GCI-Kenya national director Anthony Gachanja reports eight baptisms in the Naivasha, Kenya congregation (see the three pictures below). Anthony commented, “We are thankful to God because of his grace. We are really humbled by God’s love for this church.”
GCI-Malawi national director Gardner Kunje reports that 26 people were baptized in a service at the Blantyre congregation. Those baptized (see picture below) attend GCI’s congregations in Mbulumbuzi, Mombezi and Mpanda. Gardner commented, “We praise God for bringing more people to our fellowship.”
Church hall dedicated and leaders commissioned in Kenya
Recently, a wonderful service was held in GCI’s congregation in Naivasha, Kenya (near Nairobi) to dedicate a new church hall (pictured at right) and to commission new church leaders. Present at the service were GCI-Africa mission developers Tim Maguire (accompanied from South Africa by Lova Rafiringason) and Kalengule Kaoma.
Tim said, “Lova and I had a truly uplifting time. We were fortunate to be at this special service. The church in Naivasha started as a three-member Bible study. That group approached GCI for affiliation after being interrogated by local police. Now, about six years later, the congregation’s new church hall was packed with over 300 people (see picture below, left). It’s amazing how powerful it is when we participate in the work that Christ is doing in communities!” During the service, Pastor Michael Thuku Boro (pictured below, right with his wife) was ordained an elder and Daniel Murange Muriuki, David Mumo Nzuki and Mark Onyango Owour were commissioned to provide leadership in their respective GCI congregations in Kabatiro, Mitamboni and Homa Bay.
Ordinations in Cameroon
Recently, eight members from various GCI congregations were ordained as elders in a ceremony held in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The ceremony was led by GCI-Cameroon president Jean Jacques Ndoudoumou. Those ordained (pictured below) were Agnes Don Balinga (Limbe congregation); Victoire Marie Genevieve Eboumbou (Douala); Rosalie Ndoudoumou (Yaoundé), Jean Zambo (Minlongo/Sianfou); Roger Kolokosso A Bediang, Jean Joel Begnikin, Joel Ferdinand Ndayi Mpinda (all from the Yaoundé congregation) and Armand Pierre Essam (South Region).
GCI mission developer Hector Barrero and his wife Paulina recently traveled to Peru where Hector conducted a conference attended by about 60 GCI members (including children) representing three GCI-Peru churches. The conference theme was “Our identity in Christ.”
The conference was held at the home of Jose Kasum, GCI’s national pastor in Peru. The Kasums, who live in Chaclacayo, two hours from the capital city of Lima, provided their backyard as the conference venue (pictured above).
During the conference, church leaders presented reports, sharing what the Lord Jesus is doing in their congregations. One report included a testimony from 12-year-old Camila Gutierrez (pictured at left).
When Camila’s family moved to the city of Pucallpa, she decided to start a church for children in her home. Camila invited neighbor children to sing Christian songs and study the Bible. A few began attending and now the group has grown to 13. Here is a video of the group:
Hands for Christ, a newly planted GCI church in Staten Island, New York, celebrated its second anniversary on September 14, 2014. Sixty-seven adults and eight children attended. According to pastor Mary Bacheller (shown preaching at right):
It was a day where our deaf members did most of the service and the testimonies were great. We are growing and excited about the ministry that we are doing. The live-streaming of our services is going out to two GCI church plants in the making. The hands of the people are truly moving hearts!
The anniversary worship service included a performance from the deaf choir (pictured at right) and testimonies from deaf members who offered heart-felt thoughts concerning their new church home. Here are excerpts from the testimonies given by three of them:
I came to this church two years ago and it has made a big difference in my life for me and my two daughters. I thank Hands for Christ that I can come to a safe place to worship and learn about God. [Debbie Strang, pictured below, left]
I have gone to other churches because I want to learn about God, but just would sit there and not understand very much. But when I heard about Hands for Christ church, a church for the deaf and by the deaf (Pastor Mary is like deaf!) I was so excited. I feel safe here. [Linda Mancini, pictured above, center]
I am very thankful to be here in this church, I have learned so much here about Jesus and how to have a relationship with him. I feel at home here…this is my home church. A church for the deaf. [Diana O’Shea, pictured above, right]
Following the service, the congregation enjoyed a time of fellowship (see picture below).
Dan Rogers, director of U.S. Church Administration and Development recently visited Alaska to encourage and teach our members there. He was accompanied on the visit by his son Steven. This was Dan’s final annual visit to Alaska in his official capacity (he retires at the end of this year).
On Saturday, 20 people from the GCI congregations in Anchorage and Kenai gathered for fellowship, a meal and a seminar from Dan on the history of the early church based on the book of Acts. Following the meal, Dan was presented with a hand-made quilt as a retirement gift, thanking him for the love and friendship he has extended toward the Alaska congregations over the years. A few mementos were given to Steven Rogers, who has traveled with his dad for many years on his annual visit to GCI’s congregations in Alaska.
During the visit, Dan and Steven, accompanied by Anchorage pastor Don Marson and his wife, visited the Alaska Zoo and Chugach State Park with its stunning views of Mt. McKinley, Mt. Foraker, Mt. Spurl, the Alaska Range, and the Readout and Illiamna volcanoes. On Sunday, Dan gave the sermon at the Anchorage church worship service, covering the story of David and Goliath.
This update is from GCI mission developer Rod Matthews who works in Southern Asia and the South Pacific region.
Papua New Guinea: historic ordinations in the land of the unexpected
Mark Latham, pastoral coordinator for Papua New Guinea (PNG), recently returned from his 22nd visit to the country. He was accompanied by Rod Dean, GCI pastor in Sydney. Over the years, the congregations in Rod’s pastorate have faithfully supported our work in PNG and Rod has mentored Mark in his challenging responsibility. This was Rod’s first trip to PNG, travelling up to our main PNG church on Mt. Wilhelm, more than 6000 ft. up PNG’s highest mountain, which reaches over 14,000 ft. Mark and Rod were warmly received (the welcome group is pictured at right).
After returning to Australia on August 17, Rod wrote a report entitled “The Light on the Hill at Mt. Wilhelm.” Here is an excerpt:
The main purpose of this trip was to celebrate with the church and wider community the ordination of Ben Galwa and Richard Kindi [pictured at right, Ben is on the left]. This was the most anticipated event in the history of our PNG church—the Mt. Wilhelm congregation had been preparing for weeks. A grand mumu [feast] fed the visitors who represented more than seven denominations. Chairman of the village court, doctors, health clinic administrators, councilors and local women’s group representatives. The local MP [Member of Parliament] sent his apologies. Our church is well respected by all.
With the theme of their visit being “Strengthening the Foundations,” Rod and Mark shared their pastoral experiences and reinforced the local pastoral team’s focus on Jesus Christ as center of all aspects of our lives. Special attention was given to the large contingent of youth in the church (about 50 of them, included in the picture of the congregation’s membership, below). The women’s ministry is a pillar in the life, strength and maturity of the congregation, and their work was acknowledged and praised.
At the end of the visit, the congregation’s pastoral team gave Rod and Mark a letter of appreciation to be carried back to Australia, thanking the many people who have contributed so much to the spiritual and physical development of GCI-PNG.
Fiji: celebrating God’s grace and the ordination of an elder
The Christian Camp at Pacific Harbour was once again the site for the annual celebration of our Fijian family’s life together in Christ. The theme, “Celebrating God’s Amazing Grace” permeated the event’s messages and activities. Most of GCI’s members in Fiji (who live all over the islands) were able to stay on site (the group is pictured below).
Meals were provided by rotating crews of members so that the members could eat together (see picture at right). Lovely “home cooked” meals were provided, including “lovo”—a traditional meal of meat and vegetables cooked slowly in an underground pit.
A highlight of this year’s gathering was the ordination to elder of long-time Suva member, Jope Nalequa Uqeuqe (pictured at left). His ordination reflected his long and faithful service to the church in Fiji and a need for an elder to assist Pastor Isei Colati.
Other highlights were the baptism of Jason Raki; the blessing of a little child, Azariah Jesse James; special presentations for the youth, men and women; an afternoon tea; an “Indian night”; a grand finale event entitled “Island Night”; and one day in which the services were presented entirely in the Fijian language.
At most of the worship services music was provided by the youth. On the last day the choir sang the Hallelujah Chorus a cappella with magnificent harmony. As usual, flower arrangements were supreme works of art, refreshed daily and highlighting the extravaganza of tropical creations with which God has blessed Fiji.
In August, GCI’s Quezon City, Philippines, church celebrated its 10th anniversary. The celebration worship service included video messages from former pastors Andrew Teng and Audie Santibanez. Vincente “Ting” Bejo, Jr. is the congregation’s current pastor.
Following the service, there was a time of joy-filled celebration that extended into the afternoon. As shown in the pictures, there was singing, dancing and entertainment from J-Lo enthusiasts and Hagibis wannabies (who called themselves Pogibis)!
This update is from Lorenzo Arroyo, GCI-USA regional pastor and mission developer for Mexico.
A new mission outreach has been launched in Colonia Santa Rosa del Valle on the outskirts of Guadalajara, Mexico. The goal of this outreach is to work toward starting a new GCI church in the community of Santa Rosa.
The idea for this mission grew out of discussions led by Alfredo Mercado, GCI-Mexico national leader and senior pastor of the Guadalajara church. It was decided to give the green light to three Guadalajara church leaders to get the mission started. In April, Lorenzo Arroyo appointed Luis Alberto Soto, Humberto Perez and Jose Rodriguez to commence the mission work.
The mission team’s first event was a prayer meeting on June 7. Five adults and four children attended. Then on September 6, the team conducted an afternoon fiesta entitled “Mexican Tardeada.” The surrounding community was invited and the 100 people (including the 40 children) who attended enjoyed live music, singing, prayer, a sermon, food and lots of fun, including games for the children (see the picture above).
The place of meeting was a tent with a dirt floor (see below) set up on property graciously donated by a GCI couple for the use of the new church. Lorenzo (shown preaching below) gave an evangelistic sermon from Romans chapter 1, connecting the message of the gospel to the lives of the many newcomers in attendance.
One of the highlights of the event was a blessing of the children ceremony (pictured at right).
Everyone enjoyed themselves as the crowd interacted with the mission support team made up of members of the Guadalajara mother church. New people from Santa Rosa were heard asking, “When is this going to happen again? Will you be coming back?” Our response is that it’s the goal of the mission team to bless every child in that community by Christmas of this year!
During his visit to Guadalajara, Lorenzo, accompanied by Jose and Bertha Rodriguez (on the left in the picture at right), conducted a Bible study during a visit with Daniel and Carolina Blanco and their six children (pictured at right). The Blancos, who are new converts, live in Santa Rosa and have joined the mission group.
Though the lives of the Blancos have been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, Daniel, a bricklayer by trade, struggles at times to find employment in the impoverished community of Santa Rosa. The family lives in an upstairs apartment no bigger than most living rooms. But they light up at hearing the word of God and have become diligent workers in the new mission.
On the day before returning to the U.S., Lorenzo attended Samuel Mercado’s presentation and defense of his thesis paper. Samuel (pictured at right) is a leader in the Guadalajara church and national youth leader for GCI Mexico. Following his presentation, Samuel was told that he had defended his thesis successfully and would be awarded a master’s degree in information technology from the University of Guadalajara. Congratulations, Samuel!
Lorenzo extends his thanks to the GCI-USA congregations who have generously supported GCI’s gospel work in Mexico. As indicated in this report, there is much to be done, but the Lord has, as always, been more than gracious.
This update is from GCI pastor Rick Shallenberger who recently visited Malawi and Ghana on behalf of GCI president Joseph Tkach.
Malawi: new church building dedicated
GCI-Africa mission developer Kalengule Kaoma (KK) and U.S. pastor Rick Shallenberger participated recently in dedicating a new GCI church building in Mbulumbazi, Malawi, just outside Blantyre (the new building is pictured below, left). In 2012, Rick preached at the congregation’s former thatched meeting hall (pictured below, right) while visiting his daughter in Blantyre.
The congregation was planted in 2009 when community leaders in Mbulumbazi asked GCI to start a congregation there. They did so because they were deeply impressed by the compassion GCI members showed in caring for a terminally ill resident of their village who formerly attended a GCI congregation in another village, but moved to Mbulumbazi to be near family and medical care.
Ribbon cutting at the new building
So in 2010, GCI purchased a small plot of land in Mbulumbazi and built a small thatched (grass) hut where worship services were conducted. Average attendance at the time was 35. But members desired a more permanent structure, so they constructed a building on the property in 2012, and average attendance increased to 55. They delayed official dedication of the building until pastor Rick could return. Those attending the dedication last month included the village chief and headmasters, along with chiefs from adjoining villages and leaders from other denominations. Total attendance at the dedication service (pictured below) was 255.
Malawi: leadership training conference
In addition to participating in the new building dedication, KK and Rick also conducted a two-day leadership training conference for GCI Malawi leaders (pictured at right). Rick opened the conference asking, “What does it mean to be in communion with God?” Discussing the related questions of “Who is Jesus?” and “Who are we in relation to Jesus?” led into a communion service.
In other sessions, Rick discussed how GCI theology affects mission and ministry. KK then discussed ministry in the African context, particularly with respect to church planting, leadership development and working with groups wanting to join GCI. Rick and KK also hosted a special dinner for the group on behalf of Pastor General Tkach.
Ghana: 40th anniversary celebration
With the theme: Ebenezer: The Lord has been faithful and gracious to us, GCI-Ghana concluded a year-long celebration of its 40th anniversary with an eight-day festival at the church property in Kutunse, north of Accra. The property, which formerly served as the church farm, now is the location of a school and church hall (pictured at right) and hosts youth camps and other church events.
One of the highlights of the festival was the return of Ghana’s first pastor, Abner and Sharon Washington (on the right in the picture at left with leaders from Ghana). Abner, now 90, said returning from the U.S. to Ghana was “a dream come true.” He and Sharon are considered the “Dad and Mom” of the Ghana churches and received a beautifully worded certificate of appreciation and a number of gifts, giving them due honor. Abner gave two of the messages during the eight-day festival.
Each day of the festival began with 30 minutes of music and devotion before the start of the service. The two-hour service featured hymns, praise songs, dancing and choir music along with the messages. Following each service, Pastor Emmanuel Okai, director of Ghana churches, presented awards and gifts to various groups who have served over the years. Speakers included Abner Washington, South Africa mission developer Tim Maguire, KK and Rick. On the final “Thanksgiving Day,” Rick greeted all on behalf of President Tkach and his wife Tammy and gave a message about our communion with the Father, Son, Spirit and each other. The 40th anniversary celebration ended with all participating in communion. Attendance averaged 500 a day with the peak of 604 on the final day.
Ghana: African national ministry leaders’ conference
Twenty-seven African national leaders and pastors (pictured below) from Nigeria, Angola, Togo, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Ghana, met in Accra, Ghana, from August 28 through August 31. These meetings were held in the afternoons and evenings following the 40th anniversary activities (see above). For many of the leaders, it was the first time they had met.
The meetings, which were conducted by KK, Tim and Rick, began with an address from Rick about our communion with the Father, Son and Spirit, followed by a review of the “Christ events”—Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection and ascension, explaining the significance of each in our lives. Each national director then gave an update on his country. Here is a summary:
In Kenya, we have 16 congregations and many active ministries. Membership continues to grow, currently topping 1200 members. The challenge is finding appropriate places for worship and encouraging pastors to stay motivated.
In Togo we have one congregation and approx. 200 members. These numbers are down. The current project is building a social and medical center, which will not only be used for worship services, but also as a place to provide healing and a place to build relationships.
In Nigeria the attendance is just below 500. Nigeria is a very poor country, but God has blessed the church. There are many youth in Nigeria, and they are being connected to different areas to provide growth opportunities. They have just completed a new church building and are hopeful to build more so congregations have a base to work from.
Following these presentations KK, Tim and Rick covered various topics: theology, church planting, church development, mission/ministry, developing pastors, pastoral succession, African tradition/culture, finances, managing change, and questions and answers.
During the conference Rick and KK hosted a special dinner for the group on behalf of Pastor General Tkach. The conference, which ended with an affirmation exercise and prayer session, was a great success. Nigerian pastor Essien George summed it up well: “The last week of August 2014 is going to remain in my memory for a long time, because it was the week I had the opportunity to meet with Christian leaders, brothers and friends from GCI in other countries. I met many for the first time. It was a joyful experience that solidified the teaching and belief that we are all one in Christ Jesus.”
CrossRoads Christian Fellowship, the GCI church that meets and ministers in Tipp City, Ohio, is pastored by a team of elders led by senior pastor Jim Valekis. The team includes associate pastor Becky Valekis (Jim’s wife), who coordinates discipleship programs. For over 10 years, CrossRoads has emphasized evangelism as the win segment of its win-build-equip-multiplydisciple-making pathway. Their evangelistic efforts have been of two types: person-to-person connection, and community outreach and engagement events.
CrossRoads’ faithful, persistent and creative efforts to share in what Jesus is doing in the community have born significant fruit, seen in a “Down to the River to Pray” baptism service held on August 24 at which 17 people of various ages were baptized—15 are residents from the surrounding community who are new to GCI, and 2 are children of long-time GCI members. The service was packed with family and guests, with one deciding at the event to come forward for baptism. Another person who was moved by the service has been baptized since.
Reflecting on the day, pastor Jim commented:
We have a lot of work ahead to help these new converts learn to live out their new transformed lives in Christ. Many are from badly broken situations, so it will be a challenge to help them learn to follow the Spirit into the true freedom that is theirs in Christ. This weekend is the culmination of years of hard work in which “sweet inspiration” often was followed by “sweet exhaustion.” But it’s been worth it—we’ve been shown that even though Jesus does it all for us, he wants us to do it with him. His grace “works!” And what a joy it has been to see so many lives transformed by Christ! It’s such a blessing to be enabled by the Spirit to enter with our Lord into the joy of his harvest.
Here are comments from others concerning the baptism service:
It was more than amazing! Being led by God and by every person at CrossRoads has made my life so fulfilled! I hope we all touched someone at the service so that they may let God lead them too!
I shed more than a few tears at the service. I have been so, so blessed to be part of an amazing movement at CrossRoads of bringing people to Jesus Christ. I had no idea that when my wife and I walked through the church doors that Halloween night several years ago, just how much our lives would change. Yesterday, almost my entire family was there. My wife, my mother, father, sister, all four of my children and all four grandchildren. A grandson and two of my children, who have struggled to resist God and have struggled through so many things in their lives, accepted Christ as their Savior and were baptized. Now they will begin to see what wonderful changes are about to occur in their lives.
I want to thank each of you for your prayer and, of course, your service that made for a wonderful Celebration Sunday! I thank God for you all! It was truly a wonderful, joyous and humbling day! Glory to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!
The thought that struck me at the service was that even though God sends the message, the message doesn’t always get received, or if the message is received, the feet are sometimes too timid to move. What I saw on display this weekend, however, was something far different. The message WAS received and the feet took off running. You can lead followers and help them grow, however you can develop leaders and grow explosively. What I am seeing at CrossRoads Church are leaders developing leaders through Christ and the results speak for themselves!
Big things are upon us—I pray that we stay close to God and to each other so we can take this movement where God wants it to go!
Below is a short video that recaps pastor Jim’s sermon of introduction to the baptism service (given at church) followed by scenes from the baptism service itself, held at a nearby river. We welcome these new believers into the body of Christ and celebrate with CrossRoads this fruit of their faithful labor in the Lord.
This update is from Rod Matthews, GCI mission developer in South Asia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
India: SEP Hyderabad
Our church in Hyderabad, India conducted Summer Educational Program (SEP) 2014 in May with 40 campers age 10 to 15 and 8 staff members. Most of the campers were from Faust School and friends of children in our church. The three days of the camp were packed with activity, including rock climbing (pictured at right). Each day also included a Bible study and value education. The children were taught stories that illustrate God’s love and how he makes it possible for us to live in relationship with him.
Pastor Dan Zachariah taught the children how to journal their thoughts—reflecting on how they spent each day. Campers were taught public speaking and had opportunity to deliver speeches.
The importance of community service and being environmentally conscious were made known to the children who surprised us by picking up garbage and taking care of cleaning jobs that people usually don’t like to do in the community (see picture at left).
New Zealand: National Pastoral Conference
(Report from Dennis Richards, GCI-New Zealand national pastoral coordinator)
Pastoral team members from GCI-New Zealand plus invited guests from around the Pacific gathered for a conference in Wellington, New Zealand in July. The 28 participants enjoyed fellowship and being reminded of the scope and diversity of the work in their portion of “the field.”
Conference presentations centered on the theme, “GCI’s part in Aotearoa New Zealand,” celebrating the bicentenary of the first preaching of the gospel in New Zealand on Christmas Day 1814, and the establishing of a mission outpost. Samuel Marsden, an English missionary resident in Australia, had been invited by Ruatara, a chief of the area. Marsden preached from Luke 2:10, “Behold I bring you tidings of great joy….” The GCI conference rehearsed this history as a backdrop to discussing GCI’s place in spreading the gospel within New Zealand and elsewhere today.
The weekend began with an address from Joe Tepania, a local kaumatua (elder and leader) who reflected on life and progress, Christian and otherwise, seen from a Maori perspective. Fundamentally important is to know and value one’s roots (whakapapa: historical and cultural connections that define us) yet pioneer new paths as a gift (koha: gift of the heart, in good faith) to those around, and who follow after. His thought-provoking talk laid a beautiful platform for what followed.
Rex Morgan (Auckland), then reviewed Christianity’s history in New Zealand. Early evangelism, mostly Maori passing the message amongst themselves, resulted in around half of all Maori becoming Christian within about 40 years. War and blood feuds became rare, agriculture flourished and living standards rose. Sadly, land-hungry settlers fomented the great land wars of the 1860s with subsequent disenfranchisement and disillusioning of Maori causing a great many to abandon the Christian faith.
During the afternoon of the first day, everyone joined the Wellington congregation in worship services. Rod Matthews (Australia) gave the sermon, drawn from the story of Jesus meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). This extended the weekend’s theme, confirming that God uses the most unlikely evangelists and methods to further the work of the gospel.
Louis Smith (Wellington) began Sunday’s sessions with a thoughtful reflection on the transformation necessary in Peter’s life before he could preach to Cornelius’ household (Acts 10), and the adjustment challenges that must have caused for both Jews and Gentiles. Next, Dennis Richards (Palmerston North) provided a visual presentation of results from a “Core Values Audit” and discussed several of the implications for future directions. David Wong (Auckland) then summarized and wrapped up some of the threads of the weekend’s discussions, emphasizing how individual spiritual health and maturity is essential to GCI’s part in the New Zealand mission field. The afternoon finished with Rod Matthews leading in communion.
It was a joyous and thought-provoking weekend of discussion and interaction. Much remains to be done, however. Please pray that appropriate and timely initiatives will emerge, so that we in this land will better understand and fulfill “GCI’s Part in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Myanmar: Discipleship Course goes to the printer
Van Thawm Lian has completed the translation and editing of our basic 10-lesson course in Christian beliefs, called Discipleship 101 on our website. It was Van’s goal to print 2000 copies–enough to meet the expected demand from pastors and Christian church leaders in northern Myanmar. Our New Zealand church board provided NZ$2,000 to meet this goal. We are grateful that we’ve been able to achieve another target in creating tools to assist the spread of the gospel and the making of disciples of Jesus Christ in Myanmar.
As with so many projects in which we are involved in the Asia/Pacific area, we are sowing seeds where we may not see the results immediately, but others will harvest in due course after God gives the growth and the Holy Spirit touches the hearts and minds of people across this fertile land where the majority have grown up in the Buddhist religion.
Recently, a wonderful service was held in GCI’s congregation in Naivasha, Kenya (near Nairobi) to dedicate a new church hall (pictured at right) and to commission new church leaders. Present at the service were GCI-Africa mission developers Tim Maguire (accompanied from South Africa by Lova Rafiringason) and Kalengule Kaoma.
