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GREAT COMMISSION CHRISTIANS:
Strategic Partnership With A
Persecuted Yet Vibrant Church!
By Frank R. Parrish
Editor’s
Note: Because
of the intense persecution directed exclusively against Christians in this
nation, all names – including the name of the country – are being withheld
or changed. As you read this, please ask the Lord how you can best pray for
our persecuted brothers and sisters throughout this nation and the
surrounding regions – He will help you as you pray!
“Why
do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing … He who sits in the
heavens shall laugh…” (Ps 2:1,4).
For
many years, my heart has been deeply burdened for a particular region of
the world. The people have experienced such profound hardship: the ravages
of war; crushing poverty; the abuse of women and children forced into the
worst forms of slavery and oppression; shockingly cruel despotism; and the
emptiness of communism.
Pastors
are regularly imprisoned and tortured, and many disappear without a trace.
Christians lose their businesses, are driven from their homes and deprived
of their livelihoods or any possible aid. They are interrogated and
starved, suffering humiliation and extreme deprivation.
Yet
out of the rubble of such devastation, hope still rises – for our Almighty
God is quietly but profoundly at work! Amid such extreme persecution, one
particular nation in this region now has an underground house-church
network estimated at over 40,000 churches – and it is multiplying rapidly
as thousands are receiving Christ monthly.
Into
this amazing situation, God allowed the opportunity for me to join with
several other brothers to meet with some of the key church leaders in this
nation. This was the beginning of a wondrous unfolding of a portion of
God’s purpose for this nation in which World MAP was being called to
participate.
Our
small team initially met in another country for prayer and strategy. We
then traveled into this nation of millions, where there seemed to be more
motorbikes than people – and the orchestrated chaos was fascinating to
behold!
Our
trip included wonderful fellowship over native meals, preaching and
teaching, and hours of discussion with key church leadership. But the
highlight was hearing of the miracles, revival and triumph of the saints,
despite the cruel hardships and fierce government persecution.
Amazing
Scope Of Ministry
As we
met with key leaders of the “Smith” tribal group [fictitious name], we were
privileged to gain a greater sense of the scope of the miraculous work of
God in this nation. This ministry group is effectively reaching 30 of the
54 tribal groups inside their country with the Gospel!
Most
significant is their very fruitful work among the “Jones” tribal group.
This tribal group is in very close proximity to the central government that
so opposes Christianity. What makes this of such critical importance is
that the Jones tribal group is also closely connected – linguistically,
historically, culturally and through extended family relationships – to
people groups in four surrounding nations. As the Jones group is
evangelized and trained, and raises up its own leaders, they are able to
cross into the neighboring countries unhindered and evangelize people
groups that no one else is reaching! The Jones group has no linguistic or
cultural barriers and can travel through the countryside unhindered in
order to meet with other tribal groups.
The
leaders of the Jones tribal group – though many are still babes in Christ –
already function as Great Commission Christians, compelled to reach into
other nations to bring the Gospel of salvation in Christ to the lost.
This
underscores for World MAP the paramount importance of providing training
and equipping for these ready and willing front-line leaders!
The
Smith ministry group is successfully using individual homes as the meeting
places of newly-planted churches. This biblical strategy is leap-frogging into neighboring nations, resulting in
explosive growth in areas that Western ministry groups have great
difficulty in reaching.
There
is a challenge with this successful strategy of church planting, however:
Leadership training and development have been unable to keep pace with the
aggressive evangelism accompanied by signs and wonders! We were told that
at times leaders have said, “no more growth or outreach – we can’t keep
up!” But when a dead person is raised, people are miraculously healed, or
local witch doctors are delivered and saved, what is one to do when the
whole village wants to receive Christ?!
Despise
Not Small Beginnings
The
Smith group is an interdenominational Bible church movement,
begun by a faithful couple we’ll call “Bob and Sheila”. They were joined by
a few other people and began to pray and evangelize. This small group has
grown into a vibrant body of over 50,000 committed believers!
This
fruitfulness has come at great cost, especially to Bob and Sheila. These
precious leaders have faced many years of aggressive persecution –
including unrelenting police surveillance, threats and intimidation,
imprisonment and abuse. However, this has only resulted in multiplied
growth of the church they pastor and the movement they shepherd!
The
police have recently changed tactics, becoming
less aggressive with the main church leaders in the cities. Instead, they
are persecuting the growing Christian movement in the more rural tribal
areas. These simple people are often threatened with torture, imprisonment
and death in order to force them to sign retractions of their faith.
Recently,
Bob and Sheila were asked to speak to the U.S. Congress regarding human
rights violations by their country. Their country revoked Bob’s passport,
and Sheila made the journey alone. However, due to the possibility of
discovery of her key role, her testimony was limited to a phone report.
Meeting
Together
Our
team spent several days just getting to know the dear saints in this
country. Bob and Sheila graciously invited us to address a leadership
gathering and church service. With understandable caution, they wanted to
gauge our hearts and maturity. They later confessed that they wanted to
insure that our purpose for being there was born and empowered by the Holy
Spirit. This was underscored at a later planning meeting when Bob said, “I
want to hear what the Lord has put on your hearts, seeing that it is He Who
has brought you here.” We truly honor and respect the wise and protective
covering Bob and Sheila provide to those they shepherd so faithfully!
After
several days, the leadership was satisfied and comfortable with us, and a
fruitful and productive strategy session ensued. We are thrilled to report
to you how God is directing our partnership with the church in this nation:
1.
World MAP will fund the printing of The Shepherd’s Staff [our 1000-page,
Bible-sized ministry training manual] in their language and within their
own country in the next several months. This equipping manual will be given
to active church leaders, and made available by the Smith group to all
other parts of the national church in their country. Our first printing
will be 2,000 copies, but the goal is many more!
2.
They have asked that we conduct training and equipping seminars for pastors
and church leaders, and strategize for long-term involvement (over the next
5 years). This time frame is both strategic and practical, as influential
relationships are key to discipleship and the
shaping of intra-national ministry vision and strategy. World MAP is
committed to participate in these seminars, beginning within the next 12
months.
These
seminars will be in multiple locations that are geographically strategic.
They will be 4-5 days, with as few as 15 leaders or as many as 250,
depending upon conditions of required secrecy.
Please
pray with us for open doors, protection and provision to fund the
Shepherd’s Staff production and these upcoming leaders’ meetings.
Our
God Reigns!
Our
time in this country was more fruitful than we could have anticipated. But
of greater significance was the glimpse we were given of the greatness and
faithfulness of the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ, to His saints and
fellow-heirs in this spiritually dark nation. My heart anxiously
anticipates returning to our precious brothers and sisters there.
I
began this report by quoting from Psalm 2. I will close by continuing from
this passage: “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your
inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession” (Ps 2:8).
Will
you petition our King regarding this nation (He knows which one!) – that ALL of His
purposes and destiny for this people will be loosed and fulfilled? Pray
with me for a vast Harvest of souls from this region of the world, who will
join with those from every tribe, tongue, people and nation in praise to
Him Who gave His life for us all.
Amen?
Hallelujah!
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