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Growing up, my only experiences in church were 2 weddings and a funeral. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. When I was 15, I was in a barbershop quartet at school. A few of the guys in that quartet invited me to go to their church. On my second visit, I responded during the invitation and someone showed me from the Bible how I could know for sure that Heaven would be my home for all eternity. That night, I repented and trusted Christ as my Savior. After my last year of church camp, God began working on my heart about serving Him with my life in the ministry. Within a few weeks, I surrendered my life to the call of the ministry. On January 5th, 2002, I married my high school sweetheart, Angel and we now have 5 great children (Andrew, Aaron, Abigail, Anna and Alexander). I am a 2005 graduate of Indiana Baptist College. I’ve had the privilege of serving Christ as a youth/music director, houseparent in a children’s home and as a church planting pastor. In August 2015, God showed us our next assignment; the mission field of Thailand and we’re excited that God would allow us to be a part of what He is doing there! I had been involved in church off and on as a young child. In middle school a friend of mine invited me to a youth rally at her church. It was there that someone showed me from the Bible how I could have a relationship with God and how I could know for sure that Heaven would be my home. God began a wonderful, transforming work in my heart that night! In the ministry, I’ve enjoyed working with young people and ladies. Now, I am enjoying homeschooling our five super kids, and especially encouraging their faith. I am excited to embark on this new missionary journey and see it as a privilege to follow the Lord wherever He leads.

Testimonies

Bryan

Angel

         

About Thailand

History

• Around 2000 B.C. people built settlements in the hillsides of Thailand. The first one is thought to be Ben Chiang. Pieces of pottery, tools, and jewelry from 200 B.C. to 300 A.D. have been dug up in this area.

• Thailand, which means “land of the free,” was known as Siam until 1939.

Geography & Nature

• Thailand is in the heart of Southeast Asia. Cambodia and Laos border the country to the east and northeast, and Myanmar lies to the northwest.

• To the west is the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma. • The long southern region, connecting with Malaysia, is hilly and forested. The

highest mountains are in northern Thailand. • The deep forests are home to tigers, elephants, wild ox, leopards, and the Malayan

tapir. The tapir is covered in black fur on the first half of its body and white fur to the rear. Cobras and crocodiles are also found in Thailand.

People & Culture

• The population of Thailand is over 68 million people. The population is growing at a rate of approximately 383,000 people per year.

• Only 0.5 percent of Thai people claim to be Christians. About 94.5 percent of the people are Buddhist, but about three million Muslims live in the south near the border with Malaysia. To the Thai people, to be Thai is to be Buddhist.

 

 

• Thai children go to elementary school for six years. Then they may attend high school for another six years, but their families must pay for the education. Boys begin military training in ninth grade.

• Food in Thailand is influenced by Chinese and Indian cultures. Most Thai dishes are spicy and many common dishes include hot chilies, lemongrass, basil, ginger, and coconut milk.

• 1 in 10 Thais live in Bangkok, the nation’s capital and largest city. Bangkok is called the Venice of the East because there are 83 canals. As many as 10,000 boats full of fruits, vegetables, and fish crowd the canals and create a floating market.

• The city of Bangkok is home to many impressive Buddhist structures featuring gold-layered spires, graceful pagodas, and giant Buddha statues.

Government & Economy

• Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy.

• The king is the leader of the country. The prime minister is picked from among members of the House of Representatives, but is appointed by the king.

• Agriculture and tourism are the most important industries in Thailand. • In December 2004, the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami hit Thailand, but the

country's economy has largely recovered from the disaster's effect. • On 22 May 2014, the Royal Thai Armed Forces, led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha,

Commander of the Royal Thai Army (RTA), launched a coup d'état, the 12th since the country's first coup in 1932, against the caretaker government of Thailand, following six months of political crisis. The military established a junta called the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to govern the nation.

• After dissolving the government and the Senate, the NCPO vested the executive and legislative powers in its leader and ordered the judicial branch to operate under its directives. In addition, it partially repealed the 2007 constitution, declared martial law and curfew nationwide, banned political gatherings, arrested and detained politicians and anti-coup activists, imposed internet censorship and took control of the media.

• The NCPO issued an interim constitution granting itself amnesty and sweeping power. The NCPO also established a military dominated national legislature, which later unanimously elected General Prayut as a new prime minister of the country.

    Doctrine

Bible We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God, inerrant, preserved in the English language in the King James Version and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.

God We believe in one God, eternal, omnipotence, omniscient, omnipresent, manifesting Himself in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – one in nature, attributes, power and glory.

Jesus Christ We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary and that He is true God and true man.

Holy Spirit We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person – the Administrator of the Godhead – convincing of sin, revealing Christ, teaching truth, restraining evil, energizing believers in prayer, worship and service, and is ever present in the believer as Comforter and Helper.

Man We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility become sinners in thought, word and deed.

Separation We believe in separation from all worldly practices and in whole-hearted devotion to the cause of Christ as the only scriptural basis for a happy and useful life.

 

Justification We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and rose again for our justification; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart from human merit and works.

Ordinances We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of the local church to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. That it is a prerequisite to the privilege of a church relation to the Lord’s Supper in which the members of a church by the sacred use of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination.

The Grace of Giving We believe a church is to be supported only by the tithes and offerings of God’s people.

Missions We believe missions, the endeavor to reach all the world with the gospel, is a charge to, and the responsibility of the church; that the church is debtor to those who have never heard the gospel; that the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the gospel to be preached at home and abroad – to the uttermost part of the earth; and that the magnitude of the Great Commission constrains autonomous churches to cooperate together for the accomplishment of the task.

This is an abbreviated statement of faith. To see our full statement of faith, please visit

ThaiLight.org/webelieve

                                     

                         

Recommendations Dear Pastor,

May I introduce to you the Ries Family, our missionaries to Thailand. Bryan & Angel Ries were saved at Northern Park Baptist Church and have served there in many capacities (music, youth, preaching, choir, etc.). They’ve also served at a children’s home in Florida, and then, out of our church, planted Blue River Baptist Church in Edinburgh, IN where Bro. Bryan serving as it’s pastor for 5 years. Now, God has called Bro. Bryan Ries to Thailand and he and his family are on full-time deputation seeking support both financially and in prayer.

As their sending church, we are committed to this family in helping them take the gospel to the field of Thailand. Would you consider joining us in supporting the Ries Family? If you would like to talk with me, my number is (317) 412-0846. May God bless you as you consider the Ries Family.

Sincerely, Allen Pierce, Pastor

Northern Park Baptist Church, Greenwood, IN

Dear Pastor,

I have had the privilege of knowing Bryan and Angel Ries for many years now. They were on staff at Hope Children’s Home in Tampa, FL for 2 years. During that time, they were members of Southside Baptist Church. Bryan and Angel were faithful members and willing to plug themselves into the work of the ministry. When God burdened their hearts, they left Tampa and started Blue River Baptist Church in Edinburgh, IN. They put their heart into the church plant and God used them in a great way.

Bryan and Angel have five precious children. They are devoted parents and have a godly home. They have a heart for the Lord and have dedicated themselves to the work of the Lord. They have a gracious spirit which is evident in home and ministry. God has burdened their hearts for the people of Thailand. I know that they understand church planting and will be used of God to reach the people of Thailand.

Thank you for prayerfully considering this family as part of your missionary family.

Serving Him, Kerry Nance, Pastor

Southside Baptist Church , Tampa, FL

                                                                                   

Our Ministry Vision Before we ever arrive in Thailand, we want to lay out a clear strategy for our ministry. We want to be good

stewards of the finances invested by churches into our ministry and good stewards of our lives; our lives are

but a vapor and we want to live every moment making an impact for the Kingdom of God.

Philip Bassham, Missionary in Bangkok, Thailand, leading a Bible Study in his home.

1. Learning the Language and Culture

"...I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

- I Corinthians 9:22

We will start off our first term on the field by taking the time to enroll in full-time language school. This is an

essential step in missions work. How can we communicate the Good News of Christ and disciple people in

the truths of the scriptures if we cannot communicate with them well? Thai is a tonal language, so the

learner has to get used to recognizing the pitch of a word. Thai has five tones. Learning a new script also

presents a challenge, but most learners find it easier than they expect. Also, word order in Thai is similar to

English. Basic grammar poses fewer problems than more familiar European languages because there are

no verb or noun endings. There is a range of pronouns for expressing different levels of respect and

familiarity. Some nouns and verbs have formal and informal variants. It has 44 consonant letters and 15

vowel symbols that combine into at least 28 vowel forms. Should be interesting!

                                                                                           

2. Reaching the Lost

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

- Mark 16:15

Ultimately, the purpose for missionary work is the fulfillment of the Great Commission to go and teach all

nations, baptize them, and teach them all things. Though providing food, medical care or meeting any

other need is a good thing, they are purposeless if not paired with the priority of sharing salvation through

Christ alone with a lost person. Our strategy is to personally witness to people and help those people

develop a passion to reach their own with the gospel.

3. Planting Churches

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH; and the

gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

- Matthew 16:18

After we've learned the language and culture and begun seeing souls saved and discipled, we will establish

a local indigenous church. The church is indeed the pillar and ground of the truth. It is through local

churches around the globe that God is at work in communities and lives. It's in the context of local churches

where true ministry is accomplished. We'll seek to establish local churches that multiply themselves through

church planting throughout Thailand.

4. Training Men in Gospel Ministry

"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."

- II Timothy 2:2

At the heart of all biblical missions work is the training of men to serve Christ in gospel ministry. Our aim will

be to employ Jesus' model of "withness" to train men to do all the things which they have seen and heard

through our ministry. We will spend time with these men in formal Biblical education and hands on

mentorship and involvement in the ministry to ensure that they are fully capable to handle the Word of God

and shepherd His people in the context of the local church. When the time comes, these men will lead the

churches that we help plant.

 

Contact Information If you have any questions for us or would like to schedule us to come and share our burden for Thailand with your church, you can reach through any of these ways: Mailing Address 1458 Scarlet Ct. Franklin, IN 46131 Email: Bryan@ThaiLight.org Phone: 812-764-0618 Facebook: Facebook.com/BryanandAngelRies Twitter: Twitter.com/BryanLRies Sending Church Northern Park Baptist Church 598 N. Meridian Street Greenwood, IN 46143 (317) 881-2098 NorthernParkBaptist.com Mission Board Global Independent Baptist Missions 602 Manco Road Lewisville, TX 75067 (972) 436-3493 GIBMission.org