Fa ll 2014

In This Issue

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Is church planting a biblical mandate? That was the question recently posed to me by a veteran missionary. As I pondered the question, it caused me to further crystallize my thinking about the entire process

through which missionaries fulfill the Great Commission, and it reignited my passion for discipleship, which I believe is the link between the mandate and its manifestation.

For clarity’s sake, it is always important to define one’s terms. In this case, the word mandate must be defined. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a mandate is “an authoritative command or commission.”1 As Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives, He commanded His disciples to go and make disciples. Matthew 28:19-20 makes it crystal clear; the mandate is the Great Commission. The additional four Great Commission passages, including Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, John 20:21 and Acts 1:8, amplify this New Testament mandate. Clearly, the Great Commission is the biblical mandate.

With the Great Commission serving as the biblical mandate, what is the relationship of church planting to the mandate? I believe the mandate is manifested through the New Testament institution of the local church. Jesus heralded in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church …” The apostles, including Paul and others, obeyed the mandate by planting churches, as explained in Acts and the epistles. It is in this context that church planting is the fulfillment of the New Testament mandate of the Great Commission.

The link between the mandate (the Great Commission) and the manifestation (local churches) is discipleship. I contend that discipleship is the vehicle which drives successful church planting, and discipleship is essential to fulfilling the mandate of the Great Commission.

I was introduced to fundamentalism in late 1980; at that time, there was a tremendous emphasis on evangelism. Subsequently, I witnessed the disparity between those who made professions and those who remained in church. As I went to seminary, and later to the mission field, my heart was burdened to follow up with those who made professions, in order that they might become rooted and grounded in the

Discipleship: The Vehicle of our Missionary Endeavor by Dr. Pat Delaney

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Discipleship (cont.)

Itineraries

Ready to Go. Gone!

Are Missionaries Safe?

Christmas Gifts

Word of God and actively engaged in the ministry of the local church. This aspect of ministry became essential to me as a missionary church planter on the foreign field.

I agree with author Bill Hull, who said, “Unless the church makes making disciples its main agenda, world evangelism is a fantasy.”2 The world cannot be reached by an evangelism which fails to make disciples of its converts. Part of the genius of the Great Commission is that our Lord intends every disciple to become a discipler of others. This takes the mission beyond mere addition to multiplication. The Apostle Paul understood this, and that is why he taught in Ephesians 4:11-12 that the reason God gave pastors-teachers was for the perfecting (equipping) of the saints. He expressed the same discipleship principle to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the

things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Within the premiere Great Commission passage of Matthew 28:19-20, three important actions are identified: going, baptizing and teaching. However, the primary command is contained within the phrase “teach all nations.” The Greek word for “teach” is matheteuo, which could be

translated disciple. “Matheteuo means not only to learn but to become attached to one’s teacher and to become his follower in doctrine and conduct.”3 The relationship between disciple-maker and disciple is exemplified between Philip and the eunuch in Acts 8:30b–31, “Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?”

The essence of the Great Commission is not simply seeking converts, but rather making disciples. “When a disciple is made, two good things happen: a disciple is healthy and godly; disciples reproduce themselves, and some become disciple-makers, resulting in multiplication. Therefore, disciples solve the crisis at the heart of the church.”4 The ultimate goal of the Great Commission is spiritual maturity, “teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you.” Therefore, Paul did not refuse to declare “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). No doubt he understood it was the lifelong task of every true disciple to become mastered by the Word of God.Continued on page 3.

The link between the mandate

(the Great Commission) and the manifestation

(local churches) is discipleship.

Christmas Gifts

The safest way to send monetary gifts to missionaries is through the BWM home office. Donations marked as “Christmas gift” are non-taxable to the missionary,

but are not tax-deductible for the donor. BWM will issue a receipt for Christmas

gifts—but not a tax receipt. Donors who wish to send tax-deductible gifts

should designate their gift as “missionary name - additional support.” Christmas gifts should be received no later than

November 30, to ensure the missionaries receive them by Christmas.

Highlightsf r o m t h e

Highways & Hedges

are Missionaries Safe?The recent beheadings of two American journalists at the hand of ISIS highlighted a growing trend in our post-9/11 world. Missionaries have probably never faced greater threats to their safety and security. That fact alone is a strong argument for the importance of a mission board with the expertise to handle any eventuality. Terrorists may target missionaries based on either their nationality or religious affiliation. Criminals may see them as soft targets with deep pockets. This issue’s Highways & Hedges is a call to specific prayer for protection of God’s servants. Two recent events among our own BWM family will serve to demonstrate the imminent threat.

AfricaOne of our administrators and his teenage daughter visited several national church planters in an African country in June. Shortly after their stay with one of the pastors (and unrelated to it), the national police “arrested” the entire village. Hundreds, including a newborn baby, were forced to sit in the hot sun from morning to evening without food or water. In the ensuing days, the police used their batons to publicly beat every man, woman and teenager, including the pastor’s family. The police took 20 people away, and to this day, no one knows of their fate. At the time of this writing, the village remains under “arrest.” We thank God that the police crackdown did not occur during our administrator’s visit, but we are also deeply concerned for the national pastor and his family. We thank God that, in answer to prayer, the police allowed the pastor to leave the village. He is preparing to relocate his family, who remain hidden in the bush— exposed to the elements, but safely concealed from the village.

Ivory CoastOn Sunday, August 13, Bob and Margie Engelhart, BWM missionaries in Ivory Coast, were stopped by four armed men while traveling by car between two places of ministry. Bob writes, “I tried, at first, to back up and get away, but found we were surrounded. One of them threw a machete toward the jeep and cut my forearm and nose. They fired shots, and we gave up. I started witnessing to them as they searched us. They took cell phones and money and let us go. They were disappointed, since they were hoping to rob someone transporting money to pay workers’ salaries at a plantation. Since I was bleeding badly, we drove to the church in Abbey village, where the preacher got me some antiseptic and a bandage at the first-aid station. Margie drove the jeep for a while when I got dizzy. We got back home and then went to the clinic in Abidjan, where I had stitches. The doctor predicts a complete recovery.” As a

postscript and testimony to the caliber of these missionaries, we learned that the Engelharts have resumed their ministry in that area and report having traveled that same road five times without incident.

When Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton University, he was cornered

one registration day by a freshman’s mother, who proceeded to cross-examine him about the university. Both her father and grandfather had attended Harvard, but her husband, a Princeton man, wanted their son to follow in his footsteps. Frankly, she had her doubts. “We want our only child to have the very best education—one that will mold him for great things. Can you assure me that he’ll do well here?” she demanded. “Madam,” said Wilson mildly, “we guarantee satisfaction, or we will return the boy.”

Baptist World Mission exists to serve local churches in facilitating the sending and sustaining of God-called missionaries from individual churches. Foundational to our effectiveness in carrying out that ministry is accountability—both for the missionaries and the members of the BWM board and administration.

We have been blessed with a heritage of credible testimony for Christ over the past half-century and are working hard to maintain a godly reputation. As a result, BWM is viewed by most stateside fundamental churches as an agency that can be trusted. In order to validate that trust, we must be diligent in the matter of accountability.

Though many verses might be referenced to justify the importance of biblical accountability, 1 Corinthians 4:2 perhaps says it best, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

When a BWM missionary succeeds in the biblical stewardship of his life and calling, either on deputation or on the field, that success impacts the testimony of Christ, the agency and the sending and supporting churches. Likewise, failure on the part of the missionary makes a significant impact on many.

Accountability not only uncovers failure, but just as importantly, it promotes faithfulness and thus helps prevent failure in the first place. Holding the missionary accountable helps maintain him in a place of usefulness for the glory of Jesus Christ.

In reality, we do “guarantee satisfaction, or we will return the missionary.” While some churches have unbiblical expectations concerning the results that a missionary should be seeing on the field, at the same time, there must be a strong commitment by all to the principle of missionaries being who God has commanded them to be and doing what God has called them to do.

May we never forget that accountability to Christ and the local church is not a bad thing, but a very necessary and good thing—both for BWM and for the individual missionaries who serve as a part of this ministry family.

Mission Matters: Satisfaction Guaranteed by Dr. Bud Steadman

Just as it was important to define a mandate, it is equally important to define a disciple. A disciple manifests several attributes, including the following qualities:

• Is willing to deny himself, take up the cross daily and follow Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23-25).

• Puts Christ before himself, his family and his possessions (Luke 14:25-35).

• Is committed to Christ’s teachings (John 8:31).

• Is committed to world evangelism (Matthew 9:36-38).

• Loves others as Christ loves (John 13:34-35).

• Abides in Christ, is obedient, bears fruit, glorifies God, has joy and loves the brethren (John 15:7-17).5

The question is often posed, “Are disciples born or made?” The best answer is both!

“Disciples are first born, then they are made. They are born by the Spirit of God, with all things that pertain to life and godliness [Emphasis mine] (2 Peter 2:13). Then they must be built, trained, taught and led to commitment to Jesus Christ.”6 Since only disciples reproduce and multiply, it is the challenge of the missionary church planter to make disciple-making the vehicle that drives his missionary endeavors. But how?

I believe there are four essential components in making discipleship the vehicle that drives our ministries. It all begins with a proactive effort to evangelize. This requires church members to be effectively trained to share the Gospel. The lost must be pursued with a passion, and due diligence must be given to follow up with converts. There is no discipleship without evangelism. At BWM, each of our missionaries receives the instruction he needs for effective evangelism through “The Exchange.”7

Second, after a person receives Christ, tutelage becomes imperative. Here is where relationship and connectivity within the local church begins. Follow-up instruction can be provided either through a new members’ class or by one-on-one instruction. These lessons should cover the basics, including assurance, the Bible, baptism, church membership, prayer, giving, etc. During this phase, you would expect a person to join the church.

Third, because mastery of the Word of God should have a high priority in the believer’s life, I believe in the value of utilizing a Bible institute within the local church. In order to produce qualified workers within the church, training in the Word of God should be of paramount importance. One program I have used to facilitate this phase is Faith Bible Institute. FBI is a three-year, six-semester video Bible curriculum, which takes the

student through the entire Word of God and the major doctrines of the faith. Over 40,000 students have been trained in this program throughout its 28 years of operation.8

Fourth, I believe a small groups ministry lends value to the overall discipleship process. This is of particular importance in large ministries. Small groups foster an environment that deepens relationships, provides greater accountability and creates opportunities for training in ministry skills. Some churches accomplish this through a network of Sunday school classes, while others do it through a separate set of small groups.

When Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:20, He instructed His disciples to teach their disciples “to observe [obey] all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Discipleship is a long-term prospect; it needs to be the heartbeat of the local church and the vehicle that drives our missionary endeavors.

Discipleship: The Vehicle of our Missionary Endeavor (cont.)

1 “mandate.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2014. Web. 1 September 2014.

2 Bill Hull, The Disciple Making Church, Fleming H. Revell, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990, p. 11.

3 Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study New Testament, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN, 1992, p. 919.

4 Bill Hull, The Disciplemaking Pastor, Fleming H. Revell, Grand Rapids, MI, 1993, p. 52.

5 Ibid., p. 57.

6 Ibid., p. 59.

7 exchangemessage.org/author/jeff-musgrave/

8 faithbibleinstitute.com/Faith_Bible_Institute/Home.html

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Phone (256) 353-2221office@baptistworldmission.org

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Itineraries

Steve AndersonOctober 1–Dec. 2South Africa/Kenya

Kevin BrosnanOctober 13–15BWM Board Meeting Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI

October 18–21Fairview Baptist Church Decatur, AL

November 1–6Marquette Manor Baptist Church Downers Grove, IL

David CanedyOctober 12First Baptist Church Woodridge, IL (PM)

October 13–15BWM Board Meeting Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI

October 20–23Missions Emphasis Week Bob Jones University Greenville, SC

November 10–11AIBCI Annual Meeting Faith Baptist Church, Pekin, IL

November 16Lighthouse Baptist Church Newark, DE

Pat DelaneyOctober 12First Baptist Church Fort Atkinson, WI

October 13–15BWM Board Meeting Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI

October 26Faith Independent Baptist Church, Enterprise, AL

November 2–5Catawba Springs Christian Church, Catawba Springs, NC

November 9Marshall Baptist Church Winston Salem, NC

November 12Maranatha Baptist Church Winston Salem, NC

Jesse GarzaOctober 5Grace Baptist Church Anderson, IN

October 13–15BWM Board Meeting Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI

October 16–20Sackville Independent Baptist Church, Nova Scotia, Canada

November 20–December 1Peru

Bud SteadmanOctober 5–8Grace Baptist Church West Columbia, SC

October 12Community Baptist Church South Bend, IN (AM)

October 13–15BWM Board Meeting Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI

October 22–26Faith Baptist Church Pensacola, FL

October 27–30Ambassador Baptist College Lattimore, NC (AM)

October 27–30Bob Jones University Greenville, SC (PM)

October 31–November 1The Wilds Christian Camp Brevard, NC

November 2Calvary Baptist Church Huntsville, AL

November 12–16Valleyview Baptist Church Northampton, PA

December 3–17India

This publication is available at baptistworldmission.org.

Ready to Go!These missionaries have almost reached 100% support. They are READY TO GO! Perhaps the Lord of the Harvest will enable you or your church to help get them to their fields of service. Contact them today!

Bekah Fruin (Cambodia) 81%bfruin@baptistworldmission.org

Joey and Jenny Tacon (Italy) 94%jtacon@baptistworldmission.org

Gone!Aquila Darimani returned to his home-land of Ghana on July 18, 2014. Please pray for Aquila as he begins to reach his own people for God’s glory!

Jonathan and Micki Rehfeldt have reached 100% support and arrived in Uruguay on September 8, 2014! Please pray for them as they settle into a new culture and ministry.

Schedule an Administrator or Director at Your Church!BWM administrators and directors offer a wonderful blend of passionate preaching and current field experiences. Please contact the mission if you would like to schedule any of these men for your next conference.