This update is from Kalengule Kaoma, one of GCI’s national and missions directors serving in Africa.
I traveled earlier this month to Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo where our national leaders and members warmly received me. They send warm greetings to all.
Pastor Agness Balinga with Limbe and Yaounde members
I arrived on September 28 in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon. Pastor Jean Mvondo and Andre met me at the airport. Refreshed by a good night’s rest, I attended an enthusiastic worship service the next morning after which all of us shared a delicious meal. On September 30, I visited the homes of our resident pastors where I fellowshipped with small groups of members. Later in the afternoon, we traveled to Peace Center in Balmayo for the fall convention.
Kinshasha convention praise team
During the convention I spoke first on the convention’s theme: “consecration and communion” of the saints. The second time I spoke about “God’s purpose for us.” Communion followed both of these sermons and was a highlight each day of the eight day convention with about 90 people attending. Another convention activity brought members together for an evangelism drive in the town of Balmayo. We hope a new church plant will result.
Members at Kinshasha convention
Later in the week, our two senior pastors in Kinshasa, Pastors Mvita and Mpinda met me at the Kinshasa airport and took me to a hotel in Kasa-Vubu, Kinshasa. A two-day church pastors’ and leaders’ training seminar began there on October 5. Pastor Jonas, who was translating for me from English to French and Lingala, was so thrilled with our seminar that he expressed interest in becoming a GCI member.
Church pastors’ and leaders’ training seminar
I will be conducting five more conferences in Africa this year. Please remember our African missions in your prayers. We appreciate your support.
Jim Roberts’ passion is jewels, both kinds. “I’m a serious rock, mineral and crystal collector and hobbyist. Also the people of God, which are described by Peter as ‘precious stones’ making up the building of God, are a chief joy.”
Jim, pastor of GCI’s congregation in San Leandro, California and his wife, Hazel have been married for 42 years and have one daughter, Rosie, who “gifted us with two perfect granddaughters, Shannon, 10 and Morgan, 6, just 100 miles away.”
Jim was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri. “Due to economics, I spent my pre-school years on a semi-primitive farm with my super grandparents who grounded me well in the ground, in the Baptist faith, and in not quite fitting in with my immediate family when I moved back to town with them.” It was on the farm that Jim developed an interest in earth science and went to college to study geology. Because of his Baptist background and creationist point of view, Jim said he was struggling in his geology major. It was about this time he started listening to The World Tomorrow broadcast. “In early 1965 The World Tomorrow radio broadcast was doing a series on creation vs. evolution. I was struggling with that question; the position taken seemed most intriguing. I sent for literature and soon accepted the church’s various doctrinal positions and really felt drawn by God.”
Soon Jim was about to make a big change in his life. “At age 19 I began to attend WCG and determined to apply for Ambassador College in Big Sandy.” He applied in 1967, and though he said he never dreamed of moving to California, when he was accepted, “I found myself headed for Pasadena instead!” Jim remained in California except for a stay of 18 months in Ohio. “I have spent 45 years in California and feel certain I was planted in California by the good Lord.”
Jim said he felt a calling to become a pastor while still a Baptist, but went into the field of earth science instead. “I then felt called to attend Ambassador College and study theology instead of geology. I was not hired into the ministry upon graduation in 1970 but I spent about 20 years doing ministry on the side while working with the computer department at Pasadena. Late in 1994 I got interviewed for full-time ministry and decided God was still moving me in that direction.
Jim’s first assignment was quite a challenge. “I was the only new hire that arrived at his first pastorate in the same month that the doctrinal changes took place. I had to go from assistant pastor in two churches to pastor of six churches in just five months. I had to grow into the job and grow along with the members in the new understanding. God was gracious.” Jim continued to serve full time in ministry for 17 years. “In 2012, I ‘retired’ and was re-hired part-time and I’m still at it.”
Jim shares two highlights about being a pastor. “One is teaching. I am not nearly as much preacher as teacher, which seems natural. I love helping people unravel the meaning of Scripture and making the gospel clear. The other is the joy of watching people respond and grow in faith and bear useful fruit in their lives.”
His most memorable moment as a pastor happened shortly after being hired full time. “It was an 8-day ‘moment’ in 1995 in Dayton when as a green emergency pastor I had to coordinate my first Feast of Tabernacles in nearly impossible conditions and watch how God worked through my wife and a bunch of great folks who hardly knew each other.”
Jim talks fondly of being part of GCI. “I love the commitment of GCI and its leadership to truth. The huge sacrifices made for new covenant truth in 1995 testify to this, as well as constant growth in new directions of grace, such as Trinitarian theology. I really respect the humility of Joe and the leadership.”
When asked when he feels closest to God, Jim responded, “Other than when I am alone in the wilderness, I think it’s in the pulpit. I think about what I’m doing and wonder who am I to do this and how awesome it is to be a mouthpiece for Jesus and just sense his power and presence.”
This update is from GCI Canada national director Gary Moore.
It was a privilege and joy to attend recently the annual weekend worship celebration hosted by the Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada congregation. This year, about 60 of our members attended (see picture at right). They came from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
There was a happy buzz of fellowship before and after each service. A lovely chicken dinner was enjoyed on Saturday night, followed by a sing-a–long led by Jim Noseworthy (see picture below).
Jim Noseworthy leads the sing-a-long
During the celebration, the Moncton congregation presented a gift to Eric and Edna Vautour to commemorate their 30th anniversary in ministry. The Vautours are wonderful servant leaders of our New Brunswick churches who have yielded themselves to Jesus Christ in a wonderful and fruitful way.
Facebook is a great tool for building and maintaining relationships with people both inside your church and within your community. However, in a recent ChurchLeaders.com article, Paul Steinbrueck shares some of the risks that Facebook use presents, including the risk of hurting your own reputation.
Click here to read Steinbrueck’s article, “18 Ways to Ruin Your Reputation on Facebook.”
Phillip Hopwood, GCI Australia pastor in Hobart, Tasmania was born and raised in Launceston, Tasmania. Phil said he had a “simple but positive upbringing attending church and Sunday school and Scouts every week. We had no Scout leader for several years, so my dad and those of us who were older ran the troop, which provided lots of leadership experience, fun and adventure.” When Phil was 16, his father was killed in a tragic accident while on a Scout activity.
Motorbikes were a highlight of Phil’s young adult life. “At one stage I had 13 motorbikes in various stages of repair, including Harley Davidsons and Triumphs. I entered a 1938 Harley with a sidecar in a race to help get sidecar racing re-established in Tasmania around 1970—lots of fun!”
Phil was brought up Methodist, “but was looking for answers about God at a time when most churches were liberal and the God is Dead movement was at its peak.” In 1965 he heard The World Tomorrow program and became interested. “I sought help regarding conscientious objection status from the church during the Vietnam War, and ended up with my first visit from a WCG minister.” This led to Phil attending church services in 1971 and being baptized a few months later “in a very cold river near Launceston. It was so cold my lungs partially collapsed, which gave a heightened sense of meaning even as I was under the water.”
Phil spent 1972-3 in the UK and Europe working and travelling. “I thought it might be the last chance to see Europe before the end time!” Phil made his base near the Ambassador College campus in Bricket Wood so he was able to attend services and Bible studies there regularly.
Returning to Tasmania in 1973, Phil attended and served in WCG local churches in northern Tasmania during the rest of the 70’s before going to Ambassador College in Pasadena in 1980-83. “My college years were among the best of my life. At one point I was head usher at the Auditorium and I loved attending the concerts. It was a great feeling having the keys to such a magnificent building in my pocket.” During his senior year of college, Phil worked in Personal Correspondence answering letters, which he calls “a great experience.”
After college, Phil was hired as a ministerial trainee in Vancouver, BC, Canada. “I spent 7 years pastoring in Alberta before returning with a family to Newcastle, NSW in late 1991 and then home to pastor the three Tasmanian churches in 1997.”
Phil shares that one of his toughest times was going through a divorce. “It was a very difficult experience to find a way through. I was helped greatly by close friends and family.” He says that it can be challenging being a single pastor especially in a small island state with limited social opportunities. “Thankfully God is merciful and gracious.”
What Phil enjoys most about being a pastor is the camaraderie and “having friends around the world who share a common theology and Christian journey. I enjoy the fellowship of members and fellow pastors.” Phil said he loves to watch people learn and grow in their understanding of what it means to be free, to live in peace, to be loved and to be embraced by the Father. “Preparing sermons and teaching about who God is, and who we are because of who he is” is something Phil holds dear to his heart. One of the highlights of his year is the annual Tasmanian church camp where “we spend a week in a beautiful seaside location studying through one of the books of the Bible.”
At the present time, Phil pastors part time due to limited local income. To supplement his income, he runs a small computer business and serves as a lecturer/evaluator for Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM). Phil sums up his life by saying, “what a journey it has been!”
Phil’s passion is engaging with others and sharing good theology. “I love the heart and wisdom of Karl Barth’s writings, as well as many others. I share my sermons on line, and recently helped put together the new GCI Australia website (at http://www.gci.org.au) to share more of the gospel with our increasingly secular nation. I believe it is important that we continue to use our denominational gifts of teaching and publishing to spread the gospel through modern media.”
When asked about his most memorable moment, Phil said, “I relish the time of helping members through the changes in the 90’s, including engaging with many locally who were personally emotionally impacted. I also enjoyed developing and overseeing the internet forums to help answer people’s questions, with help from Ted Johnston and technical help from Bret Miller.”
Phil said he feels closest to God “when reading a profound scripture or inspiring statement from a theologian, particularly if I am sitting outdoors in a sunny and inspiring location.”
Please pray for Raul Ramos, one of GCI’s pastors in Southern California.
Sylvia and Raul Ramos
Recently, Raul had the flu and his blood sugar rose to a dangerous level. He was taken to the hospital where, at first, the doctors were unable to bring down his blood sugar level. This caused Raul’s kidneys to shut down and he became incoherent. His wife Sylvia was told that his condition was not good. Thankfully, over the next couple of days, his condition improved and now he is able to converse normally and his doctors believe that Raul’s kidneys will start functioning again.
Raul and Sylvia thank everyone for their continued prayers for his complete recovery. You may send cards to:
Raul and Sylvia Ramos 38011 Boxthorn Street Palmdale, CA 93552-3222
As you may know, Grace Communion International in the United States is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). I serve on its board of directors. Some have asked about this organization. Since I will be attending the NAE board meeting this week in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this is a good opportunity to explain what the organization does, and the advantages that NAE membership brings to GCI.
Through NAE membership, we join with other evangelical denominations to have a larger impact than any single denomination could have by itself. The NAE serves a constituency of millions of people and represents more than 45,000 local churches and 40 denominations.
The NAE includes Reformed, Holiness, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic and other evangelical Christian traditions. This diverse and vibrant group is united by NAE’s core theological convictions, while acknowledging and respecting the diversity of its membership. Together, NAE members stand on God’s revelation in Scripture of redemption only in Jesus Christ the Son of God, by grace through faith. Found within NAE member denominations and churches is a commitment to dynamic unity that works toward a vision of all things made new, of all God’s people reconciled and of a lost world saved.
The NAE provides a forum where evangelicals work together to preserve religious liberty, nurture families and children, protect the sanctity of human life, seek justice for the poor, promote human rights, work for peace and care for God’s creation. Evangelical Christians do not always agree on the details of policy proposals or on the best strategies for reform. However, in a spirit of humility, we seek to learn from one another — and indeed from those of other faiths and those with no faith. Where possible, we seek common ground while remaining true to our own denominational beliefs and convictions.
The NAE writes position papers on a variety of issues, in order to represent the evangelical perspective accurately to the media. At times, this perspective has been hijacked by some megachurch personalities, who may have high profiles, but do not represent the views of most of us. Thankfully, the NAE has become the more respected and representative voice from within the evangelical community.
The Christian humanitarian arm of the NAE is the World Relief Organization, which provides churches a platform to engage the great causes of our day. From refugees fleeing to our shores, to the sudden onset of disasters, to the global health crises of HIV/AIDS and malaria, World Relief exists to help the church fulfill its mandate to serve those in need.
Here are a few announcements from a recent NAE Update. They illustrate the kind of work and extended reach that we have through our NAE membership.
Release of Pastor Nadarkhani from Iranian Prison
Nadarkhani, the head of a network of Christian house churches in Iran, was sentenced to death by hanging in September 2010 for apostasy. The Iranian Supreme Court upheld Nadarkhani’s conviction in July 2011, while offering to rescind the conviction if Nadarkhani would deny his Christian faith. A lesser conviction remains on the books. International pressure for Nadarkhani’s release has been strong with condemnation of his conviction from U.S. political leaders, as well as many human rights and religious freedom advocacy organizations. The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) welcomes the announcement that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been acquitted and freed after nearly three years in an Iranian prison on charges of apostasy. The NAE continues to advocate for increased religious freedom in Iran and around the world. “We are relieved for Pastor Nadarkhani, and pleased with this good decision of the Iranian government,” said Leith Anderson, NAE president. “We watch as laws are increasingly being used by governments against religious minorities, and we pray and press for more outcomes like this.”
Humanitarian Relief for Sudan
Directed to members of the United Nations Security Council, the NAE joined with over 120 human rights, faith-based, public interest and ethnic organizations in calling for decisive U.N. action to press Sudan to allow humanitarian access to the Sudanese states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, as well as Darfur.
Human Trafficking
As the world’s second-largest, fastest-growing criminal industry, human trafficking has led to the enslavement of more than 20 million people around the world. To meet the demand in the United States, a person is trafficked over U.S. borders every ten minutes. World Relief has been active in the fight against human trafficking in the United States since 2004 in the areas of partnership building, victim service provision and community outreach and awareness support. In 2008, World Relief launched an initiative to reduce and prevent the exploitation and abuse of women and children in Cambodia. This program is designed to address the root causes of trafficking of vulnerable adults, adolescents and children through community-level training.
I feel privileged to represent all of us in Grace Communion International as a member of the NAE board. It is a reminder that God’s work is larger than any one group or denomination. Please join me in praying for a useful board meeting and the continued success of the NAE in its mission.
Your brother in Christ’s service,
Joseph Tkach
P.S. You might be interested in viewing the Microsoft advertisement currently playing on TV—it was filmed on the former Ambassador College campus in Pasadena. Click on the picture below or go to http://youtu.be/8mSckyoAMHg.
Life Club is a speech club that includes men and women of all ages. It is being used as an outreach and discipleship tool by GCI congregations in the UK. Here are reports on recent Life Club meetings.
London
A Life Club hosted by the London church met on June 9. The theme was the Diamond Jubilee. A Union Jack of flowers made by Pauline Daley was displayed on stage (see picture at right). The chairperson, Maxwell Victor, quoted from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon in St Paul’s Cathedral on June 5 in which the Queen’s dedication was highlighted. Referring to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Maxwell mentioned that we should “give thanks” for the Queen’s service over the last 60 years. The club’s four speakers focused on the Queen. At the end of the club, Maxwell proposed a toast to the Queen and Gordon Brown prayed the Jubilee Prayer. This was followed by children waving Union Jack flags (see picture below) while singing the National Anthem. Club director James Henderson said that “Life Club is a good preparation for whatever we do in life.”
Birmingham
Christine Jordan
A Life Club was hosted by the Birmingham church on March 31. Christine Jordan (pictured at right) won the best speaker cup. She spoke about Acts 20:35, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” David Gibbs who directed the club, noted that we need to develop deeper relationships with young people in our congregations to help them stay in the church.
Cambridge
A Life Club was hosted by the Cambridge church on May 5. Chairperson Sylvia Low,quoted Ecclesiastes 3:7, which says that there is “a time to keep silence and a time to speak.” Speakers included three members of the same family: Alan, Val and Corinne Quinn.
Jan Kalamaha reports that her husband Surgay is improving and has been moved to a rehabilitation facility in Minot, North Dakota (click here for the previous update about Surgay).
Surgay’s kidney and liver functions are back to normal, and his upper body strength is good—however, he still has little strength in his legs. He is now involved in rehab exercises to regain that strength. He is still on some medication, but the doctors are gradually decreasing the doses.
Please continue to remember Surgay in prayer for his health and for everything that goes into running the family farm.
In a recent GCI Weekly Update cover letter, Joseph Tkach asked, Why be concerned about mission? To help explore the answer, Church Administration and Development has produced Becoming a Missional Church. This video (embedded below) features Randy Bloom leading a discussion about how churches can actively participate in the ministry that Jesus is doing in the Spirit to fulfill the Father’s mission to the world. This video is a good resource for facilitating interactive discussions of pastors in districts, leadership teams in congregations, and members in small groups.
