Month: August 2021

Prayer and giving most needed in response to Afghanistan crisis

The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan, storming across the nation and capturing all major cities within a matter of days. This political takeover occurred just weeks before the U.S. was set to complete its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In the current crisis, an exodus is building as people by the thousands try to evacuate the country. Tens of thousands of Afghans who may be vulnerable to Taliban retaliation are looking for a chance of escape. One primary group of Afghan refugees are Christians fleeing imminent persecution, as well as other religious minorities, ethnic minorities and women and girls.

Send Relief is working with resettlement agencies to minister to Afghan refugees as they flee political unrest and religious, ethnic and gender-based persecution. We are partnering with these resettlement agencies to determine the most strategic plan to empower local churches to care for Afghan refugees in resettlement communities around the world.

At this time, we are asking those who want to support our response to do so through prayer and giving. You can find updates on the Send Relief website here: https://www.sendrelief.org/projects/afghanistan-crisis/

Prayer Requests:

Pray for the Afghan people as they navigate political unrest, violence and persecution. Pray that they may find peace in Christ among overwhelming circumstances.
Pray that God would intervene and glorify His name in this tragic situation.
Pray for Afghan believers whose lives are being threatened by the new regime. Ask God to give them courage and strength.
Pray that the millions of Afghans who have never heard the gospel will have an opportunity to hear.
Pray for neighboring countries, as well as countries around the globe, as they attempt to host the surge of refugees coming out of Afghanistan.

The post Prayer and giving most needed in response to Afghanistan crisis appeared first on IMB.

A prayer guide for the people of Afghanistan

The startling images of men, women, and children forcing their way onto a military plane in Kabul, Afghanistan, stand in contrast to the images of my daily life strewn before me. My children’s toys are scattered across the floor. Backpacks and digital devices hang ready for school, and half-eaten breakfasts fill the sink. In the midst of my undeserved blessings and comfort, I don’t want to forget the people of Afghanistan, made in the image of God, who are facing unimaginable suffering. 

The tragedy of what has transpired in Afghanistan has gripped the hearts of many Americans like me. As we read the headlines and watch the videos of the Taliban takeover, those of us who feel so far way are not powerless despite how it may seem. As those who trust in Christ, we can support the Afghan people in prayer by calling upon our Lord and his vast power. 

When we face a daunting and complex situation, praying the scriptures is a great guide for us — and it transforms our minds in the process. (Rom. 12:2) Paul instructs us to pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). Below are a few prompts to help you pray for the Afghan church and people throughout the day. 

Pray against the darkness

Any prayer offered to God is an engagement in spiritual battle. 

Pray against the cosmic powers of darkness to be pushed back. Ephesians 6 says: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” Pray against the schemes of the devil in Afghanistan and around the world (2 Cor. 2:10-11; Eph. 6:11). Pray that evil acts done in secret would come to the light. (Eph. 5:13)

Pray for those who remain

Even before the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, the nation was facing a hunger crisis. In July, the international charity Oxfam reported that 42 percent of the population were in “crisis-level hunger or worse.” It is now reported that the Taliban is going house to house to exert control, and many are in danger.

Pray for God’s provision for the physical needs for food, shelter, and water for the Afghan people (Matt. 6:11).Pray for supernatural protection for those in Afghanistan facing oppression and difficulty. Pray that they would experience Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you.”  Pray for the safety and provision of U.S. and Afghan military forces who remain in the country.Pray for the missionaries and non-governmental organizations who have remained to continue on in their work amidst the humanitarian crisis.

Pray for those who have left

It must be a jarring and traumatic experience to be forced to flee from your country and the only home you’ve ever known. Not only that, many of those who have left Afghanistan don’t know where they will go. 

Pray for the international community to aid refugees who have fled or are currently fleeing persecution in Afghanistan. Pray for Afghan people living in different parts of the world as they watch and grieve for their country (Psa. 34:18).The ERLC has advocated for special refugee status for those feeling the country (Exodus 23:9; Lev. 19:33). Pray for government leaders in the U.S. to have compassion, wisdom, and courage as they make decisions that will affect many lives (1 Tim. 2:2). 

Pray for the women of Afghanistan

It is widely reported that life under Taliban rule is highly restricted, and often dangerous, for women — even young women who are more rightly identified as children. Many women who have lived with two decades of freedom are waiting to see what life will be like for them in these circumstances. 

Pray that they would know they are created in the image of God and highly valuable. (Gen. 1:26-27)Pray for those who will affirm and advocate for the dignity of women and demonstrate Proverbs 31: “open our mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open our mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”Pray for basic freedoms for women, such as education, to remain intact. Pray for the protection of the vulnerable from those who would prey on and abuse them (James 1:27).

Pray for the Afghan church

Afghanistan has long been a place of risk for Christians. According to Open Doors USA’s annual World Watch List, the second most dangerous place to be a Christian in the world is Afghanistan, only very slightly less oppressive than in North Korea.

Mindy Belz, senior editor at World magazine, who has traveled and written extensively about the Christian church in the Middle East, reported: “One leader of a house church network (with more than 500 members) received on Aug. 12 a letter signed by Taliban militants threatening him and his family. ‘We know where you are and what you are doing,’ it read.”

Pray for the church to be “strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that [they] may have great endurance and patience” (Col. 1:11).Pray that the Lord would direct their hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance (2 Thess. 2:5).Pray for the gospel witness of the Afghan church. Pray that Muslims, and others, would “call upon the name of the Lord” in this time of duress (Psa. 50).  

Pray for hope

The terrible situation in Afghanistan looks bleak, but as Christians, we know it is not without hope. Ours is the God of redemption and has a long history of bringing beauty from the ashes. 

Pray for Christians in Afghanistan and beyond to remain hopeful in the Lord and his purposes. Pray that those facing difficulty would experience peace despite their circumstances, as Elizabeth Elliot writes in Suffering is Never for Nothing, “We’re not adrift in chaos. We’re held in the everlasting arms” (Psalm 13).Pray that these sufferings will lead to hope anchored in God’s love, as is promised in ​​Romans 5:3-5: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Pray that God will grant believers joy in the midst of trouble and would enable unbelievers to receive the message of the gospel (1 Thess. 1:6).  Pray that they would soon experience Psalm 90:15: “Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us.”

Pray for the Taliban

Jesus told his followers, “But I tell you who hear Me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). Even though our daily lives aren’t immediately threated by the Taliban, we must identify ourselves with our brothers and sisters in Christ and exemplify Christ’s heart in our prayers.

Praise God that “anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13). And pray that the members of the Taliban will call upon Christ. Pray that they will experience “the fragrance of Christ” from the Christian church and be led to life (2 Cor. 2:13-14).Pray that their plans would be thwarted and that they would be unable to hurt others. And pray that those who make up the Taliban will repent of their sin and turn to Christ and his forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

FIRST-PERSON: An encouraging statistic

Editor’s note: Todd Gray is executive director-treasurer of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) – Seldom do I find statistical information encouraging. In fact, the opposite is usually true. But my reaction was strikingly different when Lifeway’s research director, Scott McConnell, shared with a group of leaders some statistical discoveries about churches from earlier this year.

The stat that caught my attention was the way church members viewed their church’s approach to handling the COVID-19 global pandemic. Overall, church members are pleased with how their church, and as a byproduct their pastor, handled the pandemic.

Let me repeat that statement in a different way. Most church members are not openly or privately critical of how their church and their pastor handled the decisions that needed to be made during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Scott McConnell and his team asked the same survey question in two different ways. Question No. 35 stated, “I am ashamed of how my church has responded during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Eleven percent of respondents somewhat disagreed, and 74 percent strongly disagreed. Question No. 34 stated, “I am proud of how my church has responded during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Eighty-six percent of respondents agreed with that statement either strongly or somewhat. This is encouraging news to decision-weary church leaders across Kentucky.

What can Southern Baptists do with this research?

Find a way to show appreciation to your pastors and church leaders. Leaders are required to make determinative and directional decisions every day, but never so many new decisions as they were forced to make during COVID. No one except Jesus makes the right decision all the time, but our pastors, working with deacons and other church leaders, navigated the pandemic decisions well. Find a significant way to tell them, “Thank you.”
Remember the squeaky wheel principle. While it may have sounded like an entire army of church members were angry about masks requirements, seating arrangements, online versus in-person services and much more, the truth is that it was only about 12 percent and, in many cases, they disagreed with each other. Never let a handful of unhappy church members set the tone – or the direction – for how the Lord is leading the church forward through the church’s designated leaders.
Remember to be patient with one another when we are in unprecedented times. There, I said it. I used the word that was so overused during COVID – unprecedented. But it fits. These were unprecedented times, and our leaders were forced to lead through previously uncharted waters. Those of us who follow need to remember to be patient with our leaders and with one another during times like these.

Even as we await the end of the pandemic, we are much further down the road than we were 18 months ago. We are wiser and, hopefully, a little more humble. May the Lord continue to bless His churches and their leaders with the wisdom they need to walk us through whatever may come our way.

First Person: Cake to Christ is my sweet ministry

Baking cakes has been one way Missionary Karen Lee is reaching local women in Tanzania.

Baking cakes has been one way Missionary Karen Lee is reaching local women in Tanzania.

I always say I have a sweet ministry.

I teach cake baking to women in Tanzania. My husband, Richard, uses the evangelism method Creation to Christ, which tells the gospel story through a series of stories that starts with creation and ends with Christ’s death and resurrection.

I like to say that I teach Cake to Christ. When women are learning how to bake a cake, they’re getting the gospel.

A Tanzanian girl poses with one of the cakes Karen Lee taught her how to make.

When I’m teaching Christian women, I always ask them, “How many of you have neighbors who don’t know Jesus?”

All of them raise their hand.

I then ask  if they share the gospel with their neighbors, who are predominantly Muslim.

They say, “No, we don’t share because we’re scared.”

I ask them if their neighbors like eating cake, and all of them say yes. I suggest that they take a cake they baked and give it to their neighbors to help build a relationship. Bringing a cake when their neighbors are breaking their fasting during Ramadan is a great way to love and serve, and they will rejoice that they have this treat to eat after they fasted all day.

I tell the women, “When they bring that plate back to you, they’re going to keep saying ‘thank you,’ because that’s in their culture. And then you can say, ‘This was a sweet gift, but let me tell you how Jesus is sweet in my life.’”

Cake allows me to build relationships with women in Tanzania, and it also connects me with women in the African American churches that my husband and I have been interacting with through Church Connections while we are back in the U.S.

Hearing about my cake ministry forms a connection with women, especially older women, in the churches. Baking and cooking resonate with the African American community. Being African American, I know our culture, and I’m sharing how I’m using something that is a beautiful part of our culture for gospel purposes. That fosters relationships and interest in missions.

Download Easy Cake (Keki Rahisi) Recipe

Richard has told people, “When Karen uses Cake to Christ, she’s using her gifting, which is service, and leveraging that for God, leveraging that for gospel proclamation or evangelism. That’s another thing that connects us because I know a lot of these churches are always looking for better ways in which to help motivate their congregations to be involved in evangelism.”

We have had churches ask us to host trainings on evangelism to help their members effectively share the gospel, both in their neighborhoods and overseas.

At a recent global missions conference at Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, California, I shared about my Cake to Christ ministry in several classes. When I finished sharing stories, I asked, “How many of you have neighbors, and what is preventing you from bringing them cake or cookies? I don’t just mean your neighbor to the left or right, because Jesus gave us a definition of who our neighbor is.”

Though most of the people in my classes were women, two men told me they are the baker in the family.

“Well, get! Get your bake on,” I tell them. “Bake some cookies and go take them to your neighbors. Tell them, ‘Jesus is sweet in my life, and I was baking, and I thought, I just want to share some sweetness with you.’”

One woman told me after the class that she was so excited for the weekend because she planned to bake for her neighbors. I look forward to hearing about the conversations she has as a result of her act of service.

Baking has allowed me to share the gospel with Tanzanian women, and it has provided an inroad for women on two continents to share the gospel with their neighbors.

Missionary Karen Lee teaches a group of women in Tanzania learn how to bake cakes, but more importantly, they learn the gospel and how to share the love of Christ through those cakes.

Karen Lee serves with her husband, Richard, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The post First Person: Cake to Christ is my sweet ministry appeared first on IMB.

Former SBTC disaster relief leader dies of COVID-19

GRAPEVINE—Edward “Gibbie” McMillan, the SBTC’s first disaster relief director, died Aug. 17 after contracting COVID-19. McMillan served the convention from 2003 to 2006. He left the SBTC to be director of men’s ministry and disaster relief strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. He retired from the LBC April 30. He since became the pastor of Taylor Creek Baptist Church in Kentwood, Louisiana.  

McMillan was the SBTC’s DR director when Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana Gulf Coast in 2005. Shortly after that strike, Hurricane Rita tore through East Texas. Under McMillan’s leadership, the convention trained thousands of new DR volunteers to serve in Louisiana, East Texas and in Houston, where many New Orleans residents had evacuated seeking shelter and food. Volunteers served food and provided other types of relief at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. 

SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick was an East Texas pastor when McMillan served in Texas. “Gibbie McMillan was a choice servant of the Lord. His leadership in the disaster relief ministries in the early days of the SBTC helped to shape what it is today. Gibbie lived with utmost integrity, ministered with kindness and grace, and left a legacy that has impacted countless lives for eternity. The SBTC family is grateful to God for Gibbie.” 

McMillan is survived by his wife, Katera, two daughters and three grandchildren. 

Funeral plans are currently tentative, scheduled for noon, Saturday, Aug. 21, at New Zion Baptist Church in Kentwood, Louisiana. DR volunteers who attend are asked to wear their yellow shirts and blue jeans.  

Tale of two journeys on the refugee highway

Refugee image

On the road to a new life, many female refugees experience sexual trauma, grief and sometimes domestic abuse. Christians are providing a road map to healing.

Refugees take more than one journey. The more obvious journey is the one they make from instability and threats of violence and death to Western nations in search of stability and safety.

Another journey many women take is through a trail of sexual trauma, grief and sometimes domestic abuse.

William and Darlene King* serve among refugee populations in Europe. Darlene helps women navigate these dark corridors from trauma to healing. Darlene partners with other Christian organizations to provide for the mental health needs of refugees by hosting trauma healing seminars and offering counseling.

Darlene recalls one woman named Estere* who came to a trauma healing seminar she and other Christians hosted.

At first, Estere was downcast and didn’t make eye contact or participate. By the end of the second day, however, Estere was smiling, talking and contributing.

During the second round of the seminar, Estere shared she was walking through a difficult season at the time. During that session, they taught about grief and domestic abuse. Women began crying at the end of the session – the content hit close to home.

“We could not walk out the door like this, so I said, “Okay, everybody stand up. Let’s all say one way that we have been strong,” Darlene said.

“I have hope that things will get better,” Estere shared.

Darlene explained how this was an encouragement because, for Estere and the other women, life situations aren’t necessarily going to change. The women will most likely face seasons of suffering and trials for a long time, and hope can be as elusive as permanent resettlement.

“If you have hope that you’ll feel differently, or you have hope that you’ll find healing, then you can get through it. And so, knowing what [Estere] had been through and hearing her say that she was strong by having hope was a real encouragement,” Darlene explained.

All the women who attend the seminars have gone through trauma on their journey to Europe, and it is common for trauma survivors to have a disconnect in their brain that is a coping mechanism, Darlene said. The women need mental health education and to learn healthy coping skills.

“They also need Jesus,” Darlene said. “We’re sharing the gospel, we’re sharing the mental health education, we’re hopefully providing therapy opportunities and exercise classes and the things that can help people work through their depression and anxiety and at the same time point them toward Christ.

The women use a seminar program developed by the American Bible Society’s Trauma Healing Institute.

There are 11 core lessons in the seminar, which dive into how to help rape victims or women who have experienced domestic abuse, attempted suicide or developed a drug addiction.

The lessons have been translated, adapted and geared toward Muslims. One of the sessions in the seminar focuses on shame and guilt.. The curriculum provides stories about circumstances women in similar situations have experienced.

“When people can talk about someone else’s story, they can process their own feelings without admitting that it’s their own story also,” Darlene said.

Referring to the example stories allows the women to avoid the shame of sharing their trauma.

The seminar also delves into grief and how to healthily process what they’ve experienced.

“I think it’s really important for refugees to talk about what grief is. It’s not just losing a person because, for refugees, they have lost so many things,” Darlene said.

Darlene and the other Christian workers launched a website with videos from their seminars for women who cannot attend or live in distant camps.

The women Darlene’s team have met recently struggle with varying degrees of depression and anxiety. Some of the women cut themselves, and others have attempted suicide multiple times.

Darlene’s friend Liana* invited several friends to the same trauma seminar Estere attended. Liana is a Christian and is from a refugee population who are not as devout in their faith in Islam. The Lord developed a heart in both Darlene and Liana for reaching a refugee population who are more devout in their faith.

After the seminar, Liana called Darlene bawling and told her it was difficult hearing the women share their stories. Liana implored Darlene to let her know when she did any more outreach with this people group.

Liana invited women from this more devout people group over to her home and shared the gospel.

“That was really beautiful,” Darlene said of Liana sharing her faith through their shared pain.

Though the journey to their permanent home and their journey to emotional healing are often long roads, the refugees have hope and the promise of an eternal home and healing that comes through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Caroline Anderson writes for the IMB from Southeast Asia.

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FIRST-PERSON: Afghan pastors ask for prayer

“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3)

As Taliban forces have swallowed up Afghanistan and even now the capital city of Kabul, pastors in the country have been emailing and messaging me over the last few days, even hours, anxious for prayer.

Pastoring just a short flight away in the United Arab Emirates, I’ve had the opportunity to build partnerships with these men over the last decade. One house church leader sent me a picture of the small room he was hiding in with his family. He wrote, “This is where I am living. We are hidden right now in different areas.”

Another pastor wrote, “We can’t go out like normal. It’s dangerous. We moved to one of my friend’s houses, but it’s not safe at all.” Mindy Belz at WORLD reports that pastors say the Taliban has contacted them saying they are coming for them.

Here are specific ways they have asked for you and your church to pray.

Physical protection and provision

I asked one brother if he was presently in physical danger. He replied, “Not only me but my family too … because of me.”

We need to pray that our sovereign God would physically protect our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. Boldly go to the throne of the universe and plead with our God to restrain evil and confuse the plans of evildoers.

Pray also for physical provision. One brother asked that we would pray “for financial issues because no one can take out money from the bank and ATMs are empty.”

A number have specifically asked that we would pray for visas to get out of the country. So let me throw in an additional request to you, dear reader: Is helping secure a visa something that you or someone you know are in a position to help with? If so, do what you can.

Regardless, you do have access to the throne of the universe, and you can ask our heavenly Father to provide. Pray for physical protection and provision.

“Be not silent, O God of my praise! For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.” (Psalm 109:1-2)

Spiritual provision

Every church leader who has emailed or texted me has asked that we would pray for the Lord to strengthen them in their faith – that they would “stay strong in the Lord, who is the Sovereign King,” as one put it.

“Pray for me to be strong in my faith. It is really hard to stay here,” another said.

If you are reading this, you have the opportunity to ask God to protect and even increase the faith of our brothers and sisters in the Afghan church. They don’t know what today – much less tomorrow – will bring. But they can be certain that our God will supply every need of theirs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philemon 4:19)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might. …” (Colossians 1:11a)

Gospel advance

One brother described these days as “dark” and said they feel like a “storm.” Then he asked that we pray for “revival.” What faith! Here is a man whose life is in danger asking us, who enjoy so many privileges and freedoms, to pray that God would open the eyes of the spiritually blind and give life to dead hearts.

Wouldn’t it be like our God to work in these horrible circumstances to make His great name known? While our Afghan brothers and sisters face terrible uncertainty, we should be like the believers in Acts 12 who themselves faced serious threats and persecution but, without ceasing, offered up earnest prayers to God.

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.” (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

“Our hope is not in politics, but in Jesus”

Over the past weeks, U. S. missions agencies have pulled out their workers. I have had the great privilege to minister the Word to some of them as they have processed their own grief and confusion. I’m grateful they could get out. Pray for them as well as for any who chose to stay.

But pray especially for the Afghans who have no choice but to stay, such as one brother who has already spent time imprisoned for his faith in Afghanistan. He has assured me again and again, “We can trust that our Lord is mighty and will care for His children.” And: “Our hope is not in politics but in Jesus who is the King.”

This is not escapism. This is biblical faith when all earthly prospects are completely bleak. Don’t you know that such faith brings great glory and joy to our Father in heaven?

While these days are dark and tragic, remember that God sits on His throne in the heavens. He holds the rulers of this world in derision. He promises to make the nations his Son’s heritage, the ends of the earth His possession (Psalm 2:4, 8).

Southern Baptists begin assessment, response to Haiti earthquake

NASHVILLE (BP) – A massive earthquake that struck Haiti Saturday morning (Aug. 14) and has left more than 1,200 dead has spurred Southern Baptists to coordinate relief efforts.

“In the aftermath of the 7.2 earthquake that struck Haiti, Send Relief is working with local partners on the ground to assess needs,” the group announced on Twitter hours after the earthquake struck. “Join us in praying for the people of Haiti.”

SBC President Ed Litton retweeted the update from Send Relief, adding, “I am grieved over the dozens of lives lost due to the massive earthquake in Haiti. Will you join me in praying for the people of #Haiti and for our @SendRelief teams as they begin to serve and minister to those affected?”

Send Relief President Bryant Wright echoed those comments and noted at least one other factor in the recovery effort: “The infrastructure within Haiti makes this very challenging.”

Saturday’s epicenter was located on the country’s southwestern peninsula. The last time Haiti experienced a quake on this scale was Jan. 12, 2010. That one measured 7.0 and was located closer to the capital of Port-au-Prince, a densely populated area. More than 100,000 fatalities were attributed to the 2010 quake, but some Haitian authorities place the number of dead at three times that amount.

To compound the situation on the ground, the country remains unsettled after the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moîse and is bracing today (Aug. 16) for heavy rain from Tropical Storm Grace.

Soon after the 2010 earthquake, Roland Norris and his wife Mary helped found Baptists4Haiti. Over the years, Norris has organized mission teams to the country as the organization has maintained a consistent presence through a mission house as well as another house located on three acres. Since 2019, civil and political unrest has prevented mission teams from traveling to Haiti, but in that time the group has broadened its reach to other areas such as Belize and the Bahamas, resulting in a name change to Look to the Nations.

Eight full-time employees remain in Haiti, however. Norris, a member of First Baptist Church in St. Mary’s, Ga., told Baptist Press Sunday night that while those staff felt the earthquake, they were 100 miles away from its epicenter and personally escaped its destruction. However, several have family in the affected areas who experienced severe damage to their homes.

When praying for the Haitian people, Norris urged Southern Baptists to consider the trauma experienced by those who lived through the 2010 earthquake and have now experienced another just as powerful.

“One of my guys told me that he’s not going to sleep inside for a long time after this,” he said. “In 2010, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, and this one was strong enough to remind them of that. Pray for peace for those who are living with that mental pain.”

Instability from the presidential assassination adds to that stress, Norris said, adding that he is praying a peacekeeping force such as the United Nations can enter the situation and bring a measure of peace.

“From what I understand, gang activity is also becoming more common in areas so that people are unable to travel freely and do what they need to do,” he said. “If this could end, it would deescalate things to where we can begin bringing teams in again.”

Jerry Chandler, the head of Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency, said at a news conference that damage was concentrated in the cities of Jérémie and Les Cayes. Those areas are less populated, but also more remote for rescue and cleanup efforts. Homes, churches, hospitals and hotels are included in the more than 13,000 buildings destroyed.

Send Relief representatives said more updates will be provided in the coming days. Gifts for the effort can be sent to Send Relief’s International Crisis Response Fund.

Continents apart, connected by culture

Global Missionary Partner Minjae Kim leads a Bible study with students at Zambia’s Copperbelt University.

At first glance, Korean and Zambian cultures don’t share many similarities.

But IMB missionaries Daniel and Grace Kim notice the commonalities. Originally from South Korea, Daniel spent 23 years and Grace spent 14 years in the United States before going to Zambia as missionaries in 2000. Now they are hosting other Koreans who are serving in Zambia. Shingi Kim, Minjae Kim, and Hoieon Jeong are Hands On volunteer missionaries from the Korean Foreign Mission Board serving as Global Missionary Partners during 2021.

These students relate well to the Kims because their cultural background is the same. And like the Kims, they have assimilated into Zambian culture well because of the similarities of this African nation and their Asian nation.

“[Koreans] don’t ask, ‘How are you?’ We ask, ‘Did you sleep well? Did you eat? Did you wake up well? How was last night?’” Daniel explained. Zambians exchange greetings in much the same way – warm and familiar. They ask specific questions, instead of the general “how are you.” This type of greeting expresses genuine care that is common in both cultures.

Additionally, the GMPs, though all in their 20s and early 30s, see parallels in the type of Christianity that characterizes Zambia and the Christianity that was dominant in Korea’s past.

“We are a young generation, but 20 or 30 years ago, in South Korea, our Christianity was weak, because there were many false doctrines and heresies [in the church],” Shingi shared. The state of the Zambian church is so similar, with many professing Christ but buying into false doctrine. Because these doctrines are familiar to the young missionaries, they focus on not just doing evangelism among the students at Copperbelt University, but really teaching the new Christians doctrine through discipleship.

The three Hands On students have been pouring into the students at Zambia’s Copperbelt University. They regularly evangelize on campus, but with heightening COVID-19 restrictions, they’re now focusing on discipleship and evangelism at the boarding house and among their neighbors.

Despite the weaknesses in the Zambian church – exacerbated by false doctrine – generally Zambians are hungry to learn about Jesus, Daniel explained.

Daniel’s ministry focuses on strengthening the 63 churches in the Copperbelt Association by helping their leaders and pastors with training and theological education. Daniel helps local leaders “focus on how to evangelize effectively, intentionally, and as a lifestyle,” he shared.

The Hands On Global Missionary Partners fit into his vision well, as they focus on the students at Copperbelt University.

“Zambian students are very open to anybody that would bring the Word of God,” Daniel explained. “They are hungry. But not many people teach them. So they welcome them. They want to learn; they want to listen.”

“We didn’t have the chance or time to go into CBU, even though it’s right here where we live,” Grace said. “Those three people who came, they were there until the school was closed because of the COVID situation. We prayed for people to come and do that work. We are glad that these three [Hands On] missionaries are here to do the work.”

Daniel and Grace Kim, veteran missionaries to Zambia, are hosting Hands On Global Missionary Partners (back row left to right: Hoieon Jeong, Minjae Kim, Shingi Kim) for a year.

These young men have what Daniel describes as a 1:3:5 vision.

Each week, during their year in Zambia, they seek to:

Train one lifestyle disciple
Produce three effective lifestyle evangelists
Lead five people to Christ

The Hands On GMPs share the gospel mainly in English, a common language in Zambia. They are also taking language classes in Cibemba, Zambia’s native language. Shingi, Minjae and Hoieon “evangelize anywhere, the street, when we go to the market,” Minjae shared.

“We call it lifestyle evangelism. When we’re out, we just go out and evangelize and make disciples.”

Minjae explained that this vision for evangelism is exactly what they’re trying to instill in those they’re discipling, so when they return to Korea, the work at Copperbelt University can continue.

Currently, they are doing discipleship with 40 individuals.

“I’m very happy, because these people welcome missionaries,” Shingi said. “When I ask, ‘if it is ok with you, can I share about Jesus Christ?’ almost always, people agree about that.”

“When I share about Jesus Christ, we invite them, ‘Would you like to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior in your heart?’ A few people refuse, but many people don’t. We pray, and after that, we ask some questions,” Shinji continued.

He emphasized the need to instill proper doctrine in the minds and hearts of the new converts. Inevitably, they will encounter more false doctrine. For those who are interested in learning more about the Bible, they set up a time for discipleship.

The young missionaries are excited about the “lifestyle evangelist disciple” they’ve already made in Georgie, a Zambian friend they led to the Lord.

“Every day he goes by himself and evangelizes and makes disciples. This story is very interesting to us. He is now teaching eight people Bible studies,” Shingi excitedly shared.

“We are so happy to see this movement. The Holy Spirit has really opened doors for them and is working through them. I can see so many people come to the Lord,” Daniel said.

“They are very hard working,” Grace expressed of her young mission partners. “They bring a lot of positive influence to the Copperbelt University students. They are ready to do whatever it takes.”

Myriah Snyder is senior writer/editor for the IMB.

The post Continents apart, connected by culture appeared first on IMB.

SBTC DR and local church volunteers help rebuild in Levelland following fatal standoff

LEVELLAND Volunteers with Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief and Texas Rebuild helped repair homes damaged during a deadly July shooting in Levelland, some 30 miles west of Lubbock, that killed one law enforcement officer and wounded four others.

Levelland emergency management contacted SBTC DR to request help for the homeowners affected by the deadly standoff, which occurred after an armed suspect barricaded himself in his mobile home.

Kyle Sadler of Houston, SBTC DR task force member for Texas Rebuild, opted to use area crews—a combination of credentialed SBTC DR and Texas Rebuild volunteers—to help restore the community.

Sadler, with SBTC DR volunteers Barbara and Steve Dunn and TBM’s Barry Shurratt, spent Aug. 13 helping the Mejia family and their neighbors restore the Mejias’ fence that had been damaged in the standoff.

“We put in new posts and new metal,” Sadler said. “The metal was donated by Mueller Building Systems and Higginbotham Brothers donated materials also.” The SBTC worked with a local glass company and paid for the replacement of another neighbor’s window shattered during the shooting, he added.

Pastor Joe Smith of Liberty Church poses for a selfie with Rosemary and Nathan Mejia, with the new fence in the background. Liberty members are scheduled to repair another fence at a later date. Photo by Joe Smith.

Even before work began, Sadler contacted Joe Smith, pastor of Liberty Church in Levelland, for help both in getting local volunteers and to ensure that opportunities occurred for survivors to connect with a local church.

“The chief target for Texas Rebuild [a DR program started in the wake of Hurricane Harvey] is to connect with the local church about the local need, so we can harvest that relationship. It becomes a church project. We provide the resources,” Sadler explained.

While Liberty volunteers were unable to come for the Aug. 13 project because of their own job commitments, Smith did make contact with the family of the alleged shooter and began the process of scheduling a later work project to refurbish a chain link fence that had surrounded the suspect’s home.

Smith was no stranger to the area of modest houses and mobile homes where the shooting occurred. Members from Liberty Church had been ministering in the neighborhood long before the incident, canvassing the community and holding “Church at the Park” at nearby parks.

Smith told the TEXAN he had even met the alleged shooter two months before, when a Liberty Church member who had befriended the young man made the introduction. The member continued to invite the man to church, but noticed changes in his behavior, none of which seemed indicative of the tragedy ahead.

On July 15, things evidently went downhill rapidly when a neighbor saw the suspect—known as a “good kid” generally, Smith said—walking about with a rifle. Law enforcement was summoned. The subsequent standoff ended when robotically delivered chemical agents drove the suspect from his home and he was arrested.

“The officers, even with the loss of one of their own, did what they were called to do,” Smith said of the safely conducted arrest.

Smith told Sadler he had been able to pray with the officers.

Lubbock County sheriff’s deputy Sgt. Josh Bartlett, commander of the sheriff’s tactical unit, died of his injuries in a Levelland hospital the day of the shooting.

“I couldn’t imagine being in the crossfire of a standoff like [what happened in Levelland], with the exchange of fire going on outside my house,” Sadler said.

As of press time, Smith said the fence repair project had yet to be scheduled. The intention is to repurpose the fence to provide extra security for the neighborhood, he said, adding that several members of his church are construction workers who have volunteered to donate their labor on a Saturday.

“You might say this is a small job, but no job is too small to touch someone’s life. The relationships we built with the Mejias and the community have opened doors,” Sadler said.

“In the wake of such a tragic event we are grateful to serve the people of Levelland and Hockley County,” said SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice.

Levelland is the Hockley County seat. The oil, cotton and cattle center is home to about 13,500 residents.