Fall 2011
andWilliam the practical Carey nature of missions By Sam Masters “The water of life is free, but building the pipeline is costly.” Many years ago a senior missionary said this to me. At first it struck me as odd, but I have come to agree. Missions is costly in many ways. It requires significant financial commitment, but more than that, it requires that people give their very lives. Sons and daughters must be relinquished to follow where the Lord would lead them. Parents must be left behind. As the years have gone by, it has become clear to me that the idea rings true in another way. The analogy of missions to building a pipeline gets at the practical side of the task. Plans must be drawn up. Tools must be gathered. And the work must be done energetically and persistently.
The Practical Side of Missions in Acts Missions requires sustained efforts of a practical nature. Take the book of Acts for example. It is, of course, the story of how Christ’s church spread by the power of the Spirit from Jerusalem to the ends of the known world. It contains a collection of apostolic messages that serve as models for our William Carey works with one of the Indian Christians converted See Carey, page 12 under his ministry. Inside: Creating problem Preaching on the other side of the Church planting report. PAGE 14 dependency in missions. PAGE 3 world. PAGE 4 ARBCA Update ARBCA Update Vol. 28, No. 4 n Fall 2011
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The Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America is Grace Baptist Church, Jackson, MS a nonprofit organization registered in the Commonwealth of Grace Baptist Church, Papillion, NE Grace Baptist Church, Taylors, SC Pennsylvania. The purpose of this association is to advance Grace Bible Church, Catawissa, PA Christ’s kingdom by providing a fellowship in which churches of Grace Community Church, Brunswick, ME common confession may find mutual encouragement, assis- Grace Covenant Baptist Church, New Waverly, TX tance, edification, and counsel, and may participate in coopera- Grace Covenant Church, Gilbert, AZ tive efforts such as home missions, foreign missions, ministerial Grace Covenant Church, Olmstead Township, OH Grace Fellowship Church, Bremen, IN training and publications — all of which are often beyond the Grace Fellowship Church, Dover, DE scope of one local church. Grace Reformed Baptist Church, East Haven, CT Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Elkader, IA Administrative Council Officers Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Merrick, NY Pastor Fred Pugh, Chairman Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Pine Bush, NY Pastor Jon Hueni, Secretary Pete Van Dorn, Treasurer Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Placerville, CA ARBCA Coordinator: Gordon Taylor Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Rockford, IL Heritage Baptist Church, Worcester, MA Member Churches Heritage Baptist Church, Owensboro, KY Berean Baptist Church, Austell, GA Heritage Baptist Church, Mansfield, TX Berean Reformed Baptist Church, Hickman, CA Heritage Baptist Church, Shreveport, LA Bible Baptist Church of Galway, NY Heritage Church, Fayetteville, GA Bible Fellowship Church of Greentown, PA Hope Assembly of Bible Christians, Mississauga, ON, Canada Centinela Baptist Church, Lawndale, CA Hope Reformed Baptist Church, Farmingville, NY Christ Reformation Church, Tillamook, OR Kemp Road Baptist Church, Dayton, OH Christ Reformed Baptist Church, Escondido, CA Miller Valley Baptist Church, Prescott, AZ Community Baptist Church, Fargo, N.D. Pioneer Valley Baptist Church, Chicopee, MA Cornerstone Church, Mesa, AZ Port Cities Reformed Baptist Church, Lewiston, ID Cornerstone Chapel, Bristol, TN Providence Reformed Baptist Church, University Place, WA Cornerstone Fellowship, Newburgh, IN Redeemer Baptist Church, Macon, GA Elm Street Baptist Church, Sweet Home, OR Redeeming Grace Baptist Church, Matthews, VA Emmanuel Baptist Church, Jesup, GA Reformed Baptist Church, Lafayette, NJ Ephesus Church, Rincon, GA Reformed Baptist Church of Kansas City, KS Free Grace Baptist Church, Bremerton, WA Reformed Baptist Church of Northern Colorado Faith Reformed Baptist Church, Media, PA Reformed Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, VA First Baptist Church, Clinton, LA Reibers Reformed Baptist Church, Shermansdale, PA First Church of Hixville, North Dartmouth, MA Santa Teresa Baptist Church, Santa Teresa, NM Free Baptist Church of Limerick, ME Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Concho, AZ Free Grace Baptist Church, Chilliwack, B.C., Canada Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Lenox, GA Free Grace Church, Lancaster, CA Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Ontario, CA Grace Baptist Church, Bartlesville, OK Sycamore Baptist Church, East Moline, IL Grace Baptist Church, Ben Wheeler, TX Trinity Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, LA Grace Baptist Church, Carlisle, PA Trinity Reformed Baptist Church, Jackson, GA Grace Baptist Church, Chambersburg, PA Trinity Reformed Baptist Church, La Mirada, CA Grace Baptist Church, Commerce, GA Trinity Reformed Baptist Church, Mercer Island, WA Grace Baptist Church, Hartsville, TN West Suffolk Baptist Church, Suffolk, VA ARBCA Update 3 Commentary: ‘Come over and fix your roof’
By Gordon A. Taylor A year ago in this column I gave extensive quotes from Roland Allen’s book, “Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours?” In that column I emphasized the need to expect that preaching the gospel will result in conversions and churches being built. But there is also another theme in Allen’s book that deserves special attention. Allen points out the danger of creating dependency. I have been reading through a book entitled “When Charity Destroys Dignity,” by Glenn Schwartz. There is one unforgettable story that vividly illustrates the danger of dependency. A team went from a church in North funding. It may, therefore, be difficult for and teach the people to give. It worked and America to build a building for a very the man paid with foreign money to receive in a short time this missionary had started poor congregation in Guyana. The team a hearing. 14 congregations without financial support bought all the supplies, did all the work Secondly, some local people may say, from the outside (Schwartz pp. 259-260). and provided a very fine building for the “I can’t be a missionary because I don’t get If dependency is to be avoided national church after three weeks of work. money from overseas.” Schwartz points there must be a basic conviction that Once the building was completed, they out that this is such a problem in India that the indigenous Christians are capable of presented the keys to the church leaders nonbelievers assume that if someone is a running their own church and programs. It and headed home. About two years went Christian, he is being paid from overseas. is this mindset that will help create a sense by and the church received a letter from this Thirdly, this takes the joy away from of ownership among the members of the indegenous church. the indigenous Christians of supporting and national church. This mindset will prevent It read, “The roof of your church sending out their own missionaries. outsiders beginning projects that cannot be building is leaking. Please come and fix it” But can they afford it? Yes, they can sustained by the local people. (Schwartz p. 239). Clearly, the indegenous if the national Christians are taught to tithe The local people must be given church did not take ownership of the and if they are given the freedom to make ownership from the very beginning. When building. their own decisions. that ownership is given new churches will Sometimes good intentions may cause For example, an African missionary be strong self-supporting, self-governing impediments to gospel outreach rather than was sent from his church in Nigeria to and self-propagating congregations be a help, as was intended. If it were only work in Tanzania. He was given an air making a significant impact for Christ in the matter of building buildings it would ticket and a small amount of money to get our world. be a small thing. But some missionary started. He was told that this was all the Gordon A. Taylor is coordinator for the methods create dependency and so hinder money the church had and he should expect Association of Reformed Baptist Churches gospel progress. no more. He would have to plant a church of America. One very attractive missionary method is to support “nationals” rather than sending a North American missionary. It sounds good because in some countries a “national” can be supported for as little as $50 a Future Updates to go paperless month. Many pastors and missionaries can Beginning with the Winter 2012 issue of the ARBCA Update, the newsletter will be supported and so the gospel will spread only be available in PDF format on our website (www.arbca.com). We are asking more widely and more quickly, will it not? member churches to either print the Update for distribution or forward the e-mail they But there are problems with this will receive, announcing that a new issue is available, to their membership list. Those method that affect the long-term growth who are not members of an ARBCA church are encouraged to send us your e-mail and stability of the indigenous church. address to request an e-mail notice from us with a direct link to our website whenever First, the person employed is often a new issue is available. Our e-mail address is: [email protected] seen as a “foreign agent” of those providing 4 ARBCA Update Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies Reformed Baptists on other side of world By Dr. James Renihan Here’s something interesting to do: Take a world globe and find Carlisle, Pa. (or at least eastern Pennsylvania) on it. Place your finger on Carlisle and slowly move it north (or up) to the top of the globe. Continue on carefully in a straight line over the North Pole, and proceed down the other side of the globe until you come to the Equator. Stop just before the Equator, and notice carefully where your finger is. If you have done this properly, it should be on Singapore. That’s the other side of the world from our ARBCA office. In August, I had the great privilege of being on the opposite side of the planet in order to visit Reformed Baptists in Singapore and Malaysia. It was a wonderfully encouraging time spent with many dear saints. The invitation came from Pastor Wei En Yi of Shalom Reformed Baptist Church in Singapore. I met Pastor Wei several years ago in the Philippines, and we quickly developed a friendship. He asked me to come and minister to his church, and then teach my course on our Confession of Faith during a week in Malaysia. Singapore is a city of 5 million people located on an island at the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula. It has been an independent republic for 46 years, and is a prosperous and beautiful city-state. Only 85 miles north of the Equator, the climate is tropical, and the city reflects the attractiveness of such a place. The streets are all lined with trees and delightful flowering plants. Since land is scarce, most of the island has been heavily developed,
See Singapore, page 5 Pastors Wei En Yi, left, and Chan Diing Yu at the seminar.
Reformed Baptist pastors in Malaysia gathered to hear Dr. Renihan, center, speak on Baptist Symbolics during a week-long seminar. ARBCA Update 5
Singapore From page 4 with high-rise business and housing buildings everywhere, but the beauty of the area has been carefully maintained. About 75 percent of the population is Chinese, with Malays and Indians making up significant minorities. There are four official languages, one of them being English, and so communication is very easy. Freedom of religion is granted to most faiths, so that Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and others all openly practice their beliefs. While I was in the country, the Muslims were observing Ramadan, and the Chinese Buddhists were celebrating the annual Hungry Ghost Festival. It was fascinating to witness how people participated in these events. Shalom Church, which is about 30 years old, is one of three Reformed Baptist Pastor Wei with his family. churches in Singapore, and has an attendance of 150-200 people. Malaysia to the city of Melaka, about three pray for the expansion of Christ’s kingdom. It was planted by David Yan, who is now hours from Singapore. This, too, is a very They understand well how to minister within pastor of Immanuel Church in Auckland, New pretty country. The modern highway (a toll their culture. They were exceedingly kind to Zealand (another Reformed Baptist Church road) passes through palm plantations, so that me in many ways. I developed a real respect where I have preached), and is presently the drive is scenic and green. and love for these servants of our Lord Jesus served by Pastor Wei En Yi and two elders. Malaysia is officially a Muslim land, Christ. Pastor Wei has been an elder in the church but we were welcome and quite comfortable. Though English is not quite so common for 18 years. As I understand it, Christians are free to in Malaysia, I was able to offer all of my They meet in a large facility on the third practice their faith so long as they don’t lectures without translation, and this allowed floor of an office building in the northeastern seek to convert Muslims. This, of course, us to cover more ground. Of course we could part of the island. They have several effective creates real difficulties. While we were at not complete an exposition of everything in outreach programs, including a literature our hotel, a local newspaper carried an article the Confession, but we were able to consider ministry, and have been active in planting about some Muslims who visited a Christian some of the most crucial parts. other churches in Singapore, including the church for humanitarian relief. Since they had I am very thankful to the Lord for Ebenezer Church on the west side of the apparently had some kind of conversation allowing me the privilege to get to know men island. about Christianity, the government mandated like these. At one point, we briefly reflected Since Pastor Wei is concerned about that these folks attend a debriefing class, I on how wonderful it is that the Gospel has inroads that some charismatics are making suppose to reinforce Islam in their minds! penetrated to us Gentiles. The promises the in his country, he asked me to present a brief About 20 men attended our lectures LORD makes to our Lord are bearing fruit, seminar on Chapter 1, “Of Holy Scripture,” throughout the week. We met in a hotel and we can all rejoice in what He has done in our Confession to his people. We did this conference room. In the lobby, there was a and is doing. Please pray for these men. on the first Saturday I was in the city, and the nice sign announcing the “Baptist Symbolic” Pray that the Lord will strengthen them meeting room was full of interested people. (sic) seminar going on upstairs. This brought and protect them and give them wise boldness I also had the privilege of preaching to the a smile to all of our faces. in spreading His word. And pray for the three church on two Lord’s Days and doing an I was very impressed by these men. Most churches in Singapore. Ask the Lord to give interview which was recorded and placed on were pastors of Reformed Baptist churches, them continuing unity and common desires to the Internet. often small and struggling works. Some others continue supporting the spread of the Gospel I rejoiced greatly to see the extensive were leading men from these congregations. in their part of the world. work the Lord has done and is doing in Shalom They have faithfully served Christ and his Every day, while we are asleep, the Church. It has played a very important role in people for many years, and the Lord has very sisters and brothers there are awake, serving the spread of the Gospel in Southeast Asia. evidently blessed them. They think carefully, the King. His dominion extends around the During the week, we drove north into seek the glory of God in their midst, and globe. 6 ARBCA Update RBMS missions around the world
I have recently checked into a new assignment at Camp Lejeune, N.C., as the chaplain to the Second Marine The Joyners Regiment.
The Library for Pastors is about to open The Lines again, this time under new management. The Grace and Love Christian Church
“How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge The Perrons in the shadow of Thy wings. They drink their
Warmest greetings from Quebec City and thank you for the privilege of sharing On Oct. 1 and 2, I visited our church it will also be published in English. some of the things that our Lord is doing in plant in Aylmer and preached on Sunday I also invite you to give thanks to God our midst! As usual, summertime was a little morning. I also had the opportunity to meet with us for our brother Marcel Longchamps, bit more quiet, though not uneventful. Pastor with some people who are considering who is now established in Rouyn-Noranda, Jacques Pelletier and I are still preaching in joining the project there. It was good to see helping Pastor Jean Lépine in the church. a Church close by, this is the Church whose André Pinard and his wife Carole, who are Thank you again for your prayers and pastor passed away a few months ago. I responsible for the little group that assembles support. We keep praying for ARBCA, a also had the privilege of filling the pulpit in their house. church family that is so dear to our heart. in our Church in Quebec City during pastor Beginning Oct. 3, I am back in the Pelletier’s vacation in August. pastoral ministry as I have accepted to be the Our association ministerial meetings interim pastor in a church in Quebec City keep being of a great blessing as we look at whose pastor died a few months ago. It is a the Word of God, share our different Church church that, though still a little charismatic, reports and pray for each other. Our July has started to walk in the Doctrines of Grace. Lines ministerial meeting was held in Quebec City We agreed on a six-month interim term, after From page 6 on July 16 and it was very well attended as which we will reconsider the situation. Please new people joined and showed interest in pray for me as I will minister to these people has created much instability, and the new what we are doing. who are mourning over their pastor’s death teachers hired to meet the emergencies are At the end of August, we had the joy and who are so much in need of direction. not Reformed in their doctrine. of having Dr. Mike McKelvey, who came I would like to close this short report We present this update for your faithful to teach us a 35- hour class on the Prophets. with a few more prayer requests: prayers. Bev and I are less and less involved This time, the course was given in our Pray for a lady who came to our church directly in the above-mentioned ministries. church in St-Jérôme and we really enjoyed through our radio ministry. First, she was We continue to help occasionally in one Dr. McKelvey’s teaching. We also greatly attending our Sunday worship, meeting very way or another. We still have the Friday appreciated the facilities of our St-Jérôme occasionally, but lately she has been there evening Bible study in our home. We have Church, which is very well equipped. This every Sunday. We believe that our God has also visited and preached in churches in allowed the whole course to be recorded done a real work in her heart. the cities of Sogamoso, Barranquilla, and audio/video with a surprising quality of We would appreciate your prayers as Neiva. We have planned a visit to the town sound and image. we are in touch with three or four men who of Curití to minister remembering especially On Sept. 24, I was invited to give two showed interest in coming and working with Reformation month, which should have sessions on the importance of Theology us. Two of them are from the States, one occurred by the time you read this. at Faculté de théologie evangélique de from Canada and another one from Europe. Some of you may be aware that the pastor Montréal. I had been invited by the student Please, pray with us that our Father’s will in San Gil, in the state of Santander, Roberto council on the occasion of their fall retreat. might be clear for them. Rodríguez, has again been hospitalized with I always appreciate spending some time in We ask your prayers as we are about to symptoms of Guillen-Barre Syndrome, a the academy as well as the contact with the publish Pascal Denault’s master’s dissertation condition from which he recovered almost students. in French and the possibilities are good that completely three years ago. 8 ARBCA Update RBMS missions around the world
The last months have been full of emotions for our family. We look forward to our son Etienne contacting us about two The Durands
Warm greetings from Argentina. I’m joyfully writing this little letter to tell you The Molinas that on Nov. 1 we began a radio program, Jorge and Bilma preaching the glorious gospel. The arrangement we made with the Monte de Luz Iglessia de la Gracia station owner is that the program will air Rio Carcarana 551 on Tuesdays and Fridays at 12:15 p.m. In Carlos Paz, Cordoba the first program I spoke about the Bible, but then in the following one I preached ARGENTINA 5152 from its contents. It was a beautiful experience! When I arrived at the station last Friday for the airing of the second (which gave us great joy!), but we had an Catholic lady. program, the station owner told me that even greater surprise when, as that second For that reason the station owner they had received several phone calls program ended, there was a direct call to inquiring about what we’d preached our phone number from a very interested See Molinas, page 11 ARBCA Update 9 RBMS missions around the world
Prayer has been a major theme for Covenant Baptist Church this fall. The Powells We rejoiced in Pastor Bob Selph and
In our last letter we mentioned some The Vaughns summer evangelism efforts that were upcoming. In July we held a two-day
For many years we at Grace Reformed Baptist suffered under the influence of the evil one regarding disunity, mistrust and even unkind remarks. We did ask the Oscar Bloise church community to pray with us for a
Vaughns interim pastor until he is found and settled in. Please pray for the church as we pray Molinas From page 10 and seek to evaluate this man’s aptness for From page 8 has started back to school, told his friends the pastorate here. Pray for him and his of his conversion and made it clear to them family as they reflect about the possibility decided to re-air the messages on Fridays over the last few weeks by his acts that he of leaving a ministry in the southwest and Mondays at 11 p.m. (translator’s note: will not participate with them in the sort of of France with its own needs to come to this is not an air-dead time in Argentina as behavior or conversations which he did in Grenoble. it might be here, but very much a “dinner/ the past. A last prayer request concerns the just after dinner hour”). Last week he told his mother that he next package of Reformed books which And, oh, another surprise: last night can’t wait to get to university next year is to be sent to 100 evangelical pastors in my former fellow-employees told me where there will be Christians to get to know France and Switzerland this month. We are that they were listening to the preaching! and have as friends. (He does not know of finalizing our decision about which books This gives me encouragement that God any Christian believers in his French high to send. is speaking to people as they hear these school.) Jonathan has a joy we have never At this point it looks like we will be messages. seen in him and a new relationship with us sending the French translations of Michael The messages I’ve preached are which we still have to pinch ourselves to Horton’s “Putting the Amazing Back into based on the writings of our beloved believe. He has also started the long, hard Grace” and a book on discovering God’s Juan Boonstra, following his style and road of Christian discipleship. will by either Sinclair Ferguson or Kevin thought. Recently we have had a man preach DeYoung. Even the opening of our program has at the church and meet with the pastoral We covet your prayers for the men the touch of his program—it begins like search committee with a view to a possible receiving these books and for all the pastors this: “This is the voice of the Light on a candidature for the position of pastor here. in French speaking Europe. News that we Hill Church of Grace…proclaiming the He is an experienced and well-appreciated hear makes us think that there is finally powerful message of the Word of God.” Welsh pastor who has been working as a the noticeable beginning of a return to the We are filled with joy, and we wanted missionary in France for six years and who truths of the Reformation among a small to share--with you and with all the pastored a church based on the Baptist but growing number of evangelical pastors brothers and sisters faithfully praying and Confession of 1689 in Wales. in France. supporting us--all that the Lord is doing He shares our conviction that a French May it be like that cloud the size of a with and for us here. To all of you, our pastor must be found for the church as soon man’s hand that soon became a torrent of loving greetings and immense gratitude. as possible and would be happy to be the rain. (1 Kings 18:44-45) God bless you! 12 ARBCA Update
Carey From page 1 own missionary preaching. We also get glimpses of the practical side of missions. Teams were formed. Routes by land and sea were chosen. Passages on ships were purchased. Communications networks were established. Epistles and offerings were transported between distant cities. What is more, we see the missionaries laying hold of the tools that were available in their cultural setting. They wrote on papyrus, spoke Koine Greek and composed epistles. They carried scrolls of the Hebrew Scriptures as they walked Roman roads en route to the next Jewish synagogue or Greek marketplace where they would preach the gospel. They also depended on the hospitality of brethren in every city. When Paul wrote that a pastor must be hospitable, it was about more than a desirable character trait. The spread of the gospel depended on the practical hospitality of the churches. In a sense, the history of early missions can be seen as the process of establishing a series of bases of operation. The gospel first spread from Jerusalem. Jerusalem was followed by Antioch. Antioch was joined by the churches of Macedonia and Greece. And in the Book of Romans we see Paul reaching out to the church at Rome in hopes of establishing a base further west to launch his efforts in Spain. In other words, logistics matter. They say an army marches on its stomach. Perhaps it is not unspiritual to say this is true of missions as well. If we are to obey the Great Commission, at some point theology must be transformed into concrete action.
William Carey’s Steam Engine William Carey, the Father of Modern Missions, understood the importance of the practical side of missions. His influential work, “An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens,” was an exploration of this idea. Carey built on the theology of Jonathan Edwards and Andrew Fuller. Fuller had taught that faith was a duty for the nonbeliever, and making a free offer of the gospel was the duty of the preacher. The title page from William Carey’s Bengali translation of the New Carey took the next step, arguing that to carry the gospel beyond Testament. the shores of England was a duty as well. The next question was, “How?” so intrigued by the new machine that he spent three days studying Carey answered, “When he had laid down his life, and taken its operation and in addition researched the history of its origins. it up again, he sent forth his disciples to preach the good tidings to Carey knew that it would be feasible to set up the steam engine every creature, and to endeavor by all possible means to bring over because of broader contacts that were the result of his scientific a lost world to God.” Carey asked a simple question: if tradesmen interests. He was acquainted with members of the Asiatick Society, can go to the ends of the earth on sailing ships in search of profit, a Calcutta organization similar to the Royal Society that promoted what is keeping the church from fulfilling the Great Commission? scientific knowledge in Asia. The founder of the society, William God had made certain tools available and they must be used. Jones, had been interested in the presence of coal in the area and One of my favorite facts about Carey is that he set up the first had taken steps to see that it was mined. steam engine ever seen in India. It was a 12-horsepower engine Carey was not interested in the steam engine as a novelty. ordered from Thwaites and Rockwell in Bolton, England. It caused It was the solution to a practical problem. The Baptist mission quite a stir. The locals gathered around the “machine of fire” and in India had become the world center for the translation of the declared that it “equaled the achievements of Vishwu-Kurmu, the architect of the gods.” Carey’s colleague Joshua Marshman was See Carey, page 13 ARBCA Update 13 Carey From page 12
Bible. Carey and his colleagues translated the Scriptures into many of the languages of India. Joshua Marshman even produced one of the first Chinese translations of the Bible. The missionaries also took upon themselves the printing of Bibles under the supervision of William Ward, a printer and former newspaper publisher. They imported a press and set up their own type foundry to produce typefaces for the many languages they worked with. The steam engine was brought to solve the problem of providing a reliable supply of paper. Paper imported from England was of good quality, but scarce and expensive. Some paper was produced in India but it was of very poor quality. It was sized with rice paste and so was eaten by bugs almost as soon as it came off the press. To solve the problem, the missionaries set up the entire industrial process required to The author, Sam Masters, right, with two of the elders at the Centro Crecer church in Cor- produce paper. They purchased land for the doba, Argentina. cultivation of trees to make pulp. They set can distract from the core endeavors of Developing a Theology up a paper mill powered like most things preaching the cross and planting churches. of Practical Missions in India - 40 men pushing a treadmill. The missionaries saw all of their activities, William Carey’s life work can be However, this came to an end when one including translation and education, as summed up as a positive answer to the of the workers was killed when he fell into auxiliary to the main task of preaching the question implied by the title of his famous the machinery. So, the steam engine was gospel of Christ. work: Are Christians obligated to use brought to India to power the paper mill. means for the conversion of the heathen? We could follow the chain of related You could also say his life was the working activities further and investigate the way out of his famous slogan, “Attempt great the missionaries financed printing projects things for God, Expect great things from through subscriptions, or examine the God.” Carey’s mind moved naturally from translation process that went far beyond theology to practice. His genius was to the stereotype of Carey working alone envision the practical steps required to make with a single Indian scholar. He actually the move from orthodoxy to orthopraxis. worked with many experts in Sanskrit and Andrew Fuller, the first secretary of other languages at Serampore and Fort the Particular Baptist Missionary Society William College, where he taught, and he and pastor of the church in Kettering, was supervised an editorial process that would the theologian of the modern missionary rival any major modern publisher. movement. Over the years he also John Clark Marshman, the son of thought deeply about the use of means. Joshua and Hannah Marshman, grew up at The development of his thinking can be the mission. He wrote that, “The erection traced in sermons he preached. In 1791, of this engine was in strict subordination before the birth of the mission society, he to the objects of the mission…” This delivered a message at a meeting of the statement could be extended to all of the Northamptonshire Association titled The related efforts. The actual objects of the Pernicious Influence of Delay in Religious mission are often overlooked in works Matters. He challenged his fellow pastors, on William Carey. His achievements in A church sign hangs on a building in down- other fields were so remarkable that they town Cordoba, Argentina. See Carey, page 14 14 ARBCA Update Church Planting: New work takes shape in desert
By Rob Cosby though our growth has been slow, we have next few months. My wife and I welcomed Thanks to all for your prayers and four families regularly coming to our Bible our second child, Cole, on Oct. 24. encouragement over the last few months. study and a few more families that are We would like to see the core group The Lord truly has been good to us as we unable to make the meeting, but that are grow even more between now and the first move towards the start of this work. showing interest in the church services. service on Jan. 8. Pray for strengthening Last year at this time I just finished We have been recently blessed of the core group as several families drafting a plan of action for planting a with a large gift of supplies. A bank in determine whether or not they want to church in Tucson, Ariz. At that time we Albuquerque, N.M. has donated 150 commit to this plant or stay in their present did not have any contacts in Tucson for a stackable chairs, a large portable stage, situations. core group, just a burden on my heart and speakers, amplifiers, and various office We also need to find a meeting place the hearts of the elders of Grace Covenant supplies, giving us the majority of the start for the services. We have been blessed with Church in Gilbert, Ariz. up supplies that are needed. a place to meet for the study at minimal Our desire was to see a Reformed I moved my family down to Tucson in cost, but need now to find a place that will Baptist Church planted in Tucson, a August and now we are eagerly anticipating be better for services. city with over a million people and the start of services in January and making Finally, please pray that God will little evangelical presence and even less the final preparations to that end. bless this work, and that we will be used to reformed presence. Now, a year later, We could use much prayer over the proclaim the gospel in this city.
Carey From page 13
“We pray for the conversion and salvation of the world, and yet neglect the ordinary means by which those ends have been used to be accomplished.” Twenty-three years later, in another message, Fuller was still working out his theology of means: “If it be the design of God to diffuse the knowledge of himself over the earth in these last days, it might be expected that suitable means and instruments would be employed to accomplish it.” He went on to use the example of Bezaleel and Aholiab, who were given wisdom to build the tabernacle. Then Fuller made application to his own times. Like Carey, Fuller saw “means” as encompassing more than technology. It included organizational structures as well. “It might be expected, supposing a great work designed to be accomplished, that societies would be formed, some to translate the sacred Scriptures into the languages of Manuel and Sirley have been sent by the Centro Crecer church to Escondido to study at the nations, some to give them circulation, Institute for Reformed Baptist Studies and Westminster Seminary California. some to scatter tracts which shall impress their leading principles, some to preach practical means was reinforced by a strong conviction, that God governs his world the gospel, and some to teach the rising doctrine of divine providence. In opposition providentially, led to the conclusion that generation to read and write.” to the deists of the period, they believed Carey’s and Fuller’s view of the use of that God was active in world history. This See Carey, page 15 ARBCA Update 15
A worship service at the Centro Crecer church, which has been a key player in the spread of Reformed truth in South America.
might have accomplished had he been able churches in the southern cone of South Carey to work with computers, Bible programs America. Any comparison of ourselves to From page 14 with tagged texts in Hebrew and Greek, the Carey and his coworkers would only reveal the grasping of available means was not Internet, on-line educational platforms, etc. our inadequacies, but we take comfort from just an option, but a responsibility. I am convinced he would have seen the the fact that Carey’s God is our God. William Carey did not hesitate to lay value of e-books for theological education. Carey never lost sight of his biblical hold of the technological, financial, and In Latin America, we are making priorities. He dedicated his life to the organizational tools that were available in efforts to follow in Carey’s footsteps. preaching of the gospel, the translation of his day. The results were the conversion Seminario William Carey was founded to the Scriptures into the Indian vernaculars, of thousands and the establishment of provide Latin Americans with a reformed the planting of churches, and the education many congregations across the Indian sub- theological education and to train them of national leaders. These priorities are as continent. Carey and his colleagues also for world mission by using the latest old as the New Testament church itself. had a lasting impact on Indian culture in e-technology. This year a Spanish But he audaciously grasped every new and their example encouraged the largest publishing endeavor named Poiema was tool available to carry them out. While missionary movement in the history of the begun under the leadership of David the world has changed in many ways since church. Adams to provide reformed literature the early days of the modern missionary A Continuing Challenge and theological textbooks in Spanish in movement, our responsibility is no different As the confessional and spiritual heirs traditional and electronic formats. Dr. than Carey’s. The water of life is still free. of William Carey, our challenge is similar. James Adams has been working tirelessly We must take it to drought-stricken parts of We have tools available that Carey could to pull together what has the potential to the world by the most effective means we not have dreamed of. I wonder what he become an association of Reformed Baptist can find. ARBCA P.O. Box 289 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE Carlisle, PA 17013 PAID RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED PERMIT NO. 188 Albany, OR
Powells family. In the Lord’s inscrutable providence me that his love for me was bigger than Val miscarried her seventh pregnancy. It Betelgeuse! On the other hand, Val had her From page 9 reminded us again of the preciousness of life own teachable moment when she tried to do and we are thankful for the children that God counting exercises with raisins. She learned to exercise church discipline for the first has already given us. We know that God is that raisins were better utilized in teaching time in many years on one of our younger faithful and that by sending His own Son subtraction than addition, especially with members. to die, God incarnate has entered into our Abigail. She admitted that she had lived a suffering to be the Sympathetic High Priest. Finally, my father and fellow elder had double life of sin over the past three years. Knowing this brings comfort but there is still another surgery on his arm as a result of the Tragically, she clearly and openly rejected a sense of loss for this precious life. serious car accident he was in earlier in the the Gospel of Jesus Christ and pursued the At the same time, we press on with our year. While it has brought him some relief, world. three gifts from God. After careful thought, it is expected that another surgery will be After patient pursuit of her over planning and prayer, my wife Valerie began necessary in the New Year. the past year, the elders reached a clear homeschooling our two eldest children, As our only deacon resigned over conclusion and brought the matter to the Hannah (grade one) and Noah (kindergarten) the summer related to health and other church who after prayer and consideration in September. So far it has gone very well challenges, I am currently functioning in voted unanimously to remove her from the and there has been learning on both sides of multiple capacities. Please pray that the membership. Please pray that God would the table. Lord would provide men who have the bring the prodigal to her Father in heaven. The children have already learned a qualifications for work as office bearers in Please also pray for our family. We lot about different things. Recently, it was our church. There is much work to be done have also experienced loss this fall as a the solar system – the other day Noah told and much rejoicing in the Lord to be had!
Covenant Baptist Church’s first service in its new facility.