I would like to respond to an article in the June 11 issue of The Baptist Courier. In this article, Jerry Rankin talks about the shortfall of $30 million for the Lottie Moon Christmas offerings.
In the last part of his writing, Rankin says, “It breaks my heart that God-called people want to go – and millions need to hear the gospel message from them – yet we don’t have the funds to send them.”
God called my wife and me to Romania in 2000. When God called us, we dropped everything and went.
There was not a question of how we would be financially supported; that was, and still is, God’s problem. Now almost 10 years later, it still is not our problem.
God has given us support over the years – yes, through his people – but there has never been a question about our financial support. We have been, and still are, helped by people and churches; we have been able to share the gospel over those years in various countries.
Our God-given ministry, Building Hope Together ministries – which is also a “faith ministry” – is able to do this with the support we receive of around $20,000 a year.
Through the International Mission Board, many missionaries have been able to do their work in various countries. I don’t want to diminish the work those missionaries and the International Mission Board have done and what is accomplished. But I believe that the local churches, in general, fail to do what they are called to do: send out their own missionaries. And as we talk about God-called – if a person is “called,” he or she does not have to wait for what the International Mission Board or others might do. Are not all Christians called to share the gospel?
It is my belief that if God calls us to do something – either to go into the world, something Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew 28:19-20, or to be a pastor – no matter what God calls us to do, it is not a matter of money, but a matter of obedience and faith!
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