Return to the
Amazon
4
The Saviour’s
Shanty Town,
Lima
12
Week of
Prayer
Guide 2015
UK
Churches
News
22
JUNE – AUGUST 2015
Faith comes by hearing
Translating the Bible for the
Fulani of Burkina Faso
Chairman’s notes
inside…
Sweet or Sour?
18
4
22
8
3. Chairman’s notes
4. Getting back into the picture
Jason and Andrea Murfitt return to Amazonas
8. Living water
Phil and Carolyn Reid in Burkina Faso
12. Why don’t you do something?
Daniel Caballero encounters poverty and spiritual
need in Lima’s shanty towns.
15. Pray for us!
Daryl Jones gives us a framework for praying for
mission
Mission Coordinator: Daryl Jones.
[email protected]
Deputy Mission Coordinator: Jim Sayers
[email protected]
Finance Coordinator: Andrew Sadler
[email protected]
12 Abbey Close, Abingdon, Oxon,
OX14 3JD (UK)
Tel: 01235 520147
Fax: 01235 559796
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.gbm.org.uk
Twitter: @GBMission
Facebook: gracebaptistmissions
22. UK Churches News
Our regular news feature on church planting
Reg. Charity No: 263133
26. Obituaries
Printed by Bishops Printers, Portsmouth.
Magazine design: Steve Devane design
GBM exists to help churches support their
missionaries worldwide, in ministries of
evangelism, church planting, training,
compassion, radio and literature.
Your Council’s Conference in March was
good!
GBM Council has met in a regular
residential conference every three
years, now set to become a biennial
event. Why hold a three-day residential
conference? Coming together in this
way gives opportunity, with less time
constraints, to pray, listen to God’s Word
and debateissues relevant to the Mission
and Mission family. Praying together is
essential and so uplifting. During the
sessions of prayer we were conscious of
the Lord’s presence, as prayer flowed for
world mission, the GBM family, for one
another and for our churches.
The Conference opened with ministry
from Sukesh Pabari, and Tom Forryan
preached in the final session. Sukesh
directed us to Hebrews 2:1-4, drawing
our attention to the great salvation we
have in Christ. It is in Christ alone that we
have our salvation and security. Drawing
from his own experiences, Sukesh shared
that while a missionary often has more
discouragements than blessings, the
greatest joy of all is to preach Christ and
his salvation. Why? We were given four
reasons: salvation comes from a great
God; salvation comes from a great Saviour;
salvation saves us from great sin; and
salvation brings us great blessings. Neither
the Hindu nor Muslim has such hope or
security (nor your unsaved neighbour, for
that matter).
Tom Forryan focussed our minds on
Revelation 10-11, highlighting the ultimate
and glorious triumph of the gospel. While
the work of mission is hard and costly
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
(‘sour’), it is the sweetness of ‘honey in
the mouth’ as we speak the words of
Christ in evangelism. Yet the glory of the
gospel is that Christ knows exactly who
are his (they are measured) which is a huge
motivation for world mission. Even in the
teeth of persecution, we must not become
discouraged for Christ bestrides heaven
and earth, showing his supreme authority,
redeeming the church for his glory alone.
All the resources are his; he equips, but we
must work!
During Conference we debated a
variety of prepared papers, always in
a godly spirit. We readily reaffirmed
the biblical model of mission, the local
church, yet whatever the nuance of
how that should be done, there was one
inescapable fact: the global needs are
huge and much remains to be done.
Holding firmly to the biblical model,
we are forced to confront the challenge
of Christ’s teaching in John 9:4, ‘As long
as it is day we must do the work of him
who sent me.’ At GBM we cannot escape
the reality that while Christ equips and
there is much work yet to be done, we
have few coming forward to serve. On
almost every continent where our churches
have missionaries we need more church
planters, Bible teachers and evangelists.
The cry for help in some cases is long
standing. Will no one answer the cry for
mature help, or do we only want to enjoy
the ‘sweet’ aspects of mission, without
counting the cost of the ‘sour’ times as
well?
As long as it is
day we must
do the work of
him who sent
me. John 9:4
Trevor Condy
[3]
Return to Amazonas
Left: Jason leading a
Bible study session in the
tribe
Far left: Jason, Andie
and Lucy and friends on
a riverboat
Getting back
Below: The Santo
Antônio creek, where
into the picture
Jason, Andie and Lucy
live
Jason and Andie Murfitt and Lucy returned to their home in
Amazonas, Brazil at the end of January after six months of home
assignment. Here, Jason describes the experience of returning
Two fears plague the missionary’s mind whilst
clocking up the miles visiting supporting churches
in their sending country: ‘What if those that I
have been called to minister to can’t cope while
I’m away?’ And worse still: ‘What if they can
cope?’ If they can’t cope, they will be prone to the
scavenging spiritual wolves; if they are scattered
there will be nothing to go back to. Some might
consider this as failure on our behalf… But if life
and service goes on regardless of our absence, then
how can we justify returning? Perhaps the building
no longer needs the scaffolding…
Forty years after ‘Mary Poppins’ first came out
it still captures our childlike wonderment, a rare
experience since the big kid inside was forced to
grow up. I love the bit when Mary and Bert jump
into a picture that he had drawn on the pavement
and enter into another world; it reminds me of
our re-entry experience back into river-life in Brazil.
After sixty PowerPoint presentations of our ministry,
it was as if we had leapt back into the slides to
continue living the adventure. But then, there is
only so much time you can spend talking about the
work in the Amazon before you need to get your
feet wet doing the work.
[4]
Here are some quotes of our final aspirations from
our Dec/Jan PRAYER POINTER Newsletter written
before we returned, followed by the reality that we
encountered.
PRAYER POINTER ‘As soon as we arrive in our
creek, Santo Antônio, we will waste no time in
visiting each family associated with our newly
formed ‘Immanuel’s Church’ to invite them to a
special ‘Welcome Back’ service…’
Five months before returning to the UK we had
officially started our little congregation in our
creek, even though we knew that we would
soon be returning to England. The timing was
not ideal but the people of God need a place
where they can gather to worship and be fed by
the preaching of the Word of God. Now on our
return, one of our fears was realised: although our
reluctant indigenous co-worker Justo continued
studying the word with his family, the group had
stopped functioning as a church. But the Holy
Spirit worked among us so that we were able to
make preparations for Easter, when an amazing
attendance of eighty people joined us! If only that
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
[5]
Return to Amazonas
many came every week… we would church plant…
For now the regular attendance consists of just
three families. Oh that God would breathe spiritual
life into many of these lifeless river-dwellers that
his glory might be seen through their transformed
lives!
PRAYER POINTER ‘Sometime in March it would
be great to visit the tribe to see how they have
been keeping...’
Once our ‘Immanuel’s Church’ was meeting
regularly on the Lord’s Day again, in response to
a phone-call invitation from the chief, I set off for
a ten day river trip, and beyond our expectations,
Justo came with me! For those who don’t know,
Justo is a pastor who, partially due to insufficient
training, has received a number of battle scars and
as a result has been hiding in a house in our creek
and licking his wounds for nearly four years. So
the best thing for him was to get right away and
to minister once more to fellow Indians. There he
thrived and delighted in both serving and studying.
He and I spent ten hours together studying
Ephesians. The fruit of our discussions has since
evolved into our regular Sunday evening service in
our ‘Immanuel’s Church, in which Justo preaches,
and a midweek prayer meeting which we take in
turns leading. In the tribe we made inroads into
reaching the elusive young people with the gospel,
by holding a shooting competition. We confirmed
a mission trip in July with the chief to visit others
in his people group who at present remain
unevangelised. Then whilst travelling on his boat
for that week we also plan on picking up where we
left off in translating 1 Samuel.
PRAYER POINTER ‘Within a fortnight we will
want to continue with the young people’s
work, to begin dividing them into a junior and
senior group…’
We reflected upon this during the flight back
to Brazil, wondering if we might be biting off
more than we could chew. But like so many
other aspects of our ministry, because of a lack
of workers, if we don’t do it, it probably won’t
[6]
be done. Should we just let the children become
teenagers and drift off on makeshift rafts of
sensuality into the open seas of postmodernism,
where everyone does what seems right in their
own eyes? Or should we provide a safe haven
where they can be anchored to Christ, who can
hold them fast when the vicious storms that life
brings rage all around? Well, we waited ten weeks
until I returned from the tribe before making two
groups: the Clubizão (BIG Bible club, 11yr +) and
the Clubinho (Little Bible club, 4-10 yr. olds). Then
God did an amazing thing: he brought twentyfive young people to the new Clubizão, fifteen of
whom we had never had the pleasure of teaching
the Bible to before. On top of that he brought
twenty-two to the Clubinho the next day, eight of
whom were young children who came for the first
time, and have been coming ever since! Literally
overnight the young people’s work grew up. We
are encouraged by this, believing that it is evidence
that the Lord’s hand is upon this ministry.
1
2
3
4
5
6
PRAYER POINTER ‘And throughout those first
few weeks we will begin pre-production for
our radio/TV programme…’
Even at the end of last year we knew that we
would face many challenges settling back into
our ministry in Brazil; what with continuing to
home-school Lucy and trying to get her back into
a Brazilian school; as well as reacclimatizing not
just to the humidity but also to the daily challenge
of Brazilian culture, of proverbially trying to draw
a straight line with a bent stick. Those ‘few weeks’
have become a few months. We have marked off
August to begin pre-production of our new TV and
radio programmes. This is a new enterprise, taking
what we do at a local level and reaching out not
just through local radio but also a local Christian
TV station, even going global via the Internet, that
others may be trained to do what we do, and do it
all for the glory of God!
If all of this seems like rather a lot for a simple
couple from Cornwall to do, then why don’t you
dare to pray, asking God whether he would send
you to step into the picture?
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
7
1. Reaching the boys in the tribe by holding a
shooting competition
2. Lucy and her friends
3. Monkeys are a common pet in Amazonas
4. Hunting for river fowl by boat
5. Lucy feeding the family bullock
6. Building a typical jungle home
7. Wild boar are plentiful
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
[7]
xzxzxz
Phil and Carolyn Reid moved to Burkina Faso
in 2013, to work among the Fulani people,
doing medical work and Bible translation.
Carolyn describes some of the challenges and
opportunities of their first term
‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty
again, but whoever drinks the water I give them
will never thirst… Sir, give me this water so that
I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming
here to draw water.’ JOHN 4:13-15
Yaakuuba reads the Fulani Bible on Phil’s iPod. In a poor country such as Burkina,
it is surprising how many people have a smart phone, and could download a Bible
app to read God’s Word
[8]
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
Our Fulani friend chuckled as we read this passage
together in John 4. He knew that his wife and
sisters would understood perfectly the sentiment
of the Samaritan woman, eager to know how
to get this supply of water that would release
her from the never-ending hard work of drawing
water from the well. We may never give a second
thought to turning on a tap and having clean
running water in our homes. For most people in
Burkina Faso, getting enough water each day is
a major task, and for some the situation is more
precarious than others.
We first met Yaakuuba at a naming ceremony, a
celebration held a week after a new baby is born.
At that time we had just spent two weeks living in
the village of one of his half-brothers, immersing
ourselves in the Fulfulde language and the culture
of the Fulani people; it was an experience neither
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
of us will ever forget. Pumping water from the
well and carrying it home was extremely hard
work, but I had a mere fifty metres or so to walk
from the well back to the little mud-brick house
that we stayed in.
Accepting Yaakuuba’s invitation to visit his
village, we learned of the hardships that they face.
Their closest well is over four miles away. They
leave around 11pm each night with a donkey cart
laden with plastic containers, walk to the well and
then wait in line until maybe 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. to fill
up with water before heading back to the village.
They only eat once a day; the trip is too long and
cooking and washing up use up too much water
to eat more than this. The people there looked
tired; life is extremely tough.
We have been in Burkina Faso working with the
Fulani for nearly two years – Phil involved in Bible
translation and Carolyn in medical ministry. The
Fulani are a traditionally nomadic people spread
right across West Africa, and make up around
10% of the population of Burkina Faso. They
are cattle herders, and measure wealth by the
size of their herd. Increasing desertification and
population growth is putting pressure on grazing,
[9]
Burkina Faso
and many Fulani take their livestock south into
Ghana, Togo and Benin when there is nothing for
their animals to graze closer to home. They also
farm during the short rainy season; but growing
enough grain to feed a large family for a whole
year is precarious, and poor rains often mean
food is scarce. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest
countries in the world, and sometimes the physical
needs seem overwhelming.
Friends in Action (www.friendsinaction.org.uk),
a partner organisation with our mission SIM, drills
wells in Burkina Faso. It’s a ministry that opens
many doors to the gospel. We often hear exciting
stories of people coming to faith during drilling
trips – as villagers receive the gift of physical water,
local pastors share the good news of the eternal
living water that only comes through Jesus Christ.
We were delighted to discover that Yaakuuba’s
village was on the list for the well-drilling team in
November 2014. We visited that week and, with
Yaakuuba’s half-brother who is already a believer,
we prayed together that God would give the village
the water they so desperately need.
It would be wonderful to report a happy
ending to this story – but Friends in Action tried
twice, drilling to 270ft each time, but both holes
were dry. Imagine how heart-breaking for the
villagers, who had awaited their visit with such
hope and expectation, only to see the team have
to pack up their equipment and drive away. We
were devastated for them and so confused as to
why our prayers were seemingly unanswered. The
well-drillers are going to try again in early 2016 –
but until then our friends will continue their long
walk to the well each night.
Yaakuuba was fascinated to read the Bible on
Phil’s iPod. He is in a minority; only around 28%
of adults in Burkina Faso are able to read – and
this is probably even lower among the Fulani
themselves. In January 2013 the New Testament
was published in Burkina Faso Fulfulde, the
language of the Fulani people. Work continues to
translate the Old Testament, something we see as
vital to communicate the whole of God’s story of
salvation to the Fulani.
[10]
Last year a team worked hard to record all of
the New Testament in audio form – but the editing
of this is a mammoth task and is not yet complete.
To have the New Testament available in audio form
is vital in order to reach those who cannot read,
which is the majority of the Fulani. There has not
been time to complete this yet, as there are so
many demands on the small Bible translation team
that Phil is part of. Another important task is the
development of mobile phone applications; many
Fulani herdsmen spend weeks out in the bush with
their cattle, but have a mobile phone with them.
This year we hope to see the launch of applications
to enable Fulani to share the scriptures between
themselves on their phones.
Carolyn’s work has taken off in recent months.
Her medical ministry is not exclusively with the
Fulani, but they are often looked down upon
in hospitals across the country and they seem
so appreciative of being greeted in their own
language when they come to the hospital where
Carolyn is now working. This year she is hoping
to start a sexual health and HIV service in this
small but growing hospital on the outskirts of the
capital, Ouagadougou. She is also doing one day
a week of medical work at a local prison, with
a Swiss nurse who also has a real heart for the
Fulani people.
Please pray for the village of Saatepenga: that
there will be success in finding water when the
drilling team return in early 2016.
Please pray for spiritual water to come to this
village.
Please also pray for the work of the Bible
translation team, that they will continue to make
good progress on the Old Testament but will also
be able to complete the editing of the audio New
Testament very soon.
Above: A sandstorm approaching.
Left: A Fulani church
Below, left: Carolyn with a local Fulani girl
Below, right: Phil leads a Bible study using the new
translations into Fulani
If you would like to help fund Phil’s
translation project, you can donate through
GBM. Contact Andrew Sadler at Mission
Centre for details.
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
[11]
The Saviour’s
Daniel Caballero returned to his native Peru in November, taking
up his work in Villa El Salvador, ‘The Saviour’s shanty town’ south
of Lima. He describes how God convicted him to serve in mission,
and what he has been doing in this very tough area
It was almost fourteen years ago, but it seems
like yesterday. It was just at the beginning of my
Christian life, on my first mission trip to the jungle,
when I started to feel God’s call to ministry. We
visited a village in a region called ‘Pichanaki’, where
many people had been killed over several years by
the terrorist movement ‘Shining Path’. A man in his
fifties came to welcome us, walking with a pair of
crutches; he was the pastor of the community. The
front part of his feet had been hacked off by the
terrorists as an example to others and to restrain
him from preaching the gospel in other villages.
He was one of the many ‘known, yet regarded as
unknown’ by the standards of this world (2 Cor
6:9), for whom taking his cross and following
Jesus was costly. Until I met him, my thoughts had
been: ‘I cannot bear this hot weather…I hate these
mosquitoes…these people are so uneducated…’
But then I felt so ashamed and convicted by my
selfishness and pride. As I was going back on the
bus that afternoon, tears started to flood my eyes,
as the Lord was whispering ‘Do you really want
to serve me? Do you really love me? Have you
counted the cost?’ And I could only say ‘Yes Lord,
I will. I will serve you! I will go where nobody else
wants to go.’
It is true that the gospel has grown very fast in
Latin America over the last thirty years. We have
[12]
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
experienced many blessings from the Lord, usually
in the midst of political crisis, terrorism and poverty.
However, things are not as good as they may seem
superficially. Nominalism is growing fast with false
conversions, and a diluted gospel is every day more
common. The seeds of the prosperity gospel have
been sown in different degrees in the vast majority
of our churches. Corruption among the pastors is
becoming the norm rather than the exception, as
is religious syncretism in the jungle and mountains
and the ‘seeker-friendly-mega-church’ easybelievism in the cities. We have more churches
than ever before, but at the same time the greatest
need for solid Bible teaching. It is in a context like
this that the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer are even
more relevant: ‘Silence in the face of evil is itself
evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is
to speak. Not to act is to act.’
I am currently living in Villa El Salvador (the
Saviour’s Shanty Town). It is a desert two hours
south of Lima, with a population of 800,000. Most
of the people are migrants who came twenty years
ago as a consequence of the poverty and guerrilla
war in the Andes Mountains and the jungle.
I am deeply convinced that the best way to
reach a nation is through their leadership, likewise
the church. I usually preach every Sunday morning
and evening, and work as an assistant pastor at ‘El
[13]
The mission presentation is complete. You have heard all the
needs, and the request is made. ‘Please pray for us…’ And now at
home you begin to pray. What seemed so clear and simple listening
to the missionary now seems to be rather more complicated
Top left: Sunday morning after the service
at El Fundamento Church
Top right: Lucas Bustos. Originally from
a small village in the jungle, he is the
assistant pastor at El Fundamento Church
Left: There are literally thousands of these
taxis in the shanty town. Last year’s Envision
team wanted to take one back to the UK!
Fundamento’ Church, but I spend most of my time
training pastors and future leaders. I study, prepare
sermons and write classes in the mornings. At
the moment I am writing for three classes: Ethics,
Theology of the Gospels, and Post-Reformation
History and Theology. I am teaching these at the
Baptist Theological Centre of Peru (CTB) in Lima
where I lecture for 4-5 hours every Tuesday and
Saturday.
Most of the pastors in the shantytowns are
either self-supported or part-time workers.
Probably 80% of them have not received formal
Bible training and do not have any other access
to good books, teaching or mature Christians to
follow as an example. So we have an academy
called ‘Antioch’ which runs in two locations in
the slums. The Lord is the only one who can
bring change to a society full of darkness, by the
exposition of his Word in the power of the Holy
Spirit. I teach a course on Wednesdays on ‘False
cults and related issues’ (Sorcery and witchcraft is a
huge issue here), and on Sunday afternoons I teach
[14]
‘The Basics of the Christian Faith.’ I do pastoral
visitation some of the evenings in the week. I have
come to realise that the best way to improve your
counselling, teaching and especially your preaching
is not necessarily to read a book, but to have a
meal and spend time with people. Although it
may seem paradoxical, I think that the greatest
challenge of living in a tough place like this, is not
the food, poverty or astonishing levels of crime,
corruption, prostitution or violence, but loneliness.
Perhaps the Lord is calling you, like the
Macedonian man, to come over and help us. Even
with the little knowledge you have, you know
more than the average pastor, and there are some
areas, specially villages and shantytowns, where the
only person who can reach women and children is
another woman.
Sometimes I would like to ask God, ‘Why do you
allow so much suffering in this world if you can do
something about it?’ But I think he would ask me
the same question! Perhaps, he is calling you to do
something about it.
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
PRAY
The challenge we face is to move in our
praying from the simple and heartfelt ‘bless’
to bringing specific requests in prayer. But
how can we pray more than this simple
request asking for the Lord to bless his
work? How do we know what to pray for
missionaries as they serve the Lord?
In the New Testament examples of prayer are evident, as are requests for
prayer, and these help us to know how to pray. The
first disciples struggled with this so they went to
Jesus and asked: ‘Lord, teach us to pray’ (Luke 11:1).
And Jesus lovingly taught his disciples, and us, how
to pray by giving the model of the Lord’s prayer. In
this we can see some vital things to help us pray for
missionaries.
Your kingdom come
FOR
We are told to pray for God’s kingdom to be seen on earth as it is in heaven
as his will is evidenced here. As the gospel bears fruit, so the Lord’s kingdom
comes into being on earth. So we are called to pray for fruitfulness in the
work of mission. What encourages missionaries more than anything is to see
souls being saved.
US
Forgive us…for we also forgive…
Jesus encourages us to pray for our daily walk with the Lord.
We need to be in a right relationship with God and with one
another, and so the forgiveness of sin will be essential. As we pray
for missionaries we must pray for their daily walk with the Lord.
We pray that they might know his closeness and a deepening
relationship with him; in short that they might grow in Christ.
In the battle of mission, one of the tactics of the evil one is to
provoke disputes between the servants of the Lord. This can occur so easily
on the mission field where there are many different pressures, so to pray for
those good relationships between missionaries is vital. They need to know
daily forgiveness of sin not only from the Lord but also from brothers and
sisters in Christ.
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
[15]
Deliver us from evil
Pray for us
Mission work is tough and Satan delights in opposing and dividing such
work. Spiritual warfare is evident and is to be a matter of prayer. Jesus says
pray that you’ll know strength in the face of temptation. Yes, missionaries
are tempted just as we all are, so we must pray for them honestly and
realistically as we do for ourselves, that they will overcome in Christ.
The little phrase ‘Pray for
us’ occurs in a number of
places in the New Testament
letters and it helps us to see
Bearing all of that in mind here are a few practical ideas to be able to
pray better for missionaries:
the priority of prayer for
mission.
Be biblical
The challenge is to let the language of Scripture shape our prayers. The Bible
is filled with prayers, and we can learn so much from the shape and priorities
of such prayers. Rather than reverting to our ‘evangelical clichés’, let God’s
Word guide you and enable you to pray with spiritual understanding.
Be selective
It’s difficult to pray for everyone, so choose someone and focus on their
work. Get their prayer card and their regular prayer letter and keep it in your
Bible so that when you pray you will remember them.
Be informed
Try to put yourself in their shoes; identify with them in the country
where they are serving and the work they are doing, so read all you can
about that country. Read the country profiles in the GBM Handbook.
The book Operation World gives a wealth of background to increase our
understanding of both the religious and political situation. Newspapers and
websites give up-to-date information, or you could download the Joshua
Project app onto your mobile or tablet.
Be personal
Do you know a Filipino nurse, a Polish shop worker or an African student?
What might they tell you about their country? As you talk to those who have
come to the UK from other countries, you learn so much more about the
world. You also make a friend and perhaps have the opportunity to share
Christ with them.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:25 it
is put so simply: ‘Brothers
pray for us.’ If the apostle
…let the language of Scripture
shape our prayers. The Bible is
filled with prayers, and we can
learn so much from the shape and
priorities of them…
Paul required and requested
prayer then we can see
how much we and our
missionaries do also.
In Colossians 4:3 Paul
and Timothy write asking
for prayer so that ‘God
may open a door for our
message’. They want
both opportunities and
Why not write to the missionary?
Send them birthday and
Christmas cards, and get to know
them better.
fruitfulness in sharing the
gospel.
In 2 Thessalonians 3:1
they ask for prayer so that
the ‘message of the Lord
might spread rapidly and be
honoured.’ They long for
Be in contact
a positive response to the
Why not write to the missionary? Send them birthday and Christmas cards,
and get to know them better. This will be an enormous encouragement to
them, and you can ask them what to pray specifically for them.
Finally, remember that if the apostle Paul asked for prayer then all our
missionaries desire you to be praying for them. And it should be said that in
praying for them, we not only see situations and lives changed there but we
ourselves are changed.
gospel and see prayer as
vital to that happening.
Our missionaries need us to
pray. In fact as some have
said, ‘Prayer is the work!’
Let’s pray!
[16]
Let’s not think otherwise.
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
[17]
HALLLING
UK church news
BRIGHTON
Grace Baptist Network is a group that brings together a number of Grace Baptist
regional associations of churches, together with GBM and Grace Baptist Partnership (an
agency that seeks to help churches plant churches) to promote evangelism and churchplanting across the UK. We aim to use these pages in the GBM Herald as a regular
feature, reporting on church-planting projects and other initiatives in the UK
Brighton
Brighton is a city of 273,000
people, perhaps the most
bohemian city in the country,
known for its art, music, students
and general libertarianism. It was
the first city to elect a Green Party
MP, while it is home to many who
work in the media and commute
the hour-long train journey into
London. Life here is lived in a
deeply secular climate.
Of concern to Grace Baptist
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churches is the closure in 2013
of Montpellier Place Baptist
Church on the west of the
city centre. Once a large and
thriving church, many factors
contributed to its closure, and the
trustees are currently deciding
what should be done with the
large 1960s building. On the
other side of town is Ebenezer
Reformed Baptist Church, which
rejoices in a new and cleverly
designed building in a housing
development just above Grand
Parade in Brighton’s Kemptown.
Yet this church is also small and
in need of encouragement.
Discussions are ongoing as to
how to help strengthen the work
at Ebenezer, and to look at where
churches need to be planted in
other parts of the city, and we
would value your prayers for
this. Conversations with other
churches have only highlighted
the spiritual needs of Central
Brighton.
So, as a first step, we are
organising this year’s Brighton
mission weekend, running from
Friday 10th to Sunday 12th July.
Our aim is to provide training in
evangelism in the context of a
secular city. Come and learn how
to explain the gospel to someone
who has never connected with
it before. The programme for
the weekend includes a café
outreach, local evangelism and
a Saturday night acoustic music
evening. Will you consider joining
the team? For more details and
an application form, contact Nigel
Hoad at [email protected]
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
Revitalising
the Church in
Halling
In these pages we want to
feature churches that have
recently been planted or
revitalised. Here Kevin
Felix-Hollington tells
of God’s goodness in
renewing the life of the
church in Halling in Kent
“Oh give thanks to the
LORD, for he is good, for
his steadfast love endures
forever!” (Psalm 107:1,
ESV).
In recent years, the church
experienced a decline in numbers
coupled with the challenges
of an ageing congregation
which had dropped to single
figures. In 2013, after about
six years without a pastor, the
congregation asked the Grace
Baptist Partnership for help in
revitalizing the work. Barry King
began to provide regular ministry
and Daniel Shwe began to do
door-to-door work.
Though the church’s finances
were limited, they agreed to call
me to serve for two years while
trusting God for the future. My
wife and I had been assisting with
the church plant in Grays, Essex,
and we moved into the village in
the summer of 2013.
Through much prayer, loving
care, patience and teaching from
God’s Word, we have re-written
our Church covenant, statement
of faith and guidelines for church
life, defined our communion and
established a plural eldership,
calling Keith Barrett to serve as
Associate Pastor. Our focus has
shifted from being an inwardlooking church to a missionminded congregation seeking
opportunities to reach out in our
own community.
Though we have lost three
beloved saints who have gone
to glory, by God’s grace our
membership has almost doubled.
We have also restarted our
Sunday School with ten children,
Top: Members of the congregation at Halling
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
rejoiced in one baptism, and just
recently, a person from the village
has professed faith in Christ
through our Christianity Explored
course. We are also praying about
the possibility of moving from our
present ‘tin tabernacle’ building
to something better.
How can you best pray for us?
Pray for growth in God’s grace for
his glory. Pray for the conversion
of people who come regularly and
people we have met in the village
as well as in nearby Snodland.
Pray for additional workers elders and deacons. I thank God
for the Grace Baptist Partnership,
for the support and training they
are providing for me. I give thanks
to God, for he is good, for his
steadfast love endures forever!
Above: Kevin and his wife, Raquel
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ENGAGE FORUMS 2015
SAVED2SERVE 2015
Engage
Forums 2015
St John’s Wood is one of the
richest neighbourhoods in the
country, but also home to a
substantial Muslim community
in the local Council estate. This
made a good location for our first
Engage forum at the beginning of
May, focusing on ‘Engaging with
Asians’. Sukesh Pabari explained
what an Asian feels as they come
into a church for the first time, and
how they may misunderstand you
and your God. Practical advice was
given on the ways we can connect
with Asian women as friends and
My Response
share the gospel with them. Lively
round table discussion followed,
and after lunch we heard the
testimonies of both Sonny Simak
and Sukesh as they described their
journeys out of Hinduism.
We are repeating this
programme in Dewsbury on
Thursday 4th June, so feel free to
come along. You may be surprised
by how many Asians live in your
neighbourhood, and this Engage
forum will whet your appetite for
reaching out to them.
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Saved2Serve
2015
At the end of March over 80
people (most aged 15-25) met
at All Nations Christian College
for Saved2serve, a missionminded weekend for Christian
young people filled with
worship and Bible teaching, and
practical seminars. Saved2serve
is sponsored by the AGBC(SE)
together with GBM.
This year’s theme was
‘Revolution: the Work of the
Holy Spirit in Conversion’,
with Bible ministry from David
Hircock, pastor of Hayes Lane
Bromley. In four sessions he
focussed on ‘Conversion: who
does what?’, ‘Conviction:
the Holy Spirit convicts us’,
‘Revolution: the change the Holy
Spirit makes’, and ‘How do I
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know I’m a Christian?’
There were four interactive
workshops to choose from on
specific areas where the Holy
Spirit brings change through
conversion: ‘Shut it’ (speech),
‘Kick it’ (addiction), ‘Leave it’
(false belief), and ‘Mend it’
(broken relationships). One young
person summed up the thoughts
of many: ‘It was precious to be
taught about the hope that we
have that will not spoil or fade,
and to be reminded it will not
disappoint like the things of this
world!’
The aim of the weekend is
not simply to reflect on biblical
principles, but at a practical
level it is meant to propel young
people into the Lord’s service
and to strengthen their churches.
Several mission agencies were
on hand to present a number of
exciting opportunities for mission
at home and abroad, and time
was allotted for people to hear
specific needs and to pray for the
groups represented.
Audio recordings from the
weekend are available at
www.saved2serve.org.uk. You
can get regular updates about
forthcoming events as well as
links to helpful resources by liking
us on Facebook (facebook.com/
saved2serveuk) or following us
on Twitter (S2Sevent). Next year’s
Saved2serve is 8-10 April 2016.
The theme is “Lost: How will
the world be saved?” and Matt
Gamston (former GBM missionary
in the Philippines) will be our
main speaker. Church
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and individuals. For further information about any
aspect of the work or to arrange a missionary visit,
please write to the Abingdon office.
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Ryan King
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Pictured right: young people
Account No 71100335 Sort Code 40-08-10
taking part in taking part in the
prayer time and Bible teaching
Please email [email protected] to advise us of the
sessions at Saved2Serve
transaction and how you want it to be used.
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
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Obituaries
signature tune! One station
manager in South Africa
described it as ‘Reformed faith
grounded’.
In retirement Clifford was able
to write a number of books, and
to be a mentor to many pastors
including myself. He kept his
sharp mind to the end, with
his ability to ask the pertinent
question, and to think situations
through biblically. He had a deep
love for so many churches, and
kept many of us from foolish and
headstrong mistakes. When he
moved into Finborough Court,
up the GBM radio team. TWR
challenged him to produce
evangelistic programmes for
Western Europe, and he took
up the challenge with vigour.
So it was that the Square
One programme was born.
Gathering a team that included
Ivan Stringer and Ian Densham,
Clifford based his thinking on
Acts 17 as Paul presented the
gospel to a pagan city. The
programmes began somewhere
in the listener’s experience, with
a mix of drama, interview and
straight talk, and a psychedelic
Jim Sayers
Clifford Pond
Joyce Smith
1924-2015
1944-2014
It is not often that someone gets to shape the work
of GBM through its Council and then serves as a
missionary, but that was true of Clifford Pond. Born
in Cambridge and growing up in Hertfordshire,
Clifford left school at fourteen. He volunteered
for the RAF medical corps, serving in Iceland and
the Far East. On leave in India he saw the work of
the then Strict Baptist Mission at first hand and
so began an attachment to the work that lasted
a lifetime. He returned home from the RAF to
train for ministry, and met and married Muriel.
He served pastorates in Cransford and Beccles in
Suffolk, before a significant ministry in Guildford.
He had become convinced of the biblical basis for
plural eldership, and he worked hard to see this
established. Years later he published Only Servants,
a helpful guide to introducing eldership in the local
church that was a great help to many.
The ‘Baptist Radio Crusade’ was a radio ministry
run through the 1960s by George and Audrey
Windybank, and Clifford became involved as well,
as they made programmes for broadcast from the
Isle of Man and Puerto Rico among other places.
This was all work done by volunteers. In 1971 the
work was amalgamated into GBM’s radio ministry.
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former missionary Wilfred Kuhrt’s
Bible study group had ceased
because of Wilfred’s failing
health, so Clifford restarted it.
Wilfred was seen to rise from
his bed and struggle up the
corridor to join them. Someone
asked, ‘Where are you going,
Wilfred?’ ‘To make sure Clifford
gets it right!’ Clifford would have
expected no less!
Clifford was called into the
presence of his Lord on March
6th 2015.
Clifford joined GBM’s Council in 1961, and
served as president 1970-74, which were years
of change as workers came back from India, and
new work became established in Europe. Philip
Grist says ‘It was during Clifford’s time that the
importance of the local Church came into focus.
We were acting in an unbiblical way. Hours and
hours of discussion and debate took place together
with Frank Ellis. We were profoundly thankful for
Clifford’s wise leadership. He was God’s man for
that time.’
Frank Ellis remembers, ‘In 1967, five of us
(Pastors Thorpe, Pond, Hoad, Ellis and Crees) visited
various locations in Europe and subsequently
reported: “Under the leading of God, we are sure
that we have found another mission field that is
truly a needy area”. The inclusion of Clifford, Jack
Hoad and myself is significant in that we shared a
common vision, that the Mission’s future should
reach ‘into all the world’. It proved, under God,
that this was a vision whose time had come and
that he had also raised up the men who would lead
the Mission towards achieving that goal.’
Clifford then became a missionary when he
and Muriel moved to Abingdon in 1979 to head
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
We also give thanks for the life
of Joyce Smith, who died at the
end of last year. In 1977 Joyce
and her husband David were sent
by Eden Chapel Cambridge to
serve in Nigeria in fellowship with
GBM. In a longer tribute, David
described their time in Nigeria:
‘We set sail from Tilbury Docks in
London on a Nigerian cargo ship
and five weeks later sailed up one
of the tributaries of the mighty
Niger River. The boys were aged
three and one, and Philip began
walking (unsteadily) as we passed
through the Bay of Biscay.
We went to work with the
Qua Iboe Church, living in an old
mission house with no protection
against mosquitoes (of which
there were many), no piped
water, no regular electricity and,
at the beginning, no cooking
facility! Joyce was truly heroic
in this situation; she coped with
GBM JUNE – AUGUST 2015
privations, creating a home in a
house with little potential; truly
loved our African friends, most
of whom suffered great hardship;
coped with serious illness and
all kinds of crises arising in such
a situation, and later taught
our small sons in a makeshift
schoolroom.
Her dedication, patience
and love were extraordinary in
circumstances that were often
very challenging. In the past few
weeks during her illness she has
spoken a number of times about
those years in Africa, always
ending by saying: ‘I should have
done more to help the poor
people in the villages’. Every week
she trudged across a small valley
to attend a meeting of women
in a nearby village and became
as loved by them as she had
been by so many people back in
Cambridge.’
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EVERY TRIBE, LANGUAGE,
P E O P L E A N D N AT I O N
pray:2015
G B M W E E K O F P R AY E R 2 0 1 5
All nations and tongues….will come
and see my glory Isaiah 60:18
We invite you to join us in devoting the second week of June to praying for
unreached nations and people-groups across the world. The Book of
Revelation tells us that Jesus has ‘purchased for God persons from
every tribe and language and people and nation’ (Rev. 5:9). Yet
many of them remain without a missionary presence, a Bible in their
heart language, national Christians to evangelise their own people
effectively. We have prepared a DVD which has been sent out to all
our supporting churches, which contains four videos to be used in a
church service or prayer meeting to lead into a time of prayer. Further
copies are available from GBM Mission Centre.
Sunday 7 June – Burkina Faso
The Fulani people are a group of tribes scattered
across Sub-Saharan Africa. Pray for Phil and Carolyn
Reid working with this group in Burkina Faso.
Carolyn has many opportunities to reach them
through her medical work, and Phil is part of a
team translating the whole Bible into the Fulfulde
language. Two-thirds of the people are illiterate, so
an audio version is also being prepared. Pray that
many more workers will come forward to serve
among the Fulani tribes.
SEE CENTRE PAGES
GBM WEEK OF PRAYER 2015
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