By Kerry Bender
VP of International Missions
A few months back, I had the chance to go to Brazil to teach a course at the seminary with which we partner; I also went to the Chain of Love international board meetings. Chain of Love is an orphan ministry that was begun by NAB missionaries but has been handed over entirely to Brazilian nationals. I have the privilege of sitting on this board because of my position at the NAB and our long-standing relationship with Chain of Love.
I first visited Chain of Love nearly twenty years ago on a short-term mission trip with Faith Baptist Church, the church I was pastoring in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The ministry of Chain of Love has changed over the years. It is still structured with parents living in homes with six to ten orphans, along with the biological children of the host parents. But the stories of the orphans that come today are even more tragic than they were when the ministry started over twenty years ago. In addition to the stories of neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, the children today are coming with a variety of more severe learning and social disabilities. In many instances, it is the state that places the children at Chain of Love because the civil authorities recognize the love and care provided in the name of Jesus.
In 258 AD, Valerian, the emperor of Rome, carried out a brutal persecution of the Church. He demanded that Lawrence, the archdeacon of Rome, round up all the treasures of the Church and hand it over to Valerian. Lawrence quickly sold any of the items of the church and gave all the wealth away to the widows, the lame, and the poor. . . .
If you would like to support the ministry of Chain of Love, please click one of the links below or reach out to Kerry L. Bender.
Give to Chain of Love – Canada
As Bob Krahn finishes out his role as the regional minister for the British Columbia Baptist Association at the end of this month, the search has begun for the next regional minister. This is a full-time position, working with the 28 churches in British Columbia. If you are interested, or you know someone who might be, click on the link below to find the job post and how to apply.
The next round of Blue Ocean doesn’t kick off until October, but it’s still not too early to think about taking part.
Blue Ocean helps NAB leaders engage in what it means to join God on mission, to be formed into the character of Christ, and to learn to share the whole Gospel. The cohort meets three times a year in different cities and is a basic introduction to our missional/formational movement.
- Module 1 – Vancouver, British Columbia, October 15–18, 2023, to discuss the basis of missional theology.
- Module 2 – Auburn, California, February 5–8, 2024, at the Mercy Center for a spiritual formation retreat.
- Module 3 – Chicago, Illinois, April 21–24, 2024, to examine what this means for our churches.
There is no cost to participate other than travel and accommodations. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Sara-May Cardy. Or you can simply sign up at the link below.