Commentary
Connecting with the Global Church
By Carmen Fowler, The Layman, October 18, 2010
One of the great joys of my job is the opportunity to connect Presbyterians from around the world with their brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ here in the United States.
The Rev. Simon Githiora is the national director of ministries to youth for the 4.5 million-member Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA). He serves as an officer of their General Assembly but in a denomination that is woefully short of pastors, he also serves a congregation comprised of thousands that meet as several congregations spread across many miles.
2010 marks the 50th year of the ministry with young people and Simon reports that in this year of Jubilee they celebrate what God is doing in the hearts of Kenya’s young people. “There are so many believers. So many. They are the future pastors and we are working hard to prepare them.” Simon’s passion is to see a training center built where young Kenyan Christians can be equipped. He is working with 100 youth workers who in turn work with nearly a million Presbyterian youth.
Githiora is in the States through November and is available to come and see what God is doing in your context and to share with you what God is doing in Kenya. You can contact him directly at simongithiora@yahoo.com or via Rev. Tom Edwards at First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood, Texas, (281) 360-5555.
Rev. Ludgero Bonilha Morais serves in the Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPB). He reminds me that “our denomination is the result of missionary work of your church, yet was virtually impossible to maintain the ties with our mother church.” Morais has a great desire to reestablish fraternal ties and develop cooperative church planting projects with Biblically faithful Presbyterian congregations in the United States. He says of Brazil, “The possibilities here are wonderful, there are many missionary opportunities, the ties are strong enough to reconnect with those brothers and churches that remain faithful to the principles of the Reformed faith.” Morais will be visiting the States in 2011 as IPB’s official representative.
You can contact him directly at rev.ludgero@terra.com.br or via Parker Williamson at 1-800-368-0110.
As we enter into an increasingly post-denominational context in the United States, developing personal relationships with our global mission partners is essential. Githiora and Morais represent healthy Presbyterian expressions of the explosive Spirit-filled Kingdom advancement of God in the world. And God has literally brought them to your doorstep. Hearing their stories will remind you of the ways in which God is reaching out His hand to save, redeeming people in Christ Jesus, and transforming lives by the unleashed power of the Holy Spirit around the globe. If you are lagging in zeal, exposing yourself to the reality of what God is doing in the world will renew your faith and restore your hope. Invite them to your neck of the woods. Extend the blessing of your hospitality and find yourself blessed in return.
Finally, there is a historic event taking place in October that you won’t want to miss. The third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, Oct. 16-25. The Congress will bring together 4,000 leaders from more than 200 countries to confront the critical issues of our time including pluralism and persecution as they relate to the future of the Church.
Imagine what God might accomplish! Advance papers for the event are posted at www.lausanne.org/cape-town-2010. You can also find links there to more than 600 global-link sites and information about how you can participate online. If you believe that the Great Commission is our commission then Lausanne is an event you cannot miss.
Carmen Fowler is president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and executive editor of its publications.