For His Kingdom

Persecution Now

I’m often humbled, saddened and challenged when I realize what some of our friends and partners in ministry must face. One kingdom friend in a creative access country recently wrote, “We need your earnest and urgent prayer for the church with regard to the following recent happenings.” He then described the police entering his home at nearly midnight, threatening his family as they investigated throughout the house. He was then called into the police station the next morning and warned that his church should not to meet on Sundays. He wrote, “We said we could not do this since worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ is a must for every Christian life.”  

Recently I shared Holy Communion with this friend or other church leaders.  These are brothers and sisters who take the call and promises of our Lord very seriously. 

Let’s pray for them – and thank the Lord that their country has such a dynamic witness.

You Can't Outgive God -- Two First Day School Bus Rides

Late this summer our granddaughter Esther took the bus to school for the very first time.  A few days earlier our daughter Shelli had asked if we could send her a copy of a favorite family photo – the action shot of Shelli and her twin sister Missy running to the house from the bus on their first day of school.  We found the photo, scanned and sent it. And then with Shelli and Esther and the rest of the family relived two first days – and first school bus rides – with delight and deep gratitude.

 

 

At these times I realize again how richly blessed I am – mostly for being born into a Christian home and for having such a good opportunity to say yes to Jesus for myself. With the Lord’s help Shelli and her husband Dave have created exactly the kind of home where Esther and her three brothers can thrive.  Any slight Kingdom-sacrifice doesn’t count in comparison to the blessings – to our children and our children’s children.  The David and Shelli Kratzer six have a rich Christian community to enjoy, high-return ministries to embrace, and priceless friendships.

 

 
I hope you often hear Christ speak to you as he did to me on Esther’s first day of school.  You can’t out give God.  Neither can the international partners with whom we work.  God keeps his word.  His promises are true. In fact, he said, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother a or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19:29)

The Book I Wish You Didn't Have to Read

Losing My Religion may be the most disturbing book I have read – at least in years.

For ten years William Lobdell wrote on religion for the Los Angeles Times.  At first it was his dream job.  Christ had found him as a young adult – just as his life was beginning to implode.  His marriage was healed, he found a satisfying church, and spiritual friends helped him grow in faith.

This is the story of how he lost that faith covering the religion stories of 21st century North America.

John Huffman, Christianity Today chairman served for a time as Bill’s pastor.  Commenting on the book he says, “William Lobdell has written a heart/mind/soul-wrenching spiritual autobiography.  He has been inspired by followers of Jesus who have served their Lord with integrity. But he has also been devastated by observing, up close, the ugly, sinful underbelly of a critical, self-serving institutional and individual religion.  This a must-read filled with warnings and wake-up calls to those of us in leadership positions.  I respect Bill for his honest reporting of his odyssey to this point and pray that someday there may be a future book, just as honest, with a grace-filled conclusion.”

Annual Conference -- Global Local Churches

This is the season of annual conferences – and it is fascinating to see firsthand what the Lord is doing in the North American church. Three experiences will give you just a taste.

This year the New York and Maryland-Virginia Conferences merged and will have a new name, which has not yet been decided upon. The new conference decided to use the Maryland-Virginia Conference’s practice of registering FMWM missions commitments. A representative of each church came to the microphone, stated their church’s commitment for 2010, and then posted it on a commitment board. Later the total commitment was announced. These two conferences have great ethnic diversity – Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian, Indian, Pakistani, Haitian, African heritage, Anglo and Arabic. There was a moment I will never forget. At one point, nearly every person on stage – perhaps six or eight people -- were representatives of churches whose first language was not English or whose ethnic identity was not Anglo. Each registered their church’s commitment. Today the peoples of the world are committed together to reach the peoples of our world. And we Free Methodists are part of it. Praise the Lord!

This spring Sylvia and I also visited the Ohio Annual Conference. It was held on Memorial Day weekend and because the whole conference was packed into one day, my report needed to be briefer than usual. But I realized that, because some of the Ohio churches are already very involved in leading the way toward the global-local vision, all I really needed to do was thank them and encourage them to keep up the pace. The NewPointe Community Church in Dover is heavily involved in the Middle East, the Cornerstone Church in Akron initiated the Clear Blue Water Project, and Living Water FMC in Dalton has been used by God to open our ministry in Vietnam. This is all in addition to supporting missionaries such as the Henrys, Winckles, Kinkeads and Dunns. Wow!!

Let me tell you of one other annual conference experience. Each year the Pacific Northwest Conference receives a “planned/spontaneous offering” for some special need. This year the offering was for underfunded Country Support Accounts (CSAs). I wish you could have been there. Dr. Delia Nüesch-Olver presented the need masterfully. Superintendent Matt Whitehead added his enthusiastic support. One by one, church representatives stood to register their congregation’s commitment. Before the conference was over I was presented with a check for $36,202 for CSAs. Praise the Lord for His people in PNWC and His provision through them!

There are many other wonderful experiences I could tell you of: commissioning Tim and Jervaun Trier in Southern California for their ministry in Ethiopia; honoring Jim and Barb Stillman as they retire; discovering that the Pakistani pastor who was ordained in the New York/ Maryland-Virginia Conference has two churches in Pakistan; and talking to leaders everywhere about their passion to reach the world for Jesus. Praise the Lord for what He is doing through our Free Methodist family.

Another Open Door

We’ve been praying for years that the Lord would open the door for us to Vietnam, so we could join the harvest there. We worked with our Asian partners, investigated ministries of compassion, and looked into business-as-mission initiatives. But every door seemed closed.

Then, providentially – and unexpectedly – God did what He often does. WOW!! The door swung open and our church there now has over 3,000 members, including four ordained elders and a fantastic group of ministerial candidates. In the past few days they have participated in a public evangelistic rally attended by 15,000 people.

I’ll never forget accompanying David Yardy as we met with our leaders in Vietnam in late March – we celebrated the miracles that kept them alive during times of intense persecution, the privilege of working together in a field white for the harvest, and that they could officially become part of the Free Methodist Church.

Here’s an excerpt from the testimony of one of our leaders, who came to Jesus while in a refugee camp. 

“My life got worse and worse. I watched the Christians. They were happy and peaceful. But when I looked at my life it was so bad. I thought, ‘If Christianity is so bad why are their lives so good?’ But I continued to torment them, even playing cassettes loudly while they were having their worship services.

“One Sunday I took my Bible to church and told Brother K that today I had come to believe. Before, I didn’t know how to smile; I was full of hatred. When I believed, a heavy stone was lifted. As I left the meeting I smiled for the first time and thought, ‘Thank you Jesus, I know how to smile. You are the door.’ I was so excited. Now I could love children, and served in the children’s ministry.

“I wanted to learn English but the words just spun before my eyes. I also wanted to quit smoking but continued to beg half-cigarettes. One night I climbed up into the third level bunks and asked Brother K, ‘Please pray for me. I want to quit smoking and I want to be able to learn English.’ I didn’t hear any of the words he said, but I believed. That very evening, I was miraculously freed from smoking. I had no desire immediately. And I could learn English.

“In 1996 I was repatriated and was immediately put in prison. I stayed there for four years. In the police vehicle there were two chairs. I was terrified. Then I heard Jesus speak: ‘You sit in that chair and I’ll sit in this one. Wherever you are, I will be there.’”

Please lift up our brothers and sisters in Vietnam in your prayers – they continue to face intense persecution. Also remember our leader in another nearby country where ministry doors have just opened. Our prayers are with you each day.

Pray for Open Doors -- Celebrate Open Doors

About a year ago, Sylvia and I were visiting our church in Peru. One afternoon we listened as our gifted Mission District Director Miquel Agorta shared both his vision for his country – and some of the pressures that weighed heavy on him as a leader. A few minutes later we found ourselves gathered around Director Miguel and his wife, earnestly praying for wisdom and strength. It was a holy moment I have not forgotten.

Through prayer we connect to the greatest power in the world. Human events are different because we pray. We are different because we pray.  If we will pray – for our missionaries, for our national leaders and other international partners, for a fresh powerful movement of God’s love all around the world – miracles will happen.

Dr. Delia Nuesch-Olver recently related a huge new door of ministry that the Lord is opening in Peru through Pastor Miguel’s leadership. I was awed when I realized the new steps of faith that he and his team are taking. But somehow I was not surprised. This is what God does when his people pray. And I realized that our prayer, over a year ago, may have been part of what God has used. Please pray for open doors of ministry in every part of our world.

A Changed Life Equals a Church Planted

What’s the quickest way to plant a church where lives are genuinely transformed?  God’s work in Lisbon, Portugal helps give an answer.  Arlindo is one good example.  Begin with the conversion of the drug king pin of the community.  Let Jesus totally transform his life and the rest is history.

San Marcos is our newest church in Lisbon.  It meets in a simple building surrounded by a squatter village.  Most of the community is made up of recent immigrants from Africa.  The church exists for many reasons – the inspiration of Cindi and Eduardo Angelo our Portugal leaders, the hard work of Carrie and Michael Hamley who are on loan from Spain to Portugal while they renew their visas.  Most of all it exists because of  god’s gift of vibrant contagious faith to Arlindo, an immigrant from Cape Verde.

When Arlindo came to Jesus everything changed.  He says, “Before I came to Jesus I was sad, now I share the Lord. God has done so much.  I have the Holy Spirit with me.   I feel his presence.”  His life was in bad shape.  He sold drugs, had a lot of money but spent a lot of money.  He smoked 20 cigarettes a day for twenty years and made his own out of thrown away cigarette butts when necessary.

Arlindo testifies, “The first day I came to church I came to the Lord.  I gave up smoking immediately, threw down the cigarettes, stomped on them and haven’t smoked since.  I gave up prostitution and my drug dealing.”

What God has done in Arlindo is truly astounding.   It’s more astounding to him than anyone else.  He says, “There is no way that I could walk away.  Everything has changed.  God did a 180 in my life.”

When Believers Pray

“Save my child and I will give myself to God” The cry could have easily have come from a first century  beleaguered parent falling before Jesus.  It actually came from a 21st century Haitian mother named Monide who had already lost one child – she was convinced to the Devil.  Now she was in a life and death struggle for a second child.

She was in the church – even sang in the choir.  Yet, Jesus was not Lord of her life.  When she became sick, the church prayed for her.  Then her child became ill and died.  In desperation she decided to become evil, went to the witchdoctor to try to hurt the person she believed had hurt her child.

But, as she realizes now, God still loved her.   All she could think about was her second child who had now become ill.  The Devil said, “What will you do now?  I will take your child.”

But the believers would not give up.  They made a circle, fasted and prayed.  Monide repeated her challenge to God, “Save my child and I will give myself to you.”

God heard her sincere cry.  Her child Melchior was healed and Monide, true to her word now serves only the Lord.

Do you ever wonder if your prayers make a difference?  I suppose we all do.  If only you could have sat with me and heard Monide’s story.  You would have no question.

We're Back -- Thank you for praying!

Thank you so much for praying for us during the last three months while we were on leave. It has been a very enriching time. Often we’ve been literally stopped mid-motion as we’ve realized how blessed we are in Jesus. Sometimes in the busyness – even of ministry – that realization seldom dawns.

This change of pace has been rich in experience. I was able to interview new converts in Asia, the Middle East and Portugal. Awesome! We spent a week in Guatemala, hosted by David Ruiz Molina, accessing the church across many denominations in a part of the world that has largely become evangelical Christian and is passionate about missions. I also read all or large parts of 15 books, spent two great days with other mission leaders in the annual Mission Exchange denominational missions roundtable, and invested three days at the Overseas Ministries Study Center and Day Missions Library at Yale University in New Haven, CT.

Our time away has also been rich in reflection and rest. The first few days of the leave were spent in a time of prayer and study. I journaled each day of the three-month time. I had planned that the first two weeks and last two weeks would be used only for rest. It was not possible to do that for all of the first two, but the last two were very refreshing.

The last three months were also a painful time. On the second day of the leave we received word of Ryan Bartlett’s tragic accident and death. Nothing in my almost nine years at FMWM has been more painful or disturbing. We know that the Lord will redeem this as He does everything, but it was very hard for all of us who love Ryan, Katie and their children. We also had some difficulty because of health issues that Sylvia experienced, and almost cancelled our Guatemala trip as a result. Praise the Lord, we now believe we know what she’s up against, and she’s feeling significant relief already.

Most of all, the enrichment leave was deeply therapeutic and a rich time of God’s blessing – so much so, that in reflecting on my return to work in March, I said to someone, “It’s a good thing I really love my work!” Otherwise, coming back would have been very difficult.

I deeply appreciate all who stretched to cover the bases in my absence. Special thanks go to David Yardy and Kathi Walker. Without David’s gifted leadership, I couldn’t have been away with the same sense of release. Kathi cared for over 1,100 e-mail messages, in addition to her regular work.

The pictures are of wonderful new friends -- followers of Jesus in Portugal.  I wish I could share photos of my time in Asia and the Middle East, but we need to protect the security of brothers and sisters there.

Celebrating the Life of Ryan Bartlett

Free Methodist World Missions is thankful for the gracious and dedicated service of Rev. Ryan Bartlett. As a faithful servant, he followed God’s leading. We personally grieve for our loss, but are thankful that Ryan has lived a life worthy of his heavenly Father’s calling.

Ryan grew up in a Christian home and was baptized at the age of 10. In his first year of college in Oregon that he connected with Jesus in a personal way and learned how to trust God with his whole life.

While earning a Bachelor of Science degree in business and economics at George Fox College (Newberg, Oregon), Ryan met Katie who was studying to be a biology teacher. Ryan and Katie were married in 1994 and began their ministry partnership for kingdom building.

Courses in cross-cultural missions at Asbury sparked Ryan’s interest in global ministry. Ryan and Katie tested the waters one summer in Nigeria. Ryan wrote, “This was a very profitable experience and only affirmed in my heart that Africa would one day be home for us. More than anything else on that particular trip, I saw the need for deeper training and support of our African pastors and churches.”

Following Ryan’s graduation from Asbury Theological Seminary in May 2001, they served the Prescott FMC, Arizona, from 2001 to 2006. Their ministry trips over the years took them to Mexico, Nigeria and Malawi.

Lilongwe, Malawi, did become home to Ryan, Katie and their three daughters, Anna (age 8), Lydia (age 6), and Ella (age 3), in May 2007.

With his call to Africa, God gave Ryan a clear understanding of the need. “People all over Africa – be it Christian, animist, Muslim, spiritist, un-convinced – are desperately looking for life’s answers that only Jesus Christ can give. The importance of my type of ministry on the field is not to point Africans to America. Rather, it’s to share the simple message of salvation and Jesus in its purest, rawest, most relational and incarnational form.”

Africa Area Director Mike Reynen observed Ryan’s outstanding ministry that had developed in a remarkably short span of time. “His primary focus was on the Great Commission Bible School. Henry Church (former Africa Area Director) had developed a wonderful school, put it in Ryan’s hands, and said ‘run with it.’ So he did! He had teachers lined up well beyond a year in advance. He knew how to administer discipline, as any principal must. But at the same time, he was greatly loved by the students.”

Former Africa Area Director Henry Church believes Ryan and Katie Bartlett and their kids were the perfect match for the Free Methodist Mission in Malawi. Henry comments, “Both Ryan and Katie were both highly motivated and totally committed. They plunged into language and culture learning with vigor and applied all they knew constantly. When Bonnie and I left Malawi and the Great Commission Bible School, we left it in good hands. We didn’t wonder if it would make it. We didn’t wonder if it would be good. It just felt right. How delighted we were.

“I worked with Ryan for several weeks, both in a school module, and during our last weeks on the field in handing over the work at the school to him. He was quick to understand, flexible, excited, and committed. He never looked back. He knew he and his family were where God wanted them to be. Where is it better to be?  Ryan will not be forgotten by any of us. And, his work will stand the test of fire, and will come forth as gold.”

Ryan’s approach to ministry was relational. “Whether I’m buying bananas on the street, shopping for clothes in the market, worshipping in a village church on Sunday, teaching students at the Bible school, praying over the sick, feeding the hungry, or discussing the breadth of Christianity with an African under a tree, in the back of my mind I will always be modeling my attitude and actions after what Jesus Himself did for me. Namely, He went out of His way – way, way out of His way – to bond with me and point me to my saving Father!” Fruit of that type of modeling could be found in the Bartlett’s November 2008 newsletter. Ryan was excited to report, “Last week as I led an in-depth study of Jesus and salvation, I witnessed 13 people really ‘get it’ and wholeheartedly trust their lives to Christ!”

Free Methodist World Missions celebrates Ryan’s life, a life lived with this determination: “The hope I have for my future work is to be steadfast in the Lord, to be glorifying Him in all I do, in order that my Christian life might be contagious and impact the kingdom of God for good.”

On December 2, 2008, the Free Methodist missionary family lost a faithful friend and colleague, Ryan Bartlett, whose decision to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth, including two years of missionary service, has brought eternal fruit.