Welcome to the latest issue of the Wider Church Prayer Letter. In this issue we ask you to think about supporting the work of the Outpost BookAid ministry and in particular the Shalom Indigenous Foundation (Baptist Mission) in Ghana. More information on Outpost BookAid can be found at: http://particularbaptist.com/wider/bookaid.html
In the coming week a second ministry will be featured in a BookAid ministry update via the Outpost BookAid Mail Group. This mail group can be joined by visiting the BookAid site at: http://particularbaptist.com/wider/bookaid.html. By being part of the mail group you will receive various updates relating to ministries involved in the BookAid ministry from around the world. The ministry is really an extension of the Wider Church Prayer Letter ministry at Aussie Outpost.
To view the Aussie Outpost Wider Church Prayer Letter in PDF format you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader that can be downloaded from the Adobe website at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
GHANA - SHALOM INDIGENOUS FOUNDATION
(BAPTIST MISSION)
Shalom Indigenous Foundation (Baptist Mission) is located in Africa, being led by Pastor Noah Quarshie and is associated with the Bible Baptist Church of Ghana. This ministry is also listed with the Outpost BookAid programme. Pastor Quarshie describes the ministry below:
‘The goal of our ministry here is to make the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ known to Ghanaians and Africans as a whole. To establish New Testament Baptist Churches, to provide relief services to the needy. This is accomplished through Evangelism, Christian Education, Church planting, Youth ministry, Orphan ministry and general relief ministry. The ministry is guided by a Director and an Executive Board here in Ghana and in the USA.’
The mission is currently building at its school, with work being carried out on a second classroom. Some $12 000 US is still required to complete the work.
The Grace Baptist Mission has set up an account for donations to assist in the education of the Quarshie children. Deborah Quarshie is twenty and is seeking a scholarship at the Pensacola Christian College. Money sent to assist in Deborah’s education can be sent to the mission, marked as Deborah Quarshie’s school fees.
To find out more about the ministry of Shalom Indigenous Foundation and to read an account of the life of Pastor Noah Quarshie and the ministry, visit the BookAid web site for Ghana at: http://particularbaptist.com/wider/ghana.html.
ABOVE: Preaching ministry in Ghana
ERITREA
In Eritrea in northeast Africa, government forces have taken part in the beating and jailing of around 170 Christians. It is believed that some of these people were beaten while engaged in a Bible Study. Apparently the attack involved leaders of the Orthodox Church who are opposed to the ‘reforming party’ within the church. There are moves to try and squash the emerging independent Charismatic and Pentecostal churches and Christians by violent means.
GERMANY - FREIE BAPTISTENGEMEINDE (Independent Baptist Church) OF KIEL - REX AND LESLIE SLATE
The children’s club held each Friday afternoon at 3.00pm continues to attract children from both Christian and Islamic backgrounds. Four of the children have professed faith in Christ.
Both the church and University ministries have seen various faithful ones move to other areas, yet other willing workers have moved into the positions left vacant. Some new people have also begun attending the church.
SOUTH AFRICA - BETHESDA OUTREACH MINISTRIES
HAMMANSKRAAL
- RENE AND SONIA EINFELDT
Another house is being prepared at Bethesda Village for the orphans, with Rene Einfeldt involved in work on that. The village seeks to provide accommodation and other needs of orphaned children (especially due to AIDS), with the view of leading them to Christ. In other news at Bethesda there are zoning problems with the new site for a village.
Current national house parents at the village are Pastor Elias and Mamitjie Mateni (who have just taken up the role) and Jones and Lenah Phago. Christina Motsisi is an assistant to the house parents. Please pray for them in these roles. Fritz and Maselo have now also joined as house parents at Bethesda (taking up the role from June 2 - repairs are to be made to the house they will be using).
Sonia Einfeldt has cut back her involvement with Bethesda to a couple of days each week in order to pursue outreach in the community. She has a number of useful contacts and is developing literature for distribution. Opportunities have opened up for Rene to assist in the evangelisation of several French-speaking people also. Rene is also working on a tract that he can hand out.
The latest news from South Africa has the Muslim dominated government seeking to outlaw the reading of the Bible, prayer and speaking of God in all schools. Please pray about this disturbing development.
In a recent outreach event to the poor and homeless, the police raided the meeting. Apparently some were selling illegal homemade brew, but most were simply poor. The meeting was being held in a field which the police set fire to, driving the poor and homeless off. Needless to say the meeting could not go ahead. Most of the homeless lost what little possessions they had. A nearby church has provided blankets for these people. The people still have nowhere to live however.
The Einfeldts’ are attending a small church to the north of Pretoria, where Sonia is playing the piano. They are also seeking to learn the Tswana language and Sonia is seeking to teach both Dorah and Daphe English.
NARROWWAY - SRI LANKAN MINISTRY
I recently received an email in response to the Outpost BookAid ministry, which pointed me to a similar ministry called Narrowway. They seek to sell second hand books in order to raise money for books in the languages of the people in Sri Lanka. The web site for the ministry is: http://www.narroway.co.uk/. You might be interested in having a look at this very worthwhile ministry on the web.
The ministry is associated with the Grace Evangelical Church in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The church is Reformed Baptist, with three different language speaking congregations - Tamil, Sinhala and English. There are about 100 people at the church.
SIERRA LEONE
Sierra Leone is predominantly (70%) an Islamic country, though Evangelical Christians (3%) are allowed to minister in the country. The 5.6 million people enjoy freedom of religion, but suffer through the traumas associated with a civil war, which has killed many thousands since 1991. Millions have been rendered homeless.
Needs in war-torn Sierra Leone include a Bible translation ministry, which was disrupted by the war and more Biblical qualified elders in the churches.
SAN MARINO
San Marino is one of those very small countries in Europe. This one is within Italy, with a population of 28 000 people. Most of the population is Roman Catholic as you would possible expect.
There is freedom of religion in San Marino. However, evangelisation is frowned upon in San Marino. There are no Evangelical churches in the country. Christian missionaries have been deported for preaching in the country.
IRELAND - REFORMATION IRELAND
The Reformation Ireland website has undergone a makeover. Keep an eye on the website at: http://www.reformationireland.com
A new Reformed Baptist work has begun in southern Dublin, with seven adults and four children attending. The group is known as the 'Ballinteer Baptist Meeting.' On Sunday evenings the group is studying Acts, while in the mid-week meetings the group is studying John.
Richard Bennett will be visiting Ireland and the Greater Belfast area between May 11 and 20, 2003. Reformation Ireland will have a bookstall at some of the meetings to be held. More information is available from the Reformation Ireland website at the news section: http://www.reformationireland.com/news.htm. Please pray about these meetings.
For photos of the Reformation Ireland team in action and
to meet the team, visit:
http://www.reformationireland.com/gallery.htm
http://www.reformationireland.com/committee.htm
KENYA - TOM AND KAREN RICHARDSON
The Richardson family had been hoping to begin missionary work in Kenya about now but this has not been possible. In the meantime Tom will be teaching drafting and construction at The Master’s Mission. When this is completed in August, the Richardson's hope to be near ready to leave for Kenya. They hope to be living and working in and around Nairobi. Please pray about all of this as they wait on the Lord’s will for them.
IRAQ
Though the war in Iraq may be all but over, there are still many prayer concerns relating to Christians. A number of Iraqi men are training to fill pastoral charges in the Reformed churches of Iraq. The church in Basra now has an Iraqi pastor after he was trained in Egypt at the Presbyterian Theological College.
In Baghdad a Christian recently returned to his rented home to find his property on the street. The reason? The Muslim landlord had decided to no longer rent his property to Christians. It would seem that Shiite Fundamentalism is the new rising tide in Iraq, with Christians fearing for their future. Fundamentalist Muslims have already killed some Christians. There is now a call for an Islamic republic in Iraq.
JAPAN - BRIAN AND YOKO BROADDUS
Brian and Yoko are currently attending Kariuzawa Horizon Chapel while at language school. The church is a new church plant by Kikuo and Yuki Nishioka, who are only a young couple. There are only a few attending at this stage, so please pray for the church as it establishes.
SEYCHELLES
Some 80 000 people live in the island nation of Seychelles. The 100 or so islands are found in the Indian Ocean, with many of the people professing Christianity, but it is feared that this is largely a nominal profession of faith (90% are Roman Catholic, 5% Evangelical). There is freedom of religion in the island nation. There is need for further missionary enterprise in the Seychelles, especially the more remote islands.
NEW ZEALAND - WELLINGTON REFORMED FELLOWSHIP
There has been continuing discouraging news from the fellowship in Wellington, New Zealand, with more people having moved away from the church. There is now only ‘two core couples’ remaining in the church. Please pray for this work, as the future now appears grim for the church planting as a continuing concern in this city of some 600 000 people. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He might bring in a harvest and also give direction to His workers in the fields there.
SAMOA
Samoa is an island nation northeast of New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean. The nation has a population of some 180 000 people, mostly native to the islands. It is an extremely poor country, relying on foreign aid for survival.
Samoa has freedom of religion with most people professing Christianity of some sort. However, Mormonism claims some 35% of the population. The church in Samoa is largely nominal.
Please pray for believers who are seeking to witness in their communities and for those that have moved elsewhere as missionaries.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - UKARUMPA - COLIN AND DIANNE LORD
The Lords’ are attempting to learn the trade language known as Tok Pisin in order to effectively witness to the people. They are also considering becoming a support couple for those in the field doing translation work.
It would seem that Dianne Lord might have lost her seventh child that she was pregnant with as reported in the last prayer letter. She is due in Cairns (Australia) for a medical check up today.
ISRAEL - VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS
Through the use of an advertisement in a local Russian newspaper (remember many Jewish people returned to Israel from Russia) some 290 responses were received in the towns of Shterot, Ashdod and Beersheva. Voice in the Wilderness is looking at starting a work in the Shterot area. Shterot is often hit by missiles fired by local Palestinian fighters. Please pray about the situation in this town.
ISRAEL - GRACE AND TRUTH
For all the latest on Israel’s Grace and Truth congregation and to sign up for the prayer letter, visit the website at http://www.graceandtruthbulletin.org.
SENEGAL
The West African country of Senegal is home to 10.5 million people, who are largely Islamic. However, there is freedom of religion. There are very few Christians in the country, despite missionary effort. Some 4% of the population are Roman Catholic, with 90% being Muslim.
In recent times there have been several Bible translations made available for several of the language groups in Senegal. Bible Schools have been set up and some indigenous people are now training for ministry in the country. However, large areas of the country have still not been reached with the gospel.
PHILIPPINES - CUBAO REFORMED BAPTIST CHURCH
The Cubao church is continuing to grow with several having become members or soon to become members in recent times. Part of the outreach at Cubao is street meetings on Saturday afternoons aimed at reaching the children. These meetings occur at Benitez St in Cubao and Agham Road. Also new Bible Studies may soon begin at Benitez Street and Miami Street, both near Cubao.
Grace Ministerial Academy is also growing with some 43 students currently enrolled, many having left a large Pentecostal denomination. Among the students is Ronald Santos, who was the director of the Pentecostal College.
PHILIPPINES - MOONWALK - STEVE HOFMAIER
At the Moonwalk church pastored by Steve Hofmaier, the church continues to grow, with a couple of people recently joining the membership of the church, including his son Andrew.
The recent Vacation Bible School was well attended by the children of the area. In June the church begins its first full semester in its ministerial training programme.
The elders of Moonwalk have been involved with a work of reformation at the Molino Grace Bible Church. The pastor at Molino is Boy Dadula, who has led the church from Pentecostalism to Calvinism.
SLOVAKIA
The former Czechoslovakian republic enjoys freedom of religion, but its years as part of the communist block have left few Evangelicals (less than 2%) in the country. Some 60% of the 5.5 million people are nominal Roman Catholics. There is clearly a need for more missionary activity and Biblical literature in the country.
SPAIN - GANDIA - IGLESIA BAUTISTA EMANUEL (Emanuel Baptist Church)
The Emanuel Baptist Church is hoping to conduct open-air meetings in the nearby park, as many Spanish people go for walks in it during the warmer months. Please pray about this outreach effort.
Recently a number of brethren were baptised, Fernando from Colombia, Angel and Caridad from Cuba, and Rosa who is Spanish. The pastor is Francesco Reale, and his wife is Luciana.
SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia is in some ways a terrible place if you are a Christian. In this country only Islam is allowed and Christians meet together in fear, for they face execution. 23 million people live in the country. Some think that there may be several thousand Christians in Saudi Arabia, but these are mainly among the foreign workers who have gone to the country to work. These also are not allowed to practice Christianity. The only methods currently available to reach Saudis is via radio and television broadcast from outside of the country.
Christians are actively watched by the authorities and warned not to attend the church that they are attending. Some foreign nationals have been deported for witnessing in the country.
SINGAPORE
Singapore enjoys freedom of religion, though with evangelistic limits. 40% of the population are Buddhist and 15% Muslim. There is thought to be about 8% of the population that can be classified as Evangelical.
Shalom Church in Singapore is the major Reformed Baptist Church in the country, with the Shalom (Dover) Reformed Baptist Church being a church plant from Shalom. Pictures of the church plant can be found at: http://shalomdover.servy.net/toc.htm.
Visit the Shalom Church at: http://www.shalomrb.com/
VISIT US ONLINE
Please visit The Aussie Reformed Baptist Outpost online
at:
http://particularbaptist.com/index.html
The Outpost Wider Church Awareness Site can be found
at:
http://particularbaptist.com/wider/widerindex.html
For email contact and further information regarding aid
to the various ministries mentioned in the prayer letter, Kevin can be contacted
at:
nrbcpastorkev@yahoo.com.au
If you are of Reformed Baptist persuasion and would like to add news of your church or work, or add requests for prayer to this prayer letter, please contact Kevin on the above Email address.
For 'snail mail,' write to 'The Aussie Reformed Baptist Outpost, 27 Middle Street, Cardiff South, NSW, Australia, 2285.
We thank all sources of information that have made this prayer letter possible and ask the church at large to commit to praying for one another. Brethren, please pray for us.
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