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Immanuel Baptist "On the Journey" Articles |
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On the Journey- February 2, 2005-
Jamie Broome
A Passion for Missions
Dr. Walter
Shurden, my mentor, wrote a little book about Baptists back in 1972
entitled, Not a Silent People: Controversies that Shaped Southern
Baptists. This little volume was one of my textbooks in my first
class devoted to the history of Baptists—The History of the Southern
Baptist Convention. I devoured that little book in one afternoon. The
first chapter hooked with the title, “Here Come the Battling Baptists.”
This small volume convinced me that Baptists were a passionate people
when it came to defending their beliefs. It also introduced me to the
quarrelsome nature of my Baptist family.
The title of
the second chapter stunned me—The “What About the Heathen?” Controversy
or Baptists Argue About Missions. I was from South Carolina. In my
formative years of church involvement, I believed a commitment to
missions flowed through the veins of every Baptist. Thoroughly immersed
in the importance and significance of missions, I read with great
disgust the fight among Baptists over the fulfillment of the command of
the Great Commission to go into all the world.
As a child,
Dr. Lea J. White shaped my passion for missions. She was a pediatrician
in Gaffney, South Carolina. She decorated her office with artifacts from
Africa. When you entered here waiting room, elephants with long white
tusks greeted you. Strange masks hung on the wall. In the corner, there
was a box filled by young patients with pre-packaged foods that Dr.
White sent to missionaries in Africa. Periodically Dr. White closed her
practice and spent months in Africa caring for the little children of
that large continent. It was the influence of Dr. White that tempted me
to dream in 1968 that my personal call to ministry involved becoming a
medical missionary.
The
anti-missions controversy shook our Baptist family at the turn of the 19th
century. Yet, by 1814, the first organization to advance missions among
Baptist in America was formed through the able leadership of Luther
Rice—The Triennial Convention. For more than 160 years, missions,
foreign and domestic, were the glue that held Baptists together,
particularly the Southern Baptist variety of Baptists. Since its
earliest days, Immanuel Baptist Church has existed as a Baptist
congregation committed to missions in our neighborhood, city, state,
nation, and world.
During the
month of February, missions will be our focus at Immanuel. We will have
two guest speakers. On Sunday, 6 February 2005, Lynn Bergfalk will be
with us. Lynn is the founder and director of City Gate. For several
years, mission teams from Immanuel have worked the children of the
Johenning Center in Washington, D.C., which is one of the ministries of
City Gate. Lynn will share his dreams for this ministry in the heart of
our nation’s capital. Paul Montacute will be with us on Sunday, 27
February 2005. Paul will represent the Baptist World Alliance. He is the
director of Baptist World Aid. Paul has been on the front line in the
responses to the devastation caused by the tsunami in Asia. The Baptist
World Alliance provides an avenue for our congregation to participate in
the mission work of Baptists around the world. You will have an
opportunity to share lunch with these gentlemen during their visits.
There will
be many opportunities to learn more about the mission endeavors of
Immanuel through this month. Members of Immanuel will be sharing with
you their experiences of being on mission. They will encourage you to
consider prayerfully becoming a member of one of our mission teams in
2005. Our youth will challenge us to respond to world hunger through
their 30 Hour Famine. You will read of opportunities to experience
missions hands-on through the mission meal and other projects.
Throughout
the history of Immanuel, missions have been central to our life. From
establishing mission churches in our city to sustaining the life of a
congregation in Russia, we have given generously of our resources and
ourselves to be God’s witnesses in our world. John Claypool once
described our work with God as a dance. God invites us to participate
with him in what he is doing in the world—this is the dance. Yet, God
needs human partners to accomplish his work—here our response to God’s
invitation to dance is critical. As the church called Immanuel, let’s
find our joy in dancing with God through our world as a people on
mission.
jamie
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Website last updated: Wednesday, February 2, 2005 Website Related Questions/Comments: Chris Cash-ccash@vci.net |
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Immanuel Baptist Church - 3465 Buckner Lane - Paducah, KY, 42001 - 270.443.5306 - www.immanuel-paducah.org |