A publication of Canadian Baptist Ministries
Spring 2014
Also in this issue
Reconciliation:
4
Peace Talks
Healing Broken
Relationships
8
Photo Essay: From Genocide to Grace
18Listening: A Good Start Toward Reconciliation
mosaic—spring 2014
2014
As partners in the Canadian Baptist family
we exist to serve the local church in its
grassroots mission. Together we impact
our communities and beyond through
the love of Christ.
Connect with Sam and what’s happening
in CBM’s global network of ministry.
Follow Sam on Twitter @samchaise_cbm.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Sam Chaise
Executive Director of CBM
it
ughness. and
for all an
ion
o
ts t
e
g
e
God made the world good…
very good (Genesis 1). But then
it was broken (Genesis 3). All
of the relationships created
good and full of life in the
beginning were broken when
sin disfigured Creation: our
relationship with God, with
As we are reconciled to God,
all of the other brokenness in
our world starts to be healed.
This issue of mosaic is intended
to inspire you with stories of
reconciliation that illustrate
how our broken world is
embraced through word and
deed. God be with you as you
are reconciled and engage in
the ministry of reconciliation.
UGHN
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facebook.com/cbmin.org
Somebody must have
SENSE enough and
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Connect with us.
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Cover Photo Johnny CY Lam
descending
ltimately e
n
Art Direction Gordon Brew
Humanity has attempted all
kinds of experiments to heal
those broken relationships
apart from God. I recently
returned from China, which
is now experiencing great
spiritual hunger. This hunger
is the aftermath of the failed
attempts of totalitarian
communism or unchecked
capitalism to heal what is
broken.
is
a
a ll
.
Editor Laurena Zondo
Christians often fall into two
camps. One group focuses on
the evil in the world and speaks
of how things are getting
worse and worse. The other
group focuses on God’s work
in the world and while they
acknowledge the continuing
presence of evil, choose to
focus on the Kingdom of God
that begins as a mustard seed
but grows into a large tree
(Matthew 13:32). The reality
is that Jesus taught that both
good and evil would increase
alongside each other, and that
we should not focus on the
evil but on planting good
(Matthew 13:24-30).
b
l, u
ira
Managing Editor Jennifer Lau
broken? CBM’s new tagline
is “embracing a broken world
through word and deed”.
So…is the world broken?
one another, and with Creation.
To reconcile is to bring
together and heal all of those
broken relationships. We are
commended in 2 Corinthians
5:18 to enact the ministry of
reconciliation.
CE
e,
forc
7185 Millcreek Drive
Mississauga, ON l5n 5r4
Tel: 905.821.3533
[email protected]
www.cbmin.org
So goes the popul ar
saying . But what if it is
Men must see that FOR
sh
c o n ta c t
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Spring2014
2014
Spring
et s
eg
mosaic is published three times
a year by Canadian Baptist
Ministries. Copies are distributed
free of charge. Bulk quantities
available by request.
13
in destruc
ng
t
di
cut to the chaise
33
learn
learn . . ........................... 4
PeaceTalks:
Talks:Excerpts
Excerpts
4 Peace
of
Dialogue
with
Leaders
of Dialogue
Leaders
fromour
our African
African Partners
from
Partners
FromGenocide
GenocideTo Grace:
88 From
Grace:Essay
A Photo
AtoPhoto
fromEssay
Rwanda
14 Listening: A Good Start
14 Listening:
A Good Start
Toward Reconciliation
Toward Reconciliation
the view...................... 16
think Youth/Kenya
just
Springforth
16 How could we move
each other?
17towards
Give to Go
1718Personal
?
WelcomeApplication
to Your
New Home: A story of
18 Welcome
to Your
One Church’s
Intervention
Home:
A story of
New
to Help
Newcomers
church’s intervention
one
to Canada
to help newcomers in
community
20the
Restoring
Life:
20
Faith and Friendship
Restoring
Life: of
in the Aftermath
Faith
and
friendship
Typhoon Haiyan
in the aftermath of
Typhoon Haiyan
see................................22
And you do that by LOVE.
Parting Shot
the view
22
Youth/Kenya
Springforth
just think...................23
How Can We Build see
Common Ground?
23 Parting Shot
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
touch.......................... 24
touch
Grassroots Heroes
24 Grassroots Heroes
cut off the chain of hate
and the chain of evil
in the universe.
mosaic
mosaicisisaacommunity
communityforum
forum
ofoflocal
and
global
local and globalvoices
voicesunited
united
by
byaashared
sharedmission.
mission.mosaic
mosaicwill
will
serve
serveasasaacatalyst
catalysttotostimulate
stimulate
and
andencourage
encouragepassionate
passionate
discipleship
discipleshipamong
amongCanadian
Canadian
Baptists
Baptistsand
andtheir
theirpartners.
partners.
4
mosaic—spring 2014
learn
mosaic—spring 2014
5
Each of these leaders has a proven track
record of influencing both church and civil
society and is courageously building a culture
of peace through their churches. Their stories
of the struggle for justice and peace within
their local contexts are worth hearing. These
are words emerging out of a deep passion for
God, a love for their people and a troubled
conscience about the shortcomings of their
political and economic situations.
Peace Talks
Excerpts of Dialogue with Leaders
from our African Partners
Q: It must not be easy being
a leader in Africa today.
What’s the political climate
by Terry Smith, CBM’s Director of International Partnerships
like in your country?
SMITH
N DAM BU KI : Kenya is confused. We don’t have
peace because of our involvement in the war of
Somalia. Kenya does not like war. We try to take
the neutral stand to call for peace for the regions.
Since Independence, the only war we have entered
outside of our country is Somalia. And this is really
a troubling time for us as a nation.
E arly this year, I sat
down with African leaders
from our partner network
to talk about peace building
in the midst of a very troubled
continent. They included:
CHOL: In South Sudan, there is great loss; whole
towns have been set ablaze – burned completely.
People have been killed. According to the latest
reports, more than 7,000 people have lost their
lives. Some people have fled to seek refuge. Others
are IDPs (internally displaced people). Some
are sheltering children in churches and camps
for their protection. The destruction in terms of
human life or even livelihood [livestock and crops]
is quite great, especially in the greater Upper Nile.
Terry Smith
CBM’s Director of
International Partnerships
Riak Saphano Chol
Faith Evangelical Baptist
Churches
Gato Munyama soko
Association of Baptist
Churches of Rwanda
Timothy Ndambuki
Africa Brotherhood
Church
Joseph Maina Macharia
African Christian Church
& Schools
SOUTH SU DAN
RWAN DA
KE NYA
KE NYA
K akule Molo
Baptist Community in Central Africa
DE MOCR ATIC RE PU B LIC
OF CONGO (DRC )
MU NYA M A SOKO : We have gone through years
of suspicion and hatred between Rwandans. Our
country was broken by genocide. But a different
initiative to build peace is happening. We are
sharing the way to bring people together, talking
about peace, talking about how we can make sure
genocide never happens again, and learning to live
in a new way.
6
mosaic—spring 2014
mosaic—spring 2014
7
Q: How do children and youth react to conflict in your country?
SMITH
MOLO : We hear young people say that they are actually victims of
the adults. The negative acts of the adults are devastating to children.
They need to work real hard so that the future will be better, that
they can live longer, can build peace in all sectors of life.
NDA M BU KI : I remember after the Westgate massacre, a child
asked her father, “Dad, do you want to tell me that these guys who
killed all the people is the same God that created all of us?” That is
a theological question that many people are asking.
CHOL: During the war in Sudan, leaders would go into villages and
recruit young boys so they could become part of the army of child
soldiers. We have church members who were child soldiers – I was a
child soldier at the age of 14 – but because we came to Christ, we left
the rebel forces and now are in the church.
[above] k e n ya's n o rt h easter n p rovince is home
to large numbers of refugees predominantly from Somalia.
Q: It’s hard for us as Canadian
Baptists to relate to all the struggles
you and your churches encounter.
Do you ever lose heart and feel that
the challenges are just too great?
SMITH
Q: How are you and
the churches bringing
hope in the midst
of such hopelessness
and darkness?
SMITH
MU NYA M A SOKO : If I look at the way some people are living –
children without parents, people living with HIV/AIDS, people who
go hungry – yes, I can feel that hope is very far away. But then
I see how CBM comes alongside the church. Many children received
help and have already made changes – some go to universities or
vocational training, and they are making their own life. Hopelessness
is in the past, but what we see today is that things are changing.
Through
peacebuilding,
we invite people
to be reconciled
with one another,
breaking down the
walls of hatred,
violence, revenge
and hurt which
typically mark our
broken world.
[below] c b m 's ne w est
a f ric a n c h u rc h pa rt ne r
is in sou t h su da n , Africa's
youngest state, which struggles with
a lack of economic development and
renewed conflict in the region.
Postscript: I love the words of Ezekiel 34, where the prophet announces a new Covenant of
Shalom: Because of who God is, there will be a time when everything broken will be put back
together, only better than before. When peace will finally come, people will find meaningful work,
the fields and trees will bear a rich harvest. Water-tables will be filled. Children will laugh and
sing. People will live in security. All forms of bondage will be broken. Nothing will make the people
afraid. And God’s people will be agents of peace.
Several decades ago, most evangelicals, with the exception of some Anabaptists, might have
equated peacebuilding with pre-evangelism, helping to create a positive feeling towards the
Christian message (and its messenger!) so that the Gospel could be proclaimed and souls saved.
But really, we need to see it as intrinsic to integral mission and the witness of the local church. As
the Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:18 we have been reconciled with God in Christ and
have now been given the ministry of reconciliation. Through our evangelism, we invite people to
be reconciled with God through Christ. Through peacebuilding, we invite people to be reconciled
with one another, breaking down the walls of hatred, violence, revenge and hurt which typically
mark our broken world.
In 2013, CBM invested over $75,000, including a generous matching grant from a donor, to
promote peacebuilding initiatives in Africa. We supported youth camps where inter-tribal and
inter-ethnic learning could take place. We also funded worskhops for pastors throughout Kenya,
Rwanda and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rev. Munyamasoko, currently the head
of the AEBR in Rwanda, wrote a practioner’s manual for peacebuilders. In the DRC, we helped
chaplaincy programs which enabled the rehabilitation of child soldiers. Emergency assistance
was offered in the name of peacebuilders to local churches who reached out to Muslim leaders
in Garissa, Kenya, in the wake of terrorist attacks against churches.
Today, our resolve to help heal broken communities through local churches is stronger than
ever. CBM Field Staff are working hand-in-hand with our African partners to promote a culture
of peace. And although the odds often seem stacked against this work, we believe in the triumph
of grace in the midst of brokenness. And we don’t lose heart!
M ACHARIA: Nothing really brings me more hope than the way
people continue to know Christ and to join in his church in the midst
of many, many, struggles.
MOLO : We keep going because we know we have brothers and
sisters who keep us in their prayers. We are very grateful that
Canadian Baptists stand alongside us in building a culture of peace.
MU NYA M A SOKO : For us in Rwanda, there is hope in the new
generation. This is why we focus on youth. Young people are coming
together – Hutus and Tutsis, sharing and discussing together. These
youth talk about the way they want to live today, how it’s different
from their parents. This gives hope to our entire country. People
were victims of their neighbours. And after training through youth
peace camps, you see people coming together and sharing. It’s very
important. I am a witness of this. I have seen people reconcile even
though it’s a long process. They forgive each other and you can see
the result of the peace camps.
MOLO : We see peace being built in and through the ministry of
the pastors. In a situation of conflict, pastors don’t lose heart. They
encourage Christians that God is going to prevail and that his peace
is going to prevail. Therefore, the people keep heart.
[right] su f f e ring in sile nc e —
Countless numbers of women are victims
of sexual violence in the DRC where
rape was used as a weapon of war in the
decades of civil conflict.
8
mosaic—spring 2014
mosaic—spring 2014
9
FROM
GENOCIDE
TO GRACE
A Photo Essay
Photos: Johnny Lam, Canadian photographer
and Dydine Umunyana, Rwandan filmmaker
Text: Laurena Zondo, Editor of mosaic
2014 marks 20 years since the Genocide
Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Kwibuka –
Kinyarwanda for “remember” – is the name
given to the annual national commemoration
which begins each year on April 7.
photo: JL
It is a time to remember so many lives lost during
a brutal killing frenzy that eliminated an estimated
one million Rwandans over 100 days.
But Kwibuka is also a time to hear the stories of
courage, perseverance and renewal as Rwandans
attempt to unite, to forgive, to reconcile. CBM and
the Association of Baptist Churches of Rwanda are
part of this process of grace and restoration. “We
are driven by the idea of making the church a home
of peace, to help build a culture of peace where
people are able to deal with problems in love and
respect,” says Rev. Gato Munyamasoko, leader of
the AEBR. “Key to this process is the education of
youth, they are our best hope for change.”
Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre – Walls and walls
of photos of loved ones who were killed.
mosaic—spring 2014
mosaic—spring 2014
11
photo: JL
10
YO U T H P E AC E
Youth visit the Kigali Genocide
Memorial as part of an annual peace
camp that brings youth together from
across Rwanda for learning on conflict
transformation and trauma counselling.
The use of arts encourages the sharing of
stories. And the emphasis on inner peace
helps youth discover God’s love and their
personal worth. “Love is a catalyst for
peace, it sets you free yourself,” said one
young girl, after attending peace camp.
Youth have started peace clubs in their
schools, churches and villages.
CO U R AG E
photo: DU
photo: DU
“We often had no food and no money
for school fees…I had no hope,” shares
Dusabimana (pictured with his grandma).
Today he is finishing secondary school and
hopes to study accounting in university.
Dusabimana’s father died when he was
six years old. He has helped take care of
the family ever since and was among the
first group of children to participate in a
unique project that supports orphans and
vulnerable children, especially those living in
child/youth-headed households. Over 1,000
children have benefitted.
LOV E
A new youth peace club makes mud bricks
to repair the home of a widow from the
genocide. Other youth peacebuilding activities
include tree-planting, kitchen gardens, sports
events, radio announcements, and community
presentations with songs, poems and skits to
spread the peace message.
mosaic—spring 2014
mosaic—spring 2014
13
photo: JL
12
DIGNITY
A tactic in the genocide was the use of rape to
deliberately infect with HIV. While there is progress
in treatment and prevention, families continue to
be devastated by AIDS today.
Goreth lost her husband to AIDS and then
discovered that she and her youngest child were
also HIV positive. Today Goreth is a Guardians of
Hope (GOH) leader in her community, helping
others to live with hope and dignity. GOH are
church-based support groups who offer counsel,
microcredit for income generating activities,
school fees, and other family support.
photo: JL
photo: DU
photo: JL
“Matthew, with its teachings on love, is my favourite Bible
passage,” proudly shares Kapmire. She is one of over 1,000
people (most of whom are women) who can now read thanks
to a literacy program. She has even inspired her young son
who had dropped out of school. “If my mom can go to school,
me, too, I can go and learn.”
HOPE
Growing new crops such as pineapples is
not only improving the livelihood of families
in the community but also building peace
as neighbours work together.
See video clip from
Peace Camp.
URL?
14
mosaic—spring 2014
mosaic—spring 2014
Listening:
A Good Start Toward Reconciliation
By Dr. Cheryl Bear-Barnetson
Dr. Cheryl Bear-Barnetson was one of the
presenters at New Paths, a national conference,
held April 4–5, on ministry with Indigenous
peoples sponsored by CBM. mosaic asked
Cheryl to share some of her experience in
reconciliation ministry.
RECONCILIATION IS A LOT OF WORK. It’s
much easier to agree to disagree and to walk
away with irreconcilable differences than to try
bringing two seeming opposing things together.
So why bother?
There have been many reconciliation
services with Indigenous people that sometimes
involve foot washing. Usually someone offers
repentance on behalf of all present, possibly even
for an entire denomination, or even a Nation.
We might see a Native person up there on the
platform with a non-Native pastor/leader who
offers the apology. Afterwards some then may
feel that it's all done – that reconciliation has
taken place and they can go back to their normal
life thinking that that we have finally resolved
the tension of Indigenous issues in Canada.
I have found that these Reconciliation
services are largely futile and a waste of time.
They are futile because everyone believes they
are off the proverbial hook afterward.
I have found
that these
Reconciliation
services are
largely futile
and a waste of
time because
everyone
believes they
are off the
proverbial hook
afterward.
And they are a waste of time because:
1.
We only see a Native person from afar and never have built a
relationship with them. I have met people who tell me that I am
the first Native person they have ever known. That is how isolated
Canadians can be from each other. If you have a Native friend,
congratulations! You are one of a few.
2. It is a mistake to believe that an apology in itself is enough. No wife
or husband would ever agree to that sentence. An apology must
come with a change in behaviour. Restitution must be a large part of
true reconciliation. How does this apply to the Indigenous people in
Canada? Let us ask the question: Has Canada done enough to right the
past wrongs?
3. An apology must involve humility. This is biblical. Let’s discuss the
foot washing ceremony that is often a part of a reconciliation service.
A foot washing ceremony is an act of humility and service. It is
symbolic of the lowest task of the lowest servant in a wealthy first
century home In the average household you could wash your own feet,
if needed. Today, it is not easy to perform a foot washing ceremony
in either position of the washer or the washed. Foot washing has not
been a part of our modern culture when entering a home. Not even in
our entire Canadian history! In Canada it is customary to take your
shoes off when entering a house but we much prefer covered, socked,
or slippered feet. There is no dust, no sandal, and no real honour in
touching the foot of your guest. Some biblical concepts need to be
interpreted in light of the modern Canadian context. We don’t really
need to wash each other’s feet, but we do need to walk in humility
and service to one another.
Dr. Cheryl Bear-Barnetson
(pictured) is author of
Introduction to First
Nations Ministry. She is
an award winning singer
and songwriter and enjoys
telling truth through story.
Cheryl has been a licensed
pastor with the Foursquare
Gospel Church of Canada
since 1999.
[email protected]
cherylbear.com
15
So how can we practically walk in humility
and service towards our precious Indigenous
people here in Canada? One way is to simply listen.
Indigenous people have a wisdom, humility,
grace and humour that you will find surprising
(especially if they’ve only lived in your
imagination all these years). We need to simply
listen to Indigenous people to show humility.
This will take time. Our Indigenous people have
a very different worldview and value system.
These worldviews and values can clash with
yours if you are not careful to listen and learn.
Just try washing your next dinner guests covered
tootsies…. culture clash!
Jesus is the best example of reconciliation
we have as Christians. Jesus took on the form
of a slave, humbled himself even to be obedient
to death (Philippians 2). Further on it states
“Be humble, thinking of others as better
than yourself.” (Phil. 2:3). Is this possible for
Canadians? Was it possible for Jesus’ hearers? To
think of others as better than ourselves is not the
way we naturally think but it is the scriptural way
to treat others.
Jesus gave of himself completely and humbled
himself becoming like the most vulnerable
person in any family or any culture. There is no
better picture of utter dependence than that of a
newborn baby. Yet that is how the Creator of the
Universe came to humanity. A baby is dependent
and a child submits to being taught.
So we have seen that reconciliation is not
easy. It is work. Work, in that we should follow the
example of Christ Work that involves the giving
away of our very selves.
I would suggest we instead, practice a
contextualized form of foot washing that practices
humility and service towards Indigenous peoples.
This involves changing your present perceptions
and coming to understand Indigenous peoples by
really listening and developing deep relationships.
Indigenous people have so much to teach us, if
we will only be open to this. This is a good start
toward reconciliation.
New Paths
CANADIAN BAPTIST
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
MINISTRY CONFERENCE
A national conference on ministry with
Canada’s Indigenous Peoples was held
on April 4–5, 2014 at Lorne Park Baptist
Church in Mississauga, Ontario. We had 225
participants from across the country,
of which approximately 25% were First Nations,
Metis or Inuit.
The conference was a collaborative effort
involving CBM, the Canadian Baptist
denominations, and Canadian Baptist Women.
Key speakers included Terry LeBlanc, a Mi’kmaq
from Edmonton who heads up the North
American Institute for Indigenous Theological
Studies; Cheryl Bear, a singer/songwriter/
pastor/evangelist from the Carrier First Nation
in BC; Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy
from Thunder Bay; former Alberta Grand Chief
Joe Dion, a member of First Baptist Church
in Vancouver; and Mark Buchanan, former
CBWC pastor and now a professor at Ambrose
Seminary in Calgary.
Some of the major outcomes included:
• Increased understanding about the history and
treatment of Canada's Indigenous peoples over
the last 500 years and their present realities
• Greater appreciation for the spiritual and
cultural heritage of Canada's Indigenous
peoples and all that God is doing among
them today
• Significant networking among First Nations
leaders themselves, as well as between them
and leaders of our Baptist work
16
mosaic—spring 2014
mosaic—spring 2014
17
LAUNCHING SUMMER 2015
THE VIEW
Kenya and Back:
Youth from Springforth (an annual youth
conference by Convention of Atlantic
Baptist Churches) share some of the
personal impact of their visit to Kenya
this past spring.
Kenya is a beautiful country, and is filled with loving people. While we were there,
our team was being intentional in establishing relationships- valuing people over
projects. I am still processing what I’ve seen, articulating what my heart has
experienced and applying what I’m learning into my life. One thing that I’ve been
observing first hand is that there are lots of people in this world. Through this, I’ve
been learning and focusing on the value of relationships, and that every conversation
could be a blessing, or could lead to a friendship that will last forever- even across
oceans. Upon my return, I am being more intentional in spending time with people
and connecting with friends new and old- in nurturing the relationships I am already
in and creating new ones as well. We are all part of God’s family, and we are here to
encourage and learn from each other and to grow together.
~ L auren Zwicker
As I continue to process all that I witnessed in Kenya, I continue to be overwhelmed
by the confident hope that was expressed by the people we met. They had
confidence that God would provide their physical needs and they were confident that
God’s presence would continue to sustain them through challenging times. As I have
returned home, I am challenged by their examples of confident hope and generosity
and continue to seek ways that I can grow in those ways. Kenya and her people have
captured my heart, and I look forward to exploring future ways to pursue God’s work
among His people.
~ Dan P yke
You never really know what a place is like until you visit…You never know how
a person really feels until you’ve experienced what they go through…Honestly,
I did not think much about the environment before I went on the trip. I did the regular
things [for environmental care] - recycle, turn off the lights when you leave a room,
do not take more than you need. But after seeing how they conserve water in Kenya…
that their very life could possibly depend on the rain and they must take full
advantage of it when it comes…They need it for their crops, animals, selves, and
much more…and it is not as simple as turning on a tap for clean drinking water. It
made me think about everything that I need and “want” in life and to better see the
difference between the two. Though I was conscious about taking care of the
environment before I went, seeing how blessed I am makes me more conscious,
and gives me that extra bit of drive, to be a better steward.
~ Noah Cl ark
Going to Kenya with my Springforth team and CBM was an incredible opportunity.
Not only was my team and I able to experience a whole new culture than what we
are used to, but we also were able to catch a glimpse of the world, and everyday
struggles, through the eyes of those who have a different perspective than we do in
North America. Throughout our work farming and building relationships with people
in Kenya, I was able to learn that the North American cultural mindset of striving for
material gain and independence is not the only method of having a quality of life, nor
is it necessarily the best method. The greatest lesson that I learned while in Kenya is
that a sense of community and investing in building relationships, is far more valuable
than solely seeking personal gain. Because of this, I am now more aware of the
importance of investing in people rather than investing in personal success, which
actually turns out to be more satisfying.
~ K rista Flower
[top] Lauren Zwicker
[middle] Dan Pyke
[bottom left] Noah Clark
[bottom right] Krista Flower
CBM ANNOUNCES THE GIVE TO GO HUB.
An integrated fundraising tool for you
and your church mission team.
You can make a difference in the lives of people in need
around the world. Put that desire into action, and embark
on a life-changing global discipleship experience with CBM.
The Give To Go Hub will help you share your goal
and it’s impact with your family, friends, and the world.
Getting started is as easy as 1, 2, 3, GO!
1
REGISTER
Create a profile page.
to generate funding support
and raise awareness for your
CBM Mission event.
Short Term Trips?
Congregational Event?
Group Fundraiser?
2
PERSONALIZE
Set up customizable
page for yourself and build the
teams page too.
Invite other team members
to join you.
Add your photos.
Set your fundraising goals.
3
PROMOTE
Publish your campaign
to your family, friends, and community.
Share the mission through social
media. Then manage donations,
track progress toward your goal
and folow up with your thanks.
All from one location.
GO NOW! TAKE THE NEXT STEP.
Contact CBM about a Short Term Mission opportunity overseas.
Planning for trips in 2015 is underway – Kenya, Rwanda, Bolivia, India, and more.
CALL TODAY: 905.821.3533
cbmin.org
18
mosaic—spring 2014
A story of one church’s intervention
to help newcomers to Canada
by Paul Carline, CBM Strategic Associate
We get to walk beside refugees as they get reconciled to new lives in Atlantic Canada.
I only dabble but it’s my wife Kelly’s full-time work and she has the inconvenient habit of
bringing it home. One evening she ruined supper with the sad story of a Bhutanese family
being tormented and traumatized by their Saint John neighbours.
mosaic—spring 2014
Maddening, especially since both the dad and mom
have mental disabilities. We visited in an attempt
to console them and counter-balance wrongs, but if
they felt better for it, I sure didn’t. I left livid. Saint
John – the most beautiful city I know (viewed at a
distance from the Harbour Bridge on a rare sunny
late afternoon in July) – had committed the unpardonable sin of unwelcome and become ugly with
the act of petty neighbours who seemed to have
provincial problems compared to the international
injustices that had separated an innocent family
from their continent.
But I soon realized that I was not seeing the
whole picture. Everywhere I went, I started to
see an army of passionate and persevering people
committed to community health and healing: the
refugee family’s neighbourhood social workers,
Kelly and her settlement agency colleagues,
and the members of another newcomer-settling
church who helped the family move and re-start
yet again.
All these people had seen (close up) more of
Saint John’s dark side than I probably ever will,
but all remain somehow reconciled both to the
community ideals they longed for and to the actual
community who seemed at times to be destroying
(at least delaying) those ideals.
In them I saw Jesus who suffered so much
from sinful people so that those sinful people
would not give up on other sinful people. He
reconciled us godless people to God and then
entrusted us with the long-suffering ministry of
reconciliation. Now I just need to stay reconciled
to present reality and its people and to ultimate
reality and its promise – all of us refugees living
together in the home of righteousness.
Fast forward two months later and…
I was really hoping (unrealistically perhaps)
for reconciliation between the parties. The good
news is no one was hurt (physically anyway). The better news is the family found another place
(a really nice one). They’re now resettled and
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stronger for the experience. And perhaps the best
news is one of our churches got to play a hand.
Lancaster Baptist Church has a history of
refugee sponsorship, some of which remains
unknown or unsung. In fact, the large Somali
family they recently laboured years to bring had a
rough transition to Canada and didn’t stay in Saint
John, but members of the church loved and served
them every step of the way and still do.
After that, you’d think they’d wash their
hands of such no-strings-attached, nothing-toshow-for-it ministry or at least take a break and
catch their breath, but no (and this church doesn’t
have a robust volunteer or financial base). Every
Monday night they now open their Christian
education building for “Family Night” – a chance
for newcomers to gather, play games, practice
English and share snacks. Basically they’re giving
relationships, integration and witness
a chance.
And it doesn’t stop there. Their practical love
has a way of pursuing the “Family Night” people
throughout the city, throughout the week. They
more, as they doggedly devote themselves to intercultural ministry. So when the traumatized refugee family
needed help moving, they didn’t ask Kelly’s
government-funded settlement office, they didn’t
ask me (and I get called in on moves every month),
they called their friends from Lancaster Baptist
Church – people of growing repute in Saint John’s
Hindu and Muslim communities. The whole affair has taught us that it’s
not just newcomers to Saint John who have big
problems. We never got to meet the family’s old
“troublesome” neighbours, but we did pray for
them knowing they were up against as many
challenges as our refugee friends were. We also
learned that Saint John has a host of hospitable
people – rarely wealthy, usually wounded, but
wonderfully welcoming.
[left] Celebrating Christmas
with new refugee families:
Rev. Wayne Murphy, pastor of
Lancaster Baptist Church, dresses
up as Santa and delivers gifts on
Christmas Eve.
[right] Family Night at Lancaster
Baptist Church – a chance for
newcomers to gather, play games,
practice English and share snacks.
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mosaic—spring 2014
rest ring Life
mosaic—spring 2014
by Blair Clark,
CBM’s Director-at-Large
Faith and friendship in the
aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan
They are kindred spirits that God brought together in a remarkable way following the
devastation that Typhoon Haiyan imposed on the Philippines, and they are key leaders
in the reconstruction of houses for some of the poorest families in northern Cebu Island.
Renato (K ak a )
Constantino
Director of Engaging Missions,
Greenhills Christian Fellowship
South Metro
Pa stor Ver
(Virgilio Inocencio)
Church Planter and Pastor,
Cebu Island
Not long after this spiritual transformation, Kaka was
unexpectedly but miraculously acquitted by the President, and
given an opportunity to return to school and complete an MBA at
the most prestigious university in the Philippines. He then began
work with a German multinational company, traveling extensively
in Europe and Asia, and eventually headed up their Asian
operations. After 12 demanding years in business, and increasing
involvement in GCF South Metro’s mission program, Kaka walked
away from his lucrative career to assume a volunteer staff position
with the church as Director of Engaging Missions. It was in that
capacity that he traveled to northern Cebu just two days after the
typhoon, and the Lord led him to Pastor Ver.
Pastor Ver (Virgilio Inocencio) grew up on the island of Negros
– mostly owned by wealthy plantation owners, and where most of
the local Filipinos were poor, landless day labourers. He became
a Baptist youth pastor, but like Kaka, was deeply troubled by the
poverty of his people and became convinced that land reform
was the only viable solution. Leaving the ministry, he became a
passionate activist for land reform on Negros, which made him
a serious threat to the wealthy plantation owners. As threats
to his life became more frequent and credible, his supporters
assigned armed body guards to protect him. His wife, a teacher
from neighbouring Cebu Island, concerned that he and the whole
family could be killed, returned to Cebu with their young children.
Eventually Pastor Ver concluded that he would be killed long before
he succeeded in achieving land reform, and so he followed his wife
to Cebu, where he developed a very successful landscaping business
focused on bonsai plants.
At the peak of his business success, God called him back
into ministry, and he left the success and comfort to move to the
northern part of Cebu Island to plant a church among the poor
sugar cane workers and fishermen. After six years of ministry, a
thriving church of over 300, growing engagement with the poor
in the community, a nice house on a hill overlooking the beautiful
Visayan Sea, and several of his adult children joining him in
the work, God’s blessing was evident. However in six hours on
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November 8, the church and his home, along with the homes of
hundreds of poor families in the area, were destroyed.
Two days later, God brought Pastor Ver and Kaka together.
Two gifted Christian leaders, both with a passion for serving the
poor in the name of Christ and through the church of Christ; both
with exceptional leadership ability and business acumen. Pastor
Ver, along with his wife, children and grandchildren are living
in temporary shelters and tents. Kaka has his own shelter on the
muddy church property. They have already begun construction of
new homes for the poor in their community – the first of what they
hope will be as many as 1,000 new houses.
CBM has committed funds for the first 100 houses, and
the GCF churches in Manila have raised money for another 50
houses. They anticipate additional support from partner churches
in Singapore, Thailand, and the US, as well as Canadian Baptist
short-term mission teams through CBM that will work with them
and the local people. Also underway is the construction of a basic
multi-purpose building that will replace their destroyed church
and enable them to more effectively serve their community. In due
course, Pastor Ver will rebuild his house as well, but he and Kaka’s
first priority is to construct houses for the poor in their community
who have lost everything.
Thanks to gifted and committed local leadership with a heart
for the poor, your gifts for Typhoon Haiyan relief are making a
difference. As I passed through Manila on my way back to Canada,
the national newspapers were already exposing sub-standard
housing being built with inferior materials at hugely inflated
prices by unscrupulous contractors in devastated Tacloban. What
I witnessed being done by our partners in northern Cebu stood
in stark contrast to those front page news stories. How privileged
we are to work with our church partners – the gifted, committed
men and women who are models of selflessness, compassion and
integrity. How grateful I am that God brought these two former
revolutionaries together to bring about a new revolution through
God’s love in northern Cebu.
[right] Installing bamboo flooring in
a new home: This past spring CBM
sent its first short-term mission team
to help rebuild in Cebu (Philippines)
after Typhoon Haiyan.
[below] Leona Nulla in front
of her makeshift home.
[above] The church grounds with temporary tent housing for Pastor Ver, Kaka and others in the community who lost their homes.
Renato (Kaka) Constantino is the Director of Engaging Missions
for Greenhills Christian Fellowship (GCF) South Metro, a large
suburban church in the southern suburbs of Manila. He has always
had a heart for the poor but, as a young engineering student, was
drawn to communism as the best option for addressing the hopeless
poverty that defined life for so many in the Philippines. As his
passion for the cause and his exceptional leadership ability became
obvious, Kaka rose quickly to senior leadership in the outlawed
Communist movement, to the point that he was making decisions
that determined whether people lived or died. Eventually he was
caught and put in jail to await trial. There, through the kindness
and witness of one of his guards, Kaka came to faith in Christ.
[above] A new home going up for the Nulla family (pictured
front row with the Canadian and Filipino build team).
mosaic—spring 2014
WHO
Padma, a
student who
loves to sew
and loves God
WHAT
Vocational
and life skills
training for
young girls
WHERE
India
see
mosaic—spring 2014
parting shot
just think
How can we build
common ground?
HATE
FEAR
ANGER
VIOLENCE
ISOLATION
HURT
REVENGE
DESPAIR
photo: Johnny CY Lam
22
fold this page to
bridge the gap.
b
a
c
23
touch
grassroots heroes
MEET SOME OF THE FACES BEHIND THE DISTRIBUTION
OF CBM RESOURCES – OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS!
Pictured: A team from Lorne Park Baptist Church (Mississauga, ON) assists with the
mailing of the Kids Care 2014 curriculum.
Emil Brunner’s statement
that “the church exists by
mission as a fire exists by
burning” emphasizes the
importance of mission for
the life of a congregation.
Is this true in your context?
Mission should be one of the
most exciting aspects of church
life. Mission occurs where the
gospel of God’s love and grace
encounters the needs of the world.
Unfortunately, there are times
when a congregation may feel
that its mission strategy has evolved
through circumstances and lacks
a sense of focus or direction.
There is a realization that the
majority of church members do
not connect with the mission
activities, people and organizations
that are supported by the budget
they support.
DISCOVER is an exciting, new
CBM resource designed to assist
congregations to reconnect with
their passion for mission.
Learn more today at
www.cbmin.org/discover
Why do they volunteer their time to CBM?
“I’ve always wanted to be involved in work of this nature….Since I was a kid I wanted
to go to India,” explains Don Boyd, one of the faithful on the Lorne Park volunteer
team. “I can’t think of a better place to volunteer…CBM is a wonderful, friendly
bunch of people…I have more laughs than anything when I’m here.”
“I think God expects us to be giving,” says Ruth Mitchell (pictured) who has had
a lifelong interest in global missions starting with a grandfather who served as
a medical missionary in China to her own short-term mission trip to China.
We pass along a sincere note of thanks to all of our volunteers! Your wonderful gift
of time is much appreciated and helps to keep administration costs down.
Canadian Baptist Ministries
7185 Millcreek Drive
Mississauga, Ontario L5N 5R4