I received an email from preacher who was trained at a preacher training school in Latin America: “I want to preach but I cannot find a sponsoring church in the United States to pay me.” What? What did this brother learn in preaching training school? Perhaps we need to restudy the New Testament. Does the …
Continue reading “Mission: What are we teaching national preachers?”
A week in Guatemala left me with many concepts floating in my mind…. The first missionaries of the churches of Christ arrived in Guatemala a little over 50 years ago. There are likely somewhere near 40000 members of Iglesias de Cristo in Guatemala, in about 300 congregations (more or less). There is a good level …
One of the conversations that I shared this week focused on how we can best describe the task of missionaries in the development of strong local churches in the mission field. An oft-quoted development model identifies four steps: self-governance, self-sustainability or becoming self-supporting, self-theologizing, and self-duplication through planting additional churches. While the steps in the …
Continue reading “Understanding Missions through the Lens of Responsibility”
I sent out a summary of my Summer 2013 Mission Work this week. (The report is also linked on the website.) Some of those who receive reports send responses: “Are your mission trips always so intense? It makes me tired reading it. Can I go with you? I am jealous–except for the bus rides!” This …
After spending eighteen days in Honduras and Panama with visits, contacts and presentations in 37 churches, I am back home. For those who do not know the purpose of these mission trips, for the last four years I have traveled across Latin America (in most parts of Central America and South America from Guatemala to …
Brother Florecio Molina is blind. Now in his mid-60s, he lost his sight about nine years ago due to an infection. Despite his blindness, he has a jovial spirit. Last night as we left the church building after Wednesday night Bible study, he laughed as he said to me, “Nos vemos.” We’ll see you! He …
On a recent trip to Honduras, while I was with a group in the Tegucigalpa airport I saw and greeted about a dozen people I have known through my years of work and visits to Honduras. One of the group members expressed her surprise that I could be in an airport in a major city …
Looking at the June schedule almost makes me tired! Seldom does it happen that two international mission trips are scheduled virtually back to back. This month includes an 8-day mission trip to Honduras with the McAlester congregation (bridging the first and second weeks of June), and after a Father’s Day weekend in the US with …
The work accomplished in Guatemala was beyond expectations. The brief summary is visits to six local churches for studies, preaching and teaching; visits and studies with several different groups of brothers and sisters; individual studies to answer Bible questions and strengthen and train leaders and potential leaders; a visit to Health Talents clinic in Chichicastenango/Lemoa; …
The time with the church in Talanga was better than anticipated. There were three baptisms to begin the worship assembly. The bilingual singing was special. I preached, and after the service we shared a meal with the brothers and sisters there. There were 40 adults present plus the children–probably totaling near 60. Thank you for …
