fbpx
News Articles

FROM THE STATES: Ga., Okla., Mich. evangelism/missions news; GA women engage human trafficking victims


Today’s From the States features items from:
The Christian Index (Georgia)
The Baptist Messenger (Oklahoma)
Baptist Beacon (Michigan)

Engage Weekend puts focus
on human trafficking
By Joe Westbury

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. (The Christian Index) — Late one November night two vans full of Baptist women are driving along dimly lit stretches of highways in search of ministry opportunities. But this night those opportunities are unlike any ever experienced by the women.

They are looking for children and women entangled in the web of human trafficking and who might just be looking for a way out. As the van slows in an area known for prostitution, some of the women slip out carrying red roses.

A rose, a prayer, a listening ear

When the opportunity presents itself the volunteers introduce themselves, give the woman they meet a rose, offer a listening ear, pray, and when possible offer the Out of Darkness rescue hotline number.

When the night is over the two teams — part of Georgia Baptist WMU and Women’s Enrichment Ministry’s first Engage Weekend — have learned ministry skills to take back to their own communities. And, their eyes have been opened to the world of human trafficking among children as well as teen and adult women that is most likely occurring even in their small towns.

On this night they visited areas in Macon and Warner Robins where prostitution is common. The lasting impression is that human trafficking is not limited to large cities but exists in smaller towns where they and their churches serve.

Georgia WMU/WEM partnered with Out Of Darkness-Middle Georgia for Engage Weekend, introducing young women to the problem of human trafficking and how they can be involved in their own communities. The weekend also focused on educating the participants about the work of WMU & WEM and how they can be involved in their home churches.

WMU also partnered with Collegiate Ministries of the GBC, with up to a third of the 58 women enrolled through BCM groups.

“On this weekend we wanted to educate the women about human exploitation and challenge them to ways God can use them in their own communities,” said GBC state missionary Beverly Skinner. “We believe this is a wonderful way to build visibility among Georgia Baptist churches for similar outreach ministries.”

Event reaching those ages 18-35

Skinner, who serves as young women’s consultant with Georgia WMU/WEM, said the Engage Weekend was the first such event to cater to women ages 18 to 35. The event could be the pilot project for related weekends of different themes.

Samatha Gentry, a member of CrossPointe Church in Valdosta who is active in Valdosta State University’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry, saw the weekend as “a unique mission opportunity that doesn’t always arise among college students. I’ve learned so much about human trafficking and our roll as believers to reach out in the name of Christ.”

Kayla Millikan, a member of Salem Baptist Church in McDonough, said she wanted to attend the special weekend “to see lives restored” and to play a role in the spiritual healing of any women they encountered.

Unique missions opportunity

While it was important for the women to experience a unique missions opportunity, the idea of taking the concept back to their congregations was an added benefit.

Fran Boynton, spouse of Pastor Brad Boynton of Pineora Baptist Church near Savannah, saw the value of the two-prong approach. She and Catherine Bingham minister as leaders in their church’s WMU group.

“We wanted to learn more about Engage since it’s a new concept. We’ve been involved in feeding the homeless in our community but have not been involved in anything this varied. Catherine and I are getting some good ideas that we can use back home.”

Cynthia Smith, a member of GA WMU’s Executive Committee, said the event was designed to expand the options beyond what many experience in their WMU groups.

“Many times women in this 18-35 age group do not receive this kind of experience which connects them directly with needs in the community. This generation is very involved in social issues like human trafficking and they are learning that they don’t have to go very far from home to be involved.

“We want to use Engage to give young women and their leaders an idea of what they can do back home,” said the member of Roddy Baptist Church in Cochran. Smith is also a member of the Middle Georgia Chapter of Out of Darkness, which provided the instruction and Princess Night experience.

Becky Peeples agreed with Smith’s comments.

“It’s not fair for children to have their lives snatched away from them and to be forced into human trafficking. We knew this was going on but had no idea how massive the problem is. If you don’t know, you can’t do anything about it.”
–30–
This article appeared in The Christian Index (christianindex.org), newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention. Joe Westbury is managing editor of The Christian Index.
**********
From simple start, Vietnamese
church ‘vibrant’ after 20 years
By Chris Doyle

OKLAHOMA CITY (The Baptist Messenger) — In 1994, a group of eight Vietnamese people, led by David and Judy Vu, approached Anthony Jordan, then pastor of Northwest Baptist in Oklahoma City, about Jordan’s church providing leadership support and a place to worship. Now the executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO), Jordan recalls that time they met with him.

“When this group came to see me, they said to me, ‘We are going to fast and pray until God gives you an answer.’ I looked at these sweet Vietnamese people and noticed they looked quite thin and decided we need to respond quickly,” said Jordan, laughing as he recalled the meeting.

Twenty years later, Vietnamese Baptist in Oklahoma City is led by Pastor An Nguyen and draws an average of 160 people each Sunday for worship. Nguyen has been with the church for more than 19 years and has a special story about how he came to serve in Oklahoma City.

When the new church called him to serve as pastor in 1995, he was serving at a church in Portland, Ore., leading a strong Vietnamese youth fellowship. He told them he would pray, but he admits he was reluctant initially in praying about moving to Oklahoma.

Through a series of events, the church remained on Nguyen’s mind, and even his wife would have recurring thoughts about the church in Oklahoma City. What strongly convinced them to move to Oklahoma City was the bombing of the Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.

“I turned on the TV and saw the whole story in front of my eyes,” said Nguyen, recalling his first learning of the tragic event. “In my heart, I have a strong calling that God needs me there. I called my wife at work. She softened her heart and said to me ‘I think God needs us there.'”

The church has been successful in reaching out to the Vietnamese community and encouraging members to be involved in serving. The church has strong Sunday School small groups and also has regular outreach connections with Vietnamese college students who are enrolled in area colleges. Nguyen shared how thankful the church is for the support they received from Oklahoma City, Northwest and the BGCO.

“It’s one of the healthiest local churches that I have seen,” Jordan said. “They have vibrant worship and a trained laity that does the work of ministry. I couldn’t be more proud of this church. They are an evangelistic, mission-minded, healthy New Testament church.”

Nguyen shared how the church annually, for the last seven years, sends members overseas to various parts of Asia, including Malaysia and Vietnam, to do evangelistic projects. One time they experienced 370 people accept Christ in one service event.

“Pastor An is an Eph. 4:11-12 pastor,” said Jordan. “If a church planter would follow his model, they will have a strong, healthy church.”
–30–
This article appeared in The Baptist Messenger (baptistmessenger.com), newsjournal of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Chris Doyle is associate editor of The Baptist Messenger.
**********
Mich. YEC sees 46
students accept Christ
By Jonathan Guenther

FLUSHING, Mich. (Baptist Beacon) — At the 2014 Youth Evangelism Conference, the words “Do Something” took on new meaning for the 275 students in attendance.

The conference, held November 21-22 at Westside Church in Flushing, sought to show students how God “doing something” in their lives would encourage them to do the same for others.

“I speak all over the country, but there’s such a hunger for the Gospel here,” said Wade Morris, the YEC speaker.

Morris noted that students spoke with him after he shared with them, thanking him for sharing truth and letting him know they were saved, something he hadn’t experienced elsewhere.

On the first day of the conference, students were challenged to let God do something in them. As they were challenged to submit to Christ, 46 professed their faith for the first time. An adult chaperone also accepted Christ.

The Matt Wagner Band also provided worship for the event. Wagner leads worship at conference organizer Ed Emmerling’s church.

“As an adult, it is unbelievably powerful to hear our young people singing,” Emmerling said. “[Hearing them sing] ‘I believe in the name of Jesus’ together truly blew me away. That is powerful to me. It is my dream that this generation rises up in our nation and says, ‘We believe.'”

The words of Hillsong’s “This I Believe” became more than a song for the students. The second day of the conference gave students a glimpse at life outside the spotlight and a chance to put these beliefs into action.

Students went to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan for a service project. Instead of serving people directly, however, students did prep work for the Food Bank and did not have direct contact with those who would benefit from it.

“Serving in God’s Kingdom is not always on the front lines touching people,” said Emmerling. “Sometimes it’s preparing for it behind the scenes.”

Emmerling noted that service projects often provide an “ooey-gooey feeling” that comes from seeing the direct impact of their work. Instead, students were challenged that their work honored God even when they didn’t see it.

Students also experienced a time of fun and fellowship at the conference. Following Friday night’s worship sessions, the group traveled to the Genysis Athletic Club in Grand Blanc, where they played tennis, racquetball, basketball, track and pool, as well as other activities.
–30–
This article appeared in the Baptist Beacon, newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan (bscm.org). Jonathan Guenther managing editor of the Baptist Beacon.
**********
EDITOR’S NOTE: From the States, published each Tuesday by Baptist Press, relays news and feature stories from state Baptist papers and other publications on initiatives by Baptist churches, associations and state conventions in evangelism, church planting and Great Commission outreach, including partnership missions. Reports about churches, associations and state conventions responding to the International Mission Board’s call to embrace the world’s 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups also are included in From the States, along with reports about church, associational and state convention initiatives in conjunction with the North American Mission Board’s call to Southern Baptist churches to broaden their efforts in starting new churches and satellite campuses. The items appear in Baptist Press as originally published.

    About the Author

  • Staff