CELEBRTING & CONTINUING ARP MISSIONS


By Elly Keuthan, World Witness Board Member


The June 10-11 ARP Synod provided opportunity to celebrate 150 years since sending our first foreign missionary, Mary


Galloway Giffin, to Egypt in 1875. Through video and oral presentations by WW missionaries, staff, and ARP delegates, attendees considered both the history and future of God’s work through ARP missions. The time was woven through with prayer, singing, and testimony of God’s work. Consistent with the posture of worship, three qualities stood out. These missions works have been, and, Lord willing, will continue to be humble, bold, and connected to the church.


Bill McKay, elder in the new Canadian ARP Synod, presented a memorandum of understanding which enables the American and Canadian ARP churches to share ministry and funding for missions. He also led us to acknowledge with appreciation all current and past ARP missionaries attending this meeting.


Rev. Dr. Heiko Burklin, WW Mission Developer, introduced a new internship program in which young adults, 21 years and older, will work with current missionaries for training and experience. These internships will take place in the Bridge Europe field with the hope of expanding to the Middle East/-or North Africa region in the future.


Rev. Lee Shelnutt, SEED Ministry Team Leader, rejoiced with the delegates concerning what God has done through the training of hundreds of current and future pastors in Pakistan and Africa. He and Rev. Sam Cotten led us to consider the call to pursue another important door being opened before the ARP—sending a new team of ARP missionaries to plant Rwandan churches and help form a Rwandan presbytery, partnering with and guided by qualified nationals.


As Executive Director of WW, Rev. Alex Pettett asked us to consider the banner we bear as we go into the nations – the banner of Jesus Christ. Unlike earthly armies, “this banner advances in humility, because it advances, not by our blood on the battlefield but by Christ’s blood on the cross. This banner also advances in boldness,


because the outcome of the battle is not unsure, but it is already won. … In Ephesians 3:10, God declared that ‘through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places.’ The church is the megaphone of His victory and the resonance of His glory…. Humility, boldness, and connectedness are our posture of faithfulness.” Rev. Pettett stated that the watchword of our denomination’s founding was and continues to be, “The free offer of the Gospel and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” Synod attendees proclaimed these words together, and Rev. Matt Kuiken concluded with a time of small and large- group prayer for the future of ARP missions.


Attendees were reminded that, “throughout our history, God has led us through seasons of change and growth, while always remaining faithful to His promise that the Gospel would reach all nations through the church.”


What now? Those who attended the celebration and those who read this article are encouraged to pray:


• For the Holy Spirit to lead at least two new full-time missionaries for church planting in Rwanda.


• For the sustaining and emboldening presence of the Holy Spirit to those missionaries on the field.


• For faithful and fruitful internships through Bridge Europe and other fields, helping form future


generations of missionaries.


Also, please pray the Lord of the harvest would guide you in humble, bold, and connected service in His Kingdom.Will you encourage a missionary? Support missions financially? Take a short-term trip? Have a conversation with someone about what God is doing across the world? Or will you go into another nation proclaiming, “The free offer of the Gospel and the Lordship of Jesus Christ”?


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