Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton on furlough from Peru [October 2012]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru for 28 years. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
October 4, 2012
Dear friends,
Big news, our fifth grand-child, Benjamin Ryan Stanton was born 3:14 am, Sept. 24. He was 8 lbs and 5 oz and 20.5 inches long. Both the baby and our daughter-in-law are doing well. Anita and I plan to see them in November. Our son, Josh, was able to witness the birth by I-Pad internet connection from Afghanistan. Technology is amazing!
The challenging pace of furlough continues for Anita and me. Though the pace is a bit hectic at times it does somehow feel a bit easier than our furloughs of the past. Maybe because of the nice-riding mini-van Brother Bobby Creiglow has loaned us to use while in the States; maybe because of the comfortable house to live in provided by BFM; or maybe because we take more stops and side-trips than we used too (we just spent two days at Niagara Falls celebrating Anita’s birthday!). To me the fellowship with pastors and other Christian friends seems to be sweeter than ever. Most of our supporting churches have supported our work in Peru since 1983, when we first began, and Anita and I have made many close, lifelong friendships over these past thirty years. Extraordinary hospitality is the only way to describe the wonderful meals shared and the homes and hotels provided for our rest during our travels. Let me give you a rundown of where we have been since our last letter:
August – 12 with the 7th Street Baptist Church, Cannelton, Indiana, pastor Harold Draper (am service). Old Mount Zion Baptist Church, Bluford, Illinois, without a pastor (pm service).
August – 19 with the Richland Baptist Church, Livermore, Kentucky, pastor Larry Ellis (am service). Bible Baptist Church, Harrisburg, Illinois, pastor Art Donley (pm service).
August – 26 with Rocky Springs Baptist Church, Bristol, Tennessee, pastor Greg Lovelece (am service). Grace Baptist Church, Surgoinsville, Tennessee, pastor Donnie Anderson (pm service)
August 31-September 2 with Faith Baptist Church of Kirksville, Missouri, pastor Glenn Archer (three day meeting ending on Sunday am).
September 2-3 with East Keys Baptist Church, Springfield, Illinois, pastor Dr. Dan Hilliard (Sunday pm and Labor Day Conference).
September – 9 with Berea Baptist Church of Hiddenite, North Carolina, pastor Charles Cook (both services).
September – 16 with the Calvary Baptist Church of Richmond, Kentucky, pastor Bobby Greene (both services).
September – 23 with Concord Baptist Church of Leesville, South Carolina, pastor Dr. Elton Dunbar (both services).
September – 30 with Grace Baptist Church of Temperance, Michigan, pastor Matt Brook (am service). Grace Baptist Church of Wyandotte, Michigan pastor Gary Harrah (pm service).
Anita and I have been well received by all of the churches and hope we have been an encouragement to each one; that is our goal. During these preaching opportunities we have seen several of God’s saints make commitments to serve the Lord, and one young man trusting in Christ as his Savior. A few of the churches are now planning to visit us in Peru in the next few years. On occasion I have counseled with a few pastors and friends encouraging them in their ministry and walk with the Lord. We have every weekend scheduled through the middle of December, and are looking forward to being with each one!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Hilda Bayhi (Anita’s sister) is taking chemotherapy and radiation treatments for brain cancer.
- Our son, Major Joshua Stanton, USAF, for his safety as a pilot flying missions in Afghanistan.
- God’s grace and protection as we continue our furlough travels and also for God to ease the pain in Anita’s knees.
- For the Calvary Baptist Mission of Huánuco, Peru and all the churches and pastors of Peru.
- For each family reading this letter to consider giving $1.00 a day through your church designated for the General fund of Baptist Faith Mission.
- For the churches reading this letter please consider giving a special, generous, Thanksgiving Offering designated for the General Fund of Baptist Faith Mission.
Anita and I continue to rejoice in the blessing of having shared warm fellowship with so many of you thus far, and we are looking forward to being with the rest of you in the months to come! Until next month.
In HIM by HIS grace,
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Furlough Address:
1012 Balsam Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
(859) 277-3716 – mission house
(859) 490-5370 – cell in States
(614) 500-8823
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley [October 2012]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
Dear friends,
Forgive us for not writing to you last month. We have been in such a whirlwind of events that the time just got away from us. Nothing has slowed down yet but we seem to have gotten our priorities in order this month.
We were in the States for 2 weeks in August with Barb’s Mother to help her celebrate her 90th birthday. That was a blessing. While there I was also privileged to preach at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church where Pastor Thomas is the pastor. While there we were so rushed that all I had time to do was to gain more weight. That is so easy to put on and so hard to get rid of. (lol)
On returning we were blessed with a group from Centerville Baptist Church in Georgia. They were an AWESOME ministry group for our public schools. With them we were able to reach two schools to spread the gospel. We did Bible Schools and a work project in each school. Just saying that it does not seem like much ministry but the inroads made were AWESOME. The principals were astonished that we were willing to help with some needed repairs that they had been unable to get done. Then the friendships that were established with the children are truly amazing. One of the schools is located near the Vocational School and here we will be able to do more follow-up with the school and principal.
This group gave one AWESOME day for us working at the Vocational School. We were able to hang doors and do some interior painting in the dorm house. God is so AWESOME.
The ladies at Centerville were so gracious in making cloth bags for us to use in the food basket ministry that we did while the group was here. I must take my hat off to the ladies in the sewing group–they did an AWESOME job. We were able to mount 43 food bags and the majority of those were taken to the Indians at their reservation. What an unexpected blessing for these Indians that the Government has practically forgotten. This tribe I must say is very very poor. This word does not tell just how bad the situation is for these people. Their spiritual lives are just as bad as their physical lives. They have served so many gods for so long in their tradition that it is very hard to break through to them and make them understand that there is only one God. There are about 250 in this tribe and there is another tribe in the same area. Pray for these Indians, and for the people that work with them, that they would hear the word and accept the only living God as their Savior and Lord.
The remainder of these food baskets were given to some of the families in our church. We sometimes forget those who do not have 3 square meals a day because we do have. Everybody just simply does not have the basic necessities. So what an AWESOME blessing for the Church to be able to minister with these basic necessities. Thanks, Pastor Allen and Church!
While talking about the Church–ours is going great. We have around 90 members and the fellowship is growing along with the membership. We are having around 140 in attendance on Sunday night and this is a blessing to see.
This past weekend the ladies of the Church had a Ladies Retreat. It was a great blessing to many women. They received cloth bags that were sewn by the sewing group there at Centerville Church also. Everyone loved their gift. When the retreat ended, Barb and I headed out on a 3 hour trip for me to preach at the Church in Natividadi da Serra. We helped begin this mission 6 years ago and now it is a Church established for 1 year. It was my pleasure to preach at this one-year anniversary and to see the growth that has occurred in these years. They started out in a house then moved to a room then opened the front of the room and added a covered garage. They are now spilling out to the street. They started with 6-8 children and Pastor George and Alda. Sunday night there were 80 or more in attendance. Those children that were there at the beginning are now adult teenagers leading music and one has surrendered to the ministry. What God is doing there in that location is AWESOME!!!!! As you can tell they are needing some land to build a new building. Please make this a matter of prayer for the Church at Natividadi da Serra.
Well it is beginning our Spring and soon it will be Summer and HOT here so if you get tired of the cold there in the States just call and we will put some more water in the beans and turn down your bed. In other words you are always welcome here in Caraguatatuba, Sao Paulo. We will be honored to show you what God is doing with your mission dollars.
This photo does not show you the awful conditions but you can see some of the Indian children that desperately need Jesus as their Savior.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: Harold Bratcher in Brazil [October 2012]
October 3, 2012.
Dear Brothers of the Blessed Lord and Sisters of the Savior:
Once again I greet you from the Amazon Valley of Brazil, South America. The residents of Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, are enjoying the pleasant weather of not quite so hot, due to the frequent rains. The rainy season does not officially start until late November and most days have been very hot and dry. So this summer has been unusual with even a cyclone two weeks ago.
During these last two months, each Sunday morning, evening, Wednesday evening,and some Saturdays, I have left my house and home and gone by the taxi of one of our members, Bro. Raimundo, or the car of Bro. Mario Jorge, to the 24th of March Baptist Church, where I either preached or heard a sermon by another preacher. My assistant pastor, Bro. Williams Mendes, will be questioned before the ordination council Saturday. Continue to pray for them and for us.
This Mission Sheets month began July 5th and finishes today. During this period I preached 25 sermons, all at the 24th of March Baptist Church where I serve as the pastor, with the exception of Monday night when I preached the 20 minute birthday sermon at the house of Bro. Francisco Chagas Braz, who was celebrating his 54th birthday. This dear brother is a great blessing to us as he is the watchman for the house on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. This is necessary in order to avoid unexpected, uninvited and undesired visitors. During this period I heard a total of 7 sermons preached at 2 different places. One was at the organization of the Church at Sao Pedro, where Jair Mendonca is pastor. The other was at the Communion Baptist Church on July 15th. On that very day, we were celebrating 53 years since arriving in Manaus for the first time with my family. Also, I was celebrating 65 years of being in the ministry. Pastor Teodorio Souza preached to over 300 people present, 15 pastors and 22 churches represented. The church also gave me a 650 reais ($350) offering, 10 reais for each year in the ministry. Also, I was able to pray at Marie’s and Joel’s grave on Father’s Day and deposit a wreath of flowers at the request and due to the generosity of Bob Porter. As I stood there in the 100 degree heat, I thanked our Savior that both of them are safely home, awaiting us. As we count the days, Saudades abound.
I conclude this letter asking that you pray for my future plans. As of now, I plan to conclude my missionary efforts in the Amazon Valley in January, when I will be returning home for my regular furlough. I don’t plan to return to the Land of Eternal Summer. I have my home of 47 years on the market and when it sells, I would like to buy a small one there in Lexington.
May we all continue to heed the pleas of Pastor Dave Parks for more offerings for Baptist Faith Missions. I am thankful that during the remainder of this year of 2012 so far, he has not had to reduce the benefits and salaries that the missionaries of Baptist Faith Missions receive. I need the prayers of those we love, as well as those that love us.
I am doing well, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Thank you to all of you who have asked about us. To God and Him only, be the Glory, for what He has done, is doing, and will still do through His humble servants. Until next month.
Yours in the Service of the Savior,
Harold Bratcher
Rua Francisco Jose Furtado No. 2
Bairro de Sao Francisco
69.079-200 Manaus, Amazonas
Brasil, S.A.
harold_bratcher[at]yahoo.com
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Missionary Update: Mike & Beverly Creiglow in Brazil [October 2012]
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together for 40 years. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
Dear Brethren,
The same day we arrived from Manaus was Crissy’s college graduation. No need to mention her top of the class grades. She also did all the gabbing to the crowd that night. Adam, Monica, Andrew and Crissy are all very good at what they do. They all get their good looks from Beverly. They get their success from the Lord. I just get to brag and enjoy it all.
A couple of days later I visited our church at Lagoinha and preached for them. They had well over 200 people present. Recently they built a brand new building and called a young man who was born and reared at our camp. Valdeci has got them back to doing missions and seems to be leading the church in a good direction. It had been almost dead not long ago. I feel better, now.
Pastor Pedro held our annual couple’s camp. There were 62 couples present. Many of them had to sleep in tents since we don’t have enough cabins. The ladies camp earlier last month had over 140 women. The men have gotten together and will be building at least 2 more cabins by December. I started the camp ministry in 1977 and just in the last few years has the church really seen the need and usefulness of the camp. These things take time and perseverance.
This week we got the last bracing out from the 2nd floor of the annex. Looking good. We are now going to be able to use the 9 class rooms, 3 bath rooms, storage room, sound room and 1500 square foot meeting hall. None of this is finished out, but we will go ahead and use it as we work. At the same time I am building 2 more bathrooms just off of the third floor and a pretty good size kitchen. I have already made the 14 steel columns. Tomorrow I start building the steel trusses to the third and final floor.
Hudson just got back from up river. He and 3 other of our evangelists did house to house, person to person evangelism on a section of the Juruá River. The section they covered is from the mouth of the Grajaú River to the mouth of the Cruzeiro do Vale River. Almost 50 miles of river. I don’t know how many people they witnessed to, but he said there were 23 professions of faith.
Here in town we haven’t had that many people saved, but continue to have one or 2 every week. Last Sunday a man who I’ve known for many years, Ivan, made his public profession of faith. He works for the state road department. For a long time he worked on the ferry, so we had plenty of little and sometimes longer chats over the years.
Our small group meetings have been great. We have people from all walks of life. We have everything from an ex convict (who we won through our prison ministry) to doctors, engineers, a district attorney, a judge and 3 businessmen. One of our guys even sells bananas to make a living. Everyone is treated alike and gets along just great in Christ. This is fun to see and be part of. Last night we met by the Moa River and grilled some burgers to go along with our Bible study. When we finally got home it was 92 degrees in our house at 11:30PM. Here’s the deal: If it gets too cold for you there in the States and you need some physical and spiritual warmth, then come on down.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [October 2012]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making,”
October 2, 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Judy and I are thankful that God has placed us in Southern France as his witnesses. We are also grateful for your unfailing support.
A few weeks ago, a young man, who has attended on Sundays in Tournefeuille from time to time, called me to ask if he could start studying the Bible with me. The Lord had convicted him that he was wasting his life. He started coming twice a week after work and we study the Bible for a couple of hours each session. He gives evidence of having trusted the Lord and tomorrow we are studying what the Bible has to say about baptism.
The ladies are planning a Vacation Bible School which is to take place the first week of November. This may seem like a strange time to have Vacation Bible School, but we have found that this is the best time to have it. The children have a week of Fall break vacation. Since families do not generally leave town at this time, the attendance is usually better than in the summer.
Teachable Moments
Teaching God’s Word to children is at the heart of our ministry. Consider your own situation. Were you saved early in life? Equally, reaching adults is essential. Most people who are serving Christ had natural or spiritual parents as examples and nurturers. Consider the case of Timothy. God used his natural mother and grandmother to lead him to Christ and nurture him spiritually, but also used Paul as an adoptive father to continue this process. Perhaps, now would be a good time for each of us to stop and give thanks to God for those that He used or is using to nurture our spiritual life. So, in the service of Christ, we seek to be used by God to reach people of all ages: children, teenagers, young adults, mature adults, aging adults. No one is beyond God’s reach and He reaches through you and me. The questions we must ask ourselves continuously is, “What kind of witness am I?” and “How am I contributing to the training of disciples?”.
We are encouraged that recently two more ladies from our congregation in Tournefeuille have started to help with the children’s classes. God gives to each person gifts and abilities. It is our job to encourage the use of these abilities for Christ and by example and word. Believers grow up in Christ when each part of the body of Christ performs as God planned in their function. Each Sunday afternoon the leaders of our congregation meet to review what God is doing, agree on what God wants us to do, and pray together.
The other Bible studies are going well and we see encouraging signs that God is at work. At the last Bible study in Mazere there were two new participants.
May God richly bless you,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: The Wacasers [October 2012]
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
October 2, 2012
Dear Friends,
About 6 years ago a 16 year old boy came to visit our former church. His visit was based on the interest he had in a tall blonde 16 year old girl who was a member there. His name is Guilherme. He and and his friend had met the girl on the city bus and she invited them to church. Guilherme began to attend church and our youth meetings regularly and was eventually saved and baptized. He was raised in a broken home, his parents having divorced and remarried. He was living at the time with his father because his mother had married a man from Portugal, but was working and living in Spain. After 2 years of growth and discipleship at our church, Guilherme went to live with his mom and his stepfather in Spain. As many of you know, most of Europe is steeped in agnosticism and atheism. While Guilherme was there for three years he found it very difficult to locate other Christians with whom he could fellowship and grow spiritually. When he returned to Brazil about a year ago, he had become distant and somewhat cold toward the things of the Lord. But God had not grown cold toward Guilherme. I heard that he had returned to Brazil and I found his new telephone number and began to call him from time to time and would drop by to visit him at his job. The Lord used this to stir in him a sense of homesickness for the fellowship he had experienced earlier around the time of his conversion. In recent months, Guilherme has been coming very regularly to church and has been showing great signs of spiritual growth. On many occasions he brings visitors with him. He has already brought his dad and stepmother, his mother and stepfather (who now live in Brazil) and last week he brought his younger sister and her baby daughter. He has also brought several of his friends to the youth meetings. In the place of that coldness that had slipped into his life we now see a rising passion for the Lord in Guilherme and we are praying that God will continue to use him to reach others with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Charlene and I sold our house. We had it on the real estate market for 3 years and last month we closed the deal. Since we bought the house in 1987 it had gone up quite a bit in value. Of course, so had the rest of the real estate market in Brazil, much like what was happening in the US market back before 2008. But, we bought a house at a lower price and we plan to use part of the difference to complete our construction and finish the work at our new church. The Lord blessed us and we want to honor Him because of His grace toward us.
Our Projeto Vida motorhomes and teams have been very busy. Three teams are in the interior of the country sharing the gospel in public schools and parks as I write this. We had the opportunity to be in six cities this month and present Christ’s love to over 5,000 people. We know that God’s word is powerful and that many lives have and will be changed eternally because of their having heard it preached and through their surrender to Christ as Lord and Savior. Our missionary volunteers are a constant source of joy, excitement, and encouragement to us as they return from each trip bubbling over with the joy of serving the Lord and being used by Him to touch people’s lives with His love and salvation.
My son, Brennen, has grown quite a bit. He is now 15 years old. As most of you know, soccer (or “futebol” as it is called in Brazil) is a major pastime here. Brennen plays soccer quite well since he has been playing it nearly all of his life. But a few years ago regular “football” (American style) caught hold here and interest in it is growing rapidly. New teams are sprouting up quickly and Brennen has become a player on one of these teams. The most important aspect about this to us as servants of the Lord is how we might use this phenomenon to gain a platform to share the gospel. Since the sport is so connected to American culture, our nationality provides an open door of opportunity to the enthusiasts of the sport. A good friend of mine is the coach of one of the most successful teams in the league. He has told me that any US coaches and players interested in teaching or demonstrating the skills would be more than welcome to come and share both their expertise and their testimonies of Christ’s work in their lives with the players. There is also a great need for football equipment; pads, clothing, helmets, balls, cleats, etc. If any of you have football skills (either to teach or play) or football equipment and would like to use them to share the gospel, we have a prime opportunity for you. Contact me at the numbers/addresses provided.
Thank you for your prayers and faithful support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby, Charlene and Brennen Wacaser
Important Notice: New Address!
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
(813)436-9980
robertmw[at]brturbo.com.br
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [October 2012]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
October 2, 2012
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed so quickly, and we are now near the end of the year 2012. How we need to be busy serving the Lord and making the most of the opportunities that He gives us to serve Him. A quote I read recently which really challenged me was this: “Now is the time to serve God.” How true, and what a challenge, that we would be busy serving Him while we have the opportunity. This prayer letter will give current updates as well as prayer requests.
The church in Shangalamwe that my friend Roger Tate and I have been working with is continuing along well, although there are definite challenges. One of the major challenges here is the dependency in the culture. This is a regular battle here, and one of the major struggles. Please pray that these dear people would see the need to trust in the Lord and not the missionary or anyone or anything else. Philippians 4:19 says “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Please pray that the people would truly trust in the Lord and rely upon Him each day.
God has been providing people who are coming faithfully and regularly. We thank the Lord for this. The church members are doing well, and we ask you to not only pray for them, but also for those who have been coming and who wish to join the church in the future. We have taught them much, and are now progressing soon to the training and mentoring of the national whom the church chose as their elder. This time is very important, so please pray for us, each week, that we would teach the church in love, and also that the church would see the truth of the Bible and desire to break away from any false teachings or customs which are not according to the Bible. We will keep you updated of this ministry.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. God has brought new prisoners to this ministry, for which I am thankful. I thank the Lord for the men who are coming, studying the Word, and am thrilled with the spiritual growth I see in many of them. We are now learning about the life of Christ on earth as well as His ministry. Lord willing, we plan to study many more teachings in the future. The chaplains and head office are cooperative, for which I thank the Lord. Please pray for these men, that they would not only hear the Word of God, but hide it in their heart and memorize it. This will greatly help them in their walk with the Lord. A very good verse is Psalm 119:11, which says “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” We will keep you updated on the progress of this ministry.
In family news, our daughters are both doing well. Camille is now walking very well and increasing in her vocabulary. She is such a blessing to our family. She will be two years old soon, which does not seem possible. McKenna is the typical four year old, and is growing very quickly. She will start school next year, which also does not seem possible. Please pray that we would be the Biblical example that we need to be for our children. What a blessing it is to be a parent, but also what a big responsibility.
As far as prayer requests, please pray for our safety, health, and that we would follow the Lord where He leads. Also, in a more specific prayer request, a work permit is needed through the Kenyan government for us to be able to stay legally in the country. The permits usually go for different periods of time, and ours expires in April of next year. Please pray, that if it be the Lord’s will, that this permit would be renewed quickly and without any difficulties or issues. We trust the Lord completely in this, and know the Lord will guide and direct us in accordance with His will. Psalm 48:14 states “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” What a great God we serve, Who is faithful to guide us throughout our lives. Aren’t you thankful for His guidance? We will be sure to keep you updated. Thanks again for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement. We could not do this without each of you.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [October 2012]
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. While on your side of the world you are gradually moving toward Autumn, on this side of the world we are gradually moving out of the rainy season and into the hotter, dryer season. I was feeling sorry for myself earlier this week because I love the Autumn. I haven’t experienced fall in five years because things are pretty much the same year round here in Kenya. Isn’t that a silly thing to be feeling sorry for yourself about? I agree. Sometimes we just have to kick ourselves out of silly moods like that and appreciate again all that God has provided for us.
Here’s a question for you. Do you find living the Christian life to be a challenge sometimes? Of course you do. Do you ever find Christian ministry in the States to be a challenge? Of course you do. I find Christian ministry here in Kenya to be a challenge sometimes too. I know you already know that but I wanted you to know that I also recognize that it’s no different in the States. Christian ministry can be a challenge no matter where you are. Here is a challenge I have been facing here in Kenya lately: Trying to get Kenyans to break from their traditions and accept and follow more Biblical models (I know! I know! If you do any Christian ministry in the States you will face similar problems). So, I spent a few weeks teaching and preparing the new church for taking the Lord’s Supper together. We looked at all the passages dealing with this topic in the New Testament so that they could have a full understanding of what it means for a church to share the Lord’s Table together. We are now scheduling a time for the church to celebrate this together. But now I am facing traditions. I have been told we MUST have a new white cloth to cover the communion bread with. If we don’t have this cloth we are not showing proper respect. I had to deal with this tradition. Next, I was told we MUST have the little cups used for the “fruit of the vine”. When I asked why, I was told “because it’s tradition and without it we can’t show proper respect”. I had to deal with this tradition. I told them we could use their everyday tea cups instead of buying the traditional cups from the store. They didn’t like that idea. Finally, I was told we couldn’t use chapatti for our communion bread (chapatti is a flat, non-leavened bread that the Kenyans eat every day. It would work perfect for communion). Again, when I asked why, they told me it was because chapatti is too common and every day and that special communion bread had to be bought from the store. I had to deal with this tradition. My challenges don’t stop with the Lord’s Table. The church also wanted to start taking up offerings so I thought it would be best to teach them on this subject. I wanted to show them how New Testament churches used offerings (knowing that they wanted to take up offerings for other, non-biblical reasons). I scoured the New Testament and found that when the early churches took up offerings or used money it was either to help the poor, assist widows and orphans, or to help a missionary go to the next city so he could continue to preach the gospel in other cities and spread the kingdom of Christ on the earth. They were OK with this teaching as long as there was money left over after they bought a shamba (a small farm), built a new church building, bought various kinds of musical instruments, bought new chairs (for who knows what reason), and paid all the elders their stipend. Now, while there is nothing sinful about any of these uses for an
offering, trust me, there is not enough money in their collection to pay for any of these uses, let alone the more Biblical uses. All I could say over and over again was, “It’s
better to follow the Biblical examples than our worldly traditions”. In the end, do you
know what I want for these dear people? It’s not for them to follow their worldly traditions. It’s not even for them to follow me. No, I want them to learn how to follow the Bible. All I can do is continue to point them to the Bible and say, “Follow that”.
That’s the challenge I face. Do you face it as well? Fortunately, the church here is
learning to do just that. And we also thank God for the four new people who want to
become members of this new church.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, & Josiah)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
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