Training Leaders Around the Globe

by Pastor Dave

Many fled for their lives, seeking refuge in other parts of Orissa. Seventy pastors and their families were displaced and are seeking to rebuild their lives, their homes and their churches.

A missionary with ACTION International became involved with this group of persecuted pastors, and sought to assist them in a variety of ways. Provision was sought for the widows and orphans, a pastor training center was established to provide encouragement and training for the brethren, and a few teams of pastors from the U.S. have spent time with the pastors to come alongside and minister to them, and to build them up in the Word.

In Burma, pastors and theological students have asked for help from ACTION International as well, in the hopes that other pastors from the States can come alongside and provide them with training materials, equipping and so on.

After months of prayer, and conferring with our elders, I’m pleased to announce that I’ll join a team of three other pastors travelling to India and Burma from November 1-18. This opportunity first came to my attention through one of our missionaries, Steve Read, who serves with ACTION in the Philippines, when he was at Chatham last summer. Steve, as you may know, has returned to the Philippines to train and mentor pastors there. According to ACTION, there are over 3 million pastors worldwide who are untrained or under-trained. With an estimate of over 80,000 people coming to know Christ around the world every day, the need for trained leadership is great. (See vimeo.com/1353904.)

One of the three pastors I will labor with, Walt Becker, had the privilege of ministering in Orissa last May. He wrote, "At the 3 day pastor’s conference, I taught on the attributes of God and had a communion service, which was attended by 60 pastors. There was much excitement and great gratitude because they had the opportunity to learn more about the Word of God... There are city churches and village churches. Together, the church membership is about 2,000 believers and growing! The village church pastors were committed to attending our conference. Even though Maoists had blocked the main roads to keep them from coming, they managed to travel an extra day so they could come. They are remarkable men of God who risk their lives every day for the Gospel’s sake. Many of them have personally survived the massacre in 2008, and have the wounds to show for it."

It is indeed humbling to have the privilege of meeting these co-laborers, and to share the Word of God with them. If you’d like to participate financially in this mission trip, you can mark "Pastor Mission Trip" on an offering envelope and include it with your regular giving. The budget has not yet been solidified, but an estimation of travel and in-country costs is $3,000.

Pastor Al will preach on two of the Sundays I’ll be gone, and my dear friend, Solomon Kendagor, from International Students will bring the Word on the third.

I’d like to leave you with this word from the Apostle Paul, "Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one." (2 Thessalonians 3:1-3, ESV)It was just before dawn on September 30, 2008, when a mob of Hindu militants attacked a small Christian village in Orissa state, India. Over the next few months, they continued their attacks upon believers in nearby villages, and by early 2009 there had been 100 Christians murdered, 5,600 houses and churches burned to the ground and 50,000 people left homeless.