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Every three years, the North American Baptist Conference gathers together as one for an event we call Triennial. While some important conference business takes place at Triennial, more important than that is the time we set aside to worship together, learn together, and encourage each other – united as one body.
One of the other joys associated with Triennial that often gets overlooked is how it provides us an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the recent past even as we look toward what God has for us next. When we all gather together as the body of believers known as the NAB, we soon find ourselves being reminded of all God is up to in our midst.
In just this past year, God has done remarkable things. Much of this could not have been possible without the financial support of churches, individuals, and groups across the NAB. When you give to the Ministry Resource Fund, you are joining in the Kingdom work God is doing in and through the NAB. There are countless stories we could share, but here are just a few snapshots of what God is stirring up among us.
More than a dozen church planters, revitalizers, and missionaries have taken part in one of the two Fit Assessments that took place in 2024. These events have continued to prove a valuable means of discerning together the best fit for ministry leaders seeking to plant or revitalize churches or serve internationally. Micah Brookhart, pastor of recently launched Garden City Church in Prince George, British Columbia, said the Fit Assessment he and his wife Rebecca took part in this past February was “extremely helpful in affirmation and encouragement” and gave him “guidance for personal growth and development areas.”
When it comes to the world of NAB International Missions, there have been a number of transitions in the past year. As Randy Schmor, interim VP of International Missions, writes elsewhere in this issue, adaptation and change are “all part of what it means to serve and partner with God and his church in its various expressions throughout the world.” While we were able to celebrate the retirement of a few of the NAB missionaries at Triennial, we are excited about what is happening anew in international missions.
Claire and Tim Marker previously served as missionary partners in the Philippines through their work at the Bicol Center for Christian Leadership. However, after the most recent Fit Assessment, they are now full-time missionaries with the NAB. For them, the work remains the same – Claire will continue to serve as director of the BCCL, and both she and Tim will still be teaching classes – but with greater possibilities for partnership and support.
Additionally, Vern and Gloria Wagner, former NAB missionaries with the NAB in Romania, will be returning to Camp Falcon Rock on a limited-term basis. This temporary expansion of the team in Romania will assist the camp development so Camp Falcon Rock can continue to grow its reach in the local communities and beyond.
And just this past September, Nick and Iris Hung left for Japan, where they will be taking language classes for the next year as they begin ministry reaching out to the Chinese diaspora in Japan. The Hungs are joining the current team in Japan, Yuri Nakano and Shan Reed, at a unique inflection point in the NAB ministry in that country. The NAB has recently begun a partnership with TEAM Japan, part of a global community of Christ followers on a mission to partner with God’s global Church to connect people and resources for Kingdom expansion.
Another one of the NAB’s international mission fields that experienced significant change this year was Brazil. At the end of April and beginning of May, the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sol, experienced nearly half the annual rainfall in just one month, flooding the low-lying areas in and around the capital of Porto Alegre where NAB missionaries Lyndell Campbell-Réquia and Brandon and Marci Jones live and serve. They were not directly impacted by the flood waters themselves, so they were able to better assist in the emergency relief and recovery efforts – mostly due to the generosity of people and churches across the NAB. At the height of the flooding and relief work, Lyndell said, “While our immediate focus is on the most basic of needs, we pray that God would also minister to the hearts of people in this time of suffering and loss.”
This kind of missional focus on meeting both the physical and spiritual realities is exactly what makes trainings such as Blue Ocean so impactful. This training cohort, the latest of which launched last month in Vancouver, has proven to be a vital connecting point for leaders to gain a better understanding of what it means to be part of the missional/formational movement within the NAB. Additionally, a new sort of cohort called Year of Equipping launched for the first time this year. This missional training experience is taking a group of younger leaders through nine months of Zoom calls, book studies, and in-person gatherings all focused on training them for missional ministry for the decades to come.
Other cohorts of leaders met throughout the year as well. These Movement Cohorts are designed to take the task of leading strategic conversations away from the Conference leadership and place it in the hands of local NAB churches. Leaders within these various cohorts share their experiences in church planting, neighborhood engagement, and developing younger leaders with other churches within the NAB. After attending the Emerging Leader Movement Cohort, Robert Wendt, pastor of Fellowship Chapel in Sterling Heights, Michigan, said, “I can’t wait to see what things look like in the next several years.”
None of this work would be possible without partners like you from all across the NAB. There is much to celebrate, and more yet to come in the next year. Your gift today of $50, $100, $500, or more will greatly assist us in resourcing the efforts where God is at work, expanding the reach of the Gospel.
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Text the amount you wish to give and “Year” to (204) 400-2238 for Canadian gifts and (916) 249-0534 for US gifts. Find more info at nabconference.org/give/text-to-give/.
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