Our mission: To inform, An international inspire and unite newspaper Vol. 71, No. 6 | June 2014 for Churches of Christ 50 years of Northern exposure ALASKA LECTURESHIP celebrates a half-century of promoting unity among Churches of Christ. BY BOBBY ROSS JR. | THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE WASILLA, Alaska CBS BROADCASTING his state known for its natural beauty, Jet and Cord McCoy, members of the Fittstown midnight sun and independent spirit Church of Christ in Oklahoma, have competed in boasts an estimated 3 million lakes, three seasons of “The Amazing Race” on CBS. 100,000 black bears and, oh, about T2,500 adherents of Churches of Christ. Here in “The Last Frontier,” hundreds of miles and — in some cases — rugged Racing with terrain accessible only by boat or plane separate many of Alaska’s 28 congregations. Yet Christians in this vast land one-fifth amazing faith the total geographic size of the Lower 48 states maintain close ties. CORD AND JET McCOY strive to let Christ’s For 50 years, the light shine on hectic reality game show. Alaska Statewide Lectureship has BY ERIK TRYGGESTAD | THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE played a major role in helping OKLAHOMA CITY — “Oh my gravy!” unite the faithful Don’t bother asking Jet McCoy where the — along with the phrase comes from. He doesn’t know. Midnight Sun “I didn’t even know I said it until I watched Bible Camp, the the show,” says McCoy, on a break between annual Alaska worship services at the Memorial Road Youth Forum and Church of Christ. He and his younger frequent hunting brother, Cord, are speaking about faith and and fishing excur- fame after competing in three seasons of sions involving “The Amazing Race.” members all over “The first leg of the race ... I might have Daniel Morphew, left, shakes the state. said it 12 times,” he recalls, “but they aired it hands with D’Angelo Cloud “The joke is, 12 times. My sister-in-law was actually selling at the Alaska Statewide when you leave ‘Oh my gravy’ T-shirts after the first race. At Lectureship in Wasilla. your back yard in least somebody made a little money off of it.” Alaska, you enter Money — $1 million, to be exact — is the the food chain,” said Robert Kuenning, prize of the CBS hit show, which challenges minister and elder of the Valley Church of pairs of contestants to race around the globe. Christ in Wasilla, about 45 minutes north of Along the way, they must perform tasks Anchorage. from rappelling down a waterfall in Malaysia to “Life and death become a little more battling a gladiator in Rome, all with the goal of obvious up where you can die from expo- reaching the finish line first. The pace is light- sure and die from bear attacks pretty PHOTOS BY BOBBY ROSS JR. ning quick. The competition is fierce. quickly,” added Kuenning, whose growing A motorist pumps gas in a commercial area of Palmer, Alaska, east of Wasilla in But the McCoy brothers see an eternal See ALASKA, Page 14 the Mat-Su Valley. The Valley Church of Christ organized the 2014 lectureship. See McCOYS, Page 13 2 THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE JUNE 2014 WE WANT EVERYONE TO GET IT — THE BIBLE. Delivered by the truckload, package or by hand. Free to all. To men, women and children throughout Eastern Europe. In more than 20 languages to nations of the former Communist Bloc. Sharing God’s Word, educating and inspiring people everywhere. Eastern European Mission, a veteran in the field since 1961. EEEASTERN EUROPEANM MISSION THE BIBLE. WE WANT EVERYONE TO GET IT. facebook.com/EasternEuropeanMission twitter.com/@EveryoneGetsIt 1-800-486-1818 www.eem.org JUNE 2014 THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE 3 In Africa, an Church members expensive soul in Ukraine, Russia gets new life are ‘united in God’ SANGUERA, Togo his man’s soul is BY JEFF ABRAMS | FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE expensive.” ‘T It’s an offhand KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Tanks have roamed remark, uttered by a the streets of this city in recent weeks. preacher named Doh Satiffait Rumors of government buildings seized and (which sounds like “Satisfy” police chiefs taken hostage by pro-Russian to us English-speakers). demonstrators flash across the Internet. He says it Though the Donbas region of eastern Inside Story without a Ukraine is a focal point of conflict between hint of scorn the two former Soviet nations, more than or malice, 200 Christians — from Ukraine and Russia and I start — gathered here for a to wonder if “Celebration of Unity.” I’ve made a “This subject is of great mistake. importance for us and our I try to be country — at this moment PHOTOS BY MARK YEAKLEY sensitive to Deborah Allen, center, and a couple of friends share a laugh at Women Walking with God. when our country is on the the ways of edge of division,” said Katya Erik Tryggestad my African Gladkih, a church mem- brethren, but ber from Kostiantynivka, giving a guy a ride into town Ukraine. “If God’s people Gladkih — to be baptized — can’t be Making joyful noises don’t understand and value a cultural faux pas. Can it? the unity in Christ, then it’s It’s our last day in Togo, just a mass of people who a tiny, sliver of a country in WOMEN WALKING WITH GOD draws sell-out crowd of almost 1,200 belong to a community cen- West Africa that you have to ter, but not the church.” squint to find on a map. WICHITA, Kansas Participants represented There’ no oil here, no hristians — unlike 100-calorie packs 16 Churches of Christ — in brutal conflict, nothing that of Oreos — must be authentic. the Donbas region and would attract the attention That was Lisa Smartt’s message cities including Odessa Sherbakov of the world’s media. But an to nearly 1,200 women at the eighth in far southern Ukraine, Eglise du Christ (Church of annual Women Walking with God Chernivtsi in western Christ) in this former French Cconference. The author and humorist, who Ukraine and Russia. colony just appointed elders struggles with her weight, expressed her “The most important — one of the first congrega- genuine disappointment in the diet-friendly thing (was) to see all the tions to do so in French- snack bags, which don’t contain actual Oreo Christians united in God,” speaking Africa. cookies but tiny, black, hexagonal crackers said Genadiy Sherbakov, a The Wilshire Church of with little taste, she said. church elder in Syktyvkar, Christ in Oklahoma City Hosted by the Northside Church of Russia. Followers of Christ asked me to attend the instal- Christ in Wichita, organizers had to move Rachel Riley speaks at Women Walking with God. in both nations, he said, Petrussenko lation ceremony. And I never this year’s venue from the church building should adhere to the apostle say no to Africa. to a community center to accommodate She warned against using personal Paul’s plea in Philippians 2:2, that believers Just like most of my visits demand. The 300 additional seats sold out experiences to interpret Scripture. Instead, be “one in spirit and of one mind.” to this continent, I’ve spent a within hours of their online posting. followers of Christ should use Scripture to The Christians encouraged each other to lot of time in cars, bouncing “Joyful on the Journey” was the theme, interpret their experiences. remain strong, despite the current tension along dusty backroads. taken from Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, Other speakers included Lisa Robertson, and uncertainty about the future. With Togolese preachers patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” wife of “Duck Dynasty’s” Alan Robertson, Valentina Petrussenko, a church mem- as our guides, we’ve visited Beth Robinson, assistant provost for Rachel Riley of Abilene Christian ber in Kramatorsk, said that seeing so churches, schools and a Lubbock Christian University in Texas, University in Texas and Brianne Banning, many believers — from across Ukraine community garden — works talked about her experiences working mother of a cancer survivor and author of and Russia — “helps us to understand how supported by the African with foster children and told participants “The Beautiful Bald Princess.” mighty we can be in Christ.” Mission Fund, overseen by that their circumstances shouldn’t dictate See EXPENSIVE, Page 4 whether or not they feel joyful. WEBSITE: womenwalkingwithgod.org RELATED EDITORIAL, Page 26 4 THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE INSIDE STORY JUNE 2014 EXPENSIVE: Togo trip shows the value of a soul FROM PAGE 3 Bible says. Gidigidi and others study the Wilshire church. with them, and several have asked to Wendell and Rochelle Wardell are with be baptized. Less than two years since me. Members of the Cooksville Church the Sanguera church was planted, its of Christ in Illinois, they’re longtime members are planting another church. supporters of the work in Togo. We Six or seven people are waiting for us didn’t know each other when we arrived. under the thatched roof. I notice a man, Now, after a week in Togo, we’re family. sitting in back, staring intently forward. Tonight, close to midnight, we’ll board a He’s holding one of those free, Gideon plane for Europe before parting ways. Bibles, his finger stuck between the This morning, our first stop is pages to mark his place. After we pray, Sanguera, where members of a Church he pulls one of the preachers aside. of Christ from another town, Tokoin, Esperance Mensah, minister for the have planted a new congregation. After Nukafu Church of Christ, listens in and that, we’ll head back into the capital, tells us, “OK, this one says he’s ready As we celebrate the 10th year of the Master of Ministry program, Lome, to meet with a host of preachers at to be baptized.” The preachers start the Nukafu Church of Christ talking about the nearest we are proud to announce the latest course to be added to our (the one that installed elders).