Today we have organized the very first Pastors Meeting with the local pastors of Malawi. As you probably very well know, we have Annual Pastors Conferences with Pastor Keith from FBC Georgia but we decided it would be beneficial for the ministry if we could also meet on a monthly basis, discussing issues and seeing where we can help each other. I believe this is a very good way for us to know these pastors on a deeper level, so that we can be so much more efficient when we organize the Pastors Conferences.
Malawi is an isolated country from many points of view, and access to information is somehow still restricted, at least indirectly. These pastors don't have and can't buy books, commentaries or studies in their language, Chichewa. Even if those were available, they would be inaccessible for financial reasons. Thus, subjects like baptism, Lord's Supper, salvation or church finances are still very little known but the good news is that people here are thirsty for understanding and they want to learn.
Before I continue telling you about today, let me just share with you what goes through my mind now. When Jesus left us the Great Commandment, He left it to all of us. He told us to GO, PREACH, BAPTIZE and TEACH. All these actions go hand in hand and a ministry, may that be a church or a mission field, cannot be complete if one is missing. In Matthew 28, Jesus clarifies this when He said: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
How can we teach them, unless we spent time and resources with them. We need an opened Bible, we need a willingness to learn and to be taught, we need to analyze, study, pray and ask for wisdom from above. Jesus promised that "I will be with you always, to the end of the age." We are not alone, in this, and we don't do this on our own, but based on His authority, for He said "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Back to our story now, our subject for today was the baptism. We spent more than 3 hours talking about this important topic that was so unclear to many of them. Questions like "How do we baptize?", "What's the meaning of baptism?", "Who can be baptized?", "What is the appropriate age?", "What are the effects of baptism?", "Is baptism really necessary? and so many others, were all answered today. We also talked about infant baptism, sprinkling and pouring methods, Roman Catholic view and so many more.
After the Bible study, we had lunch and then we spent a little more time talking about different issues these pastors face every day.
Towards the end of our time together, pastor Keith joined us and encouraged us all from the Word of God, as found in Mark 4:35-41. This is where the magic of technology blesses our ministry; praise the Lord for things like computers, internet and FaceTime.
Before they left back to their homes and people, the pastors asked me to prepare my next bible study, the topic being the Lord's Supper.
Pray for meetings like this one. The teachings and the help we provide to these pastors have a huge impact on hundreds or maybe even thousands of other people. Pray for wisdom, pray for understanding and pray for a blessed time together.
Pray for us!
Pray for Malawi!Labels: baptism, Bible study, churches, Hope for the Future, ministry, missions, Pastors Conference, Pastors Meeting
