of this delicate situation point people to the Lord Jesus. 15 Pray for God s direction as Moldovan Christians prioritize their ministry efforts and work to locate military veterans willing to help the MCF. Ask also for increased membership in the military Christian church. 16 Pray with ACCTS staff members, including He Gang and Jody Wang, Cal Dunlap, and Carson and Wendy Tavenner, as they plan ACCTS-related leadership training events for Chinese citizens. 17 A recent poll of 600 Irish men and women showed that they consider religion to be the least important part of their lives. Pray for military Christians in Ireland as they share their lives and faith in meaningful and relevant ways with their coworkers. 18 From 18-20 March, U.S. military ministry leaders from several different organizations will meet for the annual Fellowship of Christian Military Ministries (FCMM) meeting. The theme of this year s meeting is Ministering to the Military in the 21st Century: Addressing a New Normal. Please pray for wisdom for all who attend. 19 ACCTS is sending a medical mission team to China from 20-30 March. They will give medical care in remote, impoverished villages. Pray that they will be a blessing to everyone they meet and that these types of mission trips will result in eternal fruit. 20 As attendees at FCMM s annual meeting (see Day 18 prayer request) prepare to fly back to their organizations, pray that they will use what they learned to further their organizations military ministry in the years to come. 21 Vietnam is a Communist state with a growing economy (it is now the world s number one coffee exporter). In December, national leaders passed a decree which further restricts the religious freedoms of its people, whether they are Buddhist (the majority faith) or Christian (a minority faith). Please pray for these laws to change, and that religious freedom will be restored in this nation. 22 Romania is the largest of the Balkan nations and is 97% Christian. Praise God for military believers in this nation and ask that they continue to be a strong and productive branch in the family tree of Christianity. 23 From 23-30 March, Dean and Deena Mills will escort a team of young U.S. military people to Poland. They will meet with military Christians from that country, visit military units and academies, visit military and historic sites, and build relationships to strengthen God s kingdom. Please pray for God s guiding and protecting hand. 24 Palm Sunday The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel! -- John 12:12-13 25 Please pray for the group of young military personnel who are in Poland this week (see Day 23 prayer item). Ask that God help them grow spiritually through this week. 26 Praise God for the stability of the nation of Botswana, and pray for military Christians in this nation as they continue to be witnesses for Christ among their coworkers, family, and friends. 27 Today, many Hindus in India celebrate a colorful spring festival called Holi. Although Christians account for less than 3% of India s population, there are several military Christian fellowships spread through this large and diverse country. Praise God for them and ask God to give them guidance as they follow him. 29 Pray with military believers in Argentina as they follow Christ in a nation that is enduring difficult financial times - Argentina has been hit with double-digit inflation (inflation estimates range from 10% to 24%). 29 Good Friday So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. -- John 19:30 30 Christians are busily preparing for the 8-11 April Caribbean Military Christian Leaders Conference in Surinam. Pray for all those who are preparing as well as those who will participate, including numerous regional military Christians, AMCF vice president Nestor Ogilvie, and ACCTS staff members Bob and BJ Reifsnyder and Jim and Lois Greshel. 31 Easter I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. - Philippians 3:10-12 ACCTS prayer reminder March 2013